DagaDana / Ukraina/Polska
Meridian'68 released this spring is the band’s 4th studio album. On the one hand, the group goes the farthest as far as their musical side is concerned - to China, on the other, it has never been so close to the local traditions - Ukrainian and Polish.
DagaDana was founded in 2008 by Daga Gregorowicz from Poznań and Dana Vynnytska from Lviv. Soon after, Mikołaj Pospieszalski joined the band with his upright bass, and since some time, Frank Parker and Bartosz Mikołaj Nazaruk are responsible for rhythmical structures interchangeably. The band combines the element of Ukrainian and Polish culture using jazz, electronica, ambitious songs, avant pop and ethno / world music.
In 2010, the band has released their first album titled Maleńka, followed by Dlaczego nie, just a year later. Another album, List do Ciebie, released two years ago was based on an interesting idea: All the lyrics were based on poems by Janusz Różewicz (older brother of Tadeusz and Stanisław), who died during World War II. The band members wrote music for the poems.
The latest album, Meridian'68 is a result of their artistic search. This time, the band turned even more towards folk music. The album contains traditional songs from various regions of Poland (Greater Poland, Kurpiowszczyzna), Ukrainian and Lemko folk songs, as well as one exceptional song, recorded in Chinese together with North Lab band, met in Beijing. It is worth noting that the outstanding musicians from the Far East - Hassibagen (Mongolia) and Aiys Song (China) are featured in many songs on the album.
Even the name of the release alludes to the Chinese adventure. “The 68th meridian is exactly in the middle of the way between Częstochowa and Beijing, two cities where we recorded our songs”, summed up Dagmara Gregorowicz, DagaDana’s manager and member.
Members of the group:
Daga Gregorowicz – vocals, electronics
Dana Vynnytska – vocals, keyboard instruments
Mikołaj Pospieszalski – upright bass, violin, vocals
Frank Parker / Bartek Mikołaj Nazaruk – drums, percussion instruments.
The concert took place in 2016.