ukrainian music (2000)

Ok.

This isn’t really about Ukrainian music per se. This is more about the music I discovered on my first trip to Ukraine in 2000.

While it may seem odd … my first trip to Kiev was probably defined by music. As a music lover I was in heaven. And, no, I am not talking about traditional Ukrainian music (which I admit I kinda put in the same category as death by polka).

This was contemporary music I hadn’t heard before.

Anyway.

At that time only 2 television stations were English language – bbc and mtv – therefore I saw a boatload of European/Russian music videos I had never seen before (I was also able to catch up on my world news).

Ah. But beyond the music videos … there were the nightclubs. And the club music.

I wish I could remember the one club that made the biggest impact.

This club was unfindable for me after that one night. Off a side street. Old cobblestone alley. The door was actually below street level (you had to walk down a small staircase).

Big spetnaz-looking bouncer at door.

But once inside?

A basement the size of a house. Massive dance floor on one side and a U shaped bar surrounding a non dance section. Seemed like hundreds of people and masses of dancing people.

And the coolest mix of music I have ever heard.

By the middle of the night I had given up the dance floor for a stool in the dj’s booth drinking an amazing great tasting Ukrainian beer – which I have never discovered since – tapping the shoulder of the dj every time I heard a song I wanted to know about.

As he maybe spoke 10 words of English <of which 5 are inappropriate to share on a public site> it was an unspoken sharing of love of music and the club energy it inspired.

If I knew how to upload music from my own music library I could share a couple more but, sigh, I do not … so these are the songs I could find publicly to share. while it is a mix it is skewed toward club music so if you don’t like that kind of stuff you may just want to come back for another post.

Here you go.

This song seemed like it was everywhere.

Italian Eurodance band Eiffel 65: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ6HBbyJR34&ob=av2e

And I saw this video on MTV and fell in love with Chicane.

Chicane – Autumn Tactics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFgHvMV21zI&feature=related

But.

This was the Chicane song that I heard in the clubs (it was an odd experience to be hearing club trance music and then all of a sudden hear a familiar voice … Bryan Adams):

Chicane – Don’t give up (short version official video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBj7tigJsE&feature=related

And this one stopped me when I first heard it. It slowed the dance floor down and I had never heard such a silky smooth voice. Just a teen at that time … Craig David.

Walking away: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mp-Wb4yBUw&feature=related

Oh. Who would have thought an ex-Spice Girl would be dominating the club scene. Sporty Spice had a 10 minute club mix (this is original on cd).

I Turn to You: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7E24eKJvs0

Oh. And this cd was playing everywhere … Television by Paola & Chiara. I am not sure there is a bad song on this album and I bet they played 4 songs off it in the club on one night.

Viva El Amor!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3V1mimj9vA&feature=fvst

Vamos a Baillar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WLLJEj53GU

(the only song that filled the dance floor faster as the opening vocals rang thru the speakers was a Craig David song)

Buona Stella: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AByQdgmTVyU

Next. An all girl band from England All Saints had this catchy song playing everywhere.

Black Coffee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2WP1yNypHo

Lastly. This was also when I was introduced to 4 Strings. It was an okay song but a good club dance song. I kept them on my radar and about 3 or 4 years later they put out a cd that was amazing

(2000) Daytime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noSsyKFNyR4&feature=related

(2004) Diving: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU1vfRc3KjQ&ob=av2e

Those are just my highlights. And I must have picked up 5 cds on that trip that still sit in my music library. It is a big music world out there my friends. And while American artists seem to get picked up globally for some reason non-American music doesn’t seem to get picked up as easily in America.

We are missing out on some good stuff.

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Written by Bruce