- Year of foundation – 2013
- City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
- Language – Ukrainian, English
- Genre – folktronics, electronics, synth-pop
Lineup:
- Nata Zhyzhchenko – vocals, sopilka;
- Daryna Sert – keyboards, sampler, backing vocals;
- Maria Sorokina – drums;
- Evgeny Yovenko – bandura, bugai, sampler, tylinka;
- Andriy Voychuk – cymbals, drymba;
- Sergiy Kashin – trombone, trembita;
- Nikola Bloshkin – trombone, trembita;
- Vitaly Bakalzhenko – trombone;
- Olexandr Lisun – trombone;
- Taras Dovgopol – horn, Cossack trumpet;
- Vladislav Petrenko – horn.
History of the group
ONUKA is a Ukrainian musical group working in the electro-folk genre. A new star in the sky of the domestic creative industry shone in 2013. The project was created by Nata Zhyzhchenko and Yevhen Filatov. Nata was previously the vocalist of the electronic band Tomato Jaws. Yevhen Filatov, known as the leader of the group The Maneken, became the composer, arranger and sound producer of the group.
The choice of the name of the group was a demonstration of respect for Nata’s grandfather, Oleksandr Shlyonchyk, who was a well-known Ukrainian master of musical instruments. It was he who created the first flute for her granddaughter, opened the world of traditional music and helped to form a sense of deep connection with her native culture. At the same time, the word “granddaughter” interested the founder of the group not only as a reference to the memory of her grandfather. Nata Zhyzhchenko noted that the emphasis in the name can be changed, discovering new meanings. Interestingly, one of the options for the name of the group was the word “plombir”. But the choice still stopped at the word “granddaughter”.
Thinking about the concept of the group’s music, Nata Zhyzhchenko recalls how at a certain point she assessed her creative path. The artist realized that she had dedicated exactly half of her life to ethnic style, and the rest to electronics. So the goal of the performer was to create a sound in which the electronic basis harmoniously intertwines with the living breath of folk instruments. The flute, which Nata considers her personal magic wand, has become a symbol of a unique synthesis.
The main challenge was to find a fine line between two musical worlds, preserving the beauty and depth of both. The ambitious idea was realized thanks to Yevgen Filatov, a person who has a subtle sense of music and is able to create a balanced, sophisticated sound.
Creative path
ONUKA's first release was the song Look, presented in October 2013. At the end of December, the band released a video clip for the single. The director was Yevgen Filatov. The public debut of the project took place on June 13, 2014. ONUKA first presented a half-hour program during the performance of The Maneken in a Kyiv club. And a few weeks before that, the first mini-album called Look was released. The album included four original compositions and a mix of the title track. Immediately after its release, the EP topped the Ukrainian iTunes chart.
The full-length album was released in October 2014. The ONUKA release consisted of ten tracks: eight in English and two songs in Ukrainian. The success of the album increased the band's army of fans and brought the musicians wide recognition and popularity. The full discography of the project includes the following albums:
- studio: Onuka, Mozaïka, Kolir, Room;
- mini-albums: Look, Vidlik, Kolir (Remixes);
- live: Live with NAONI Orchestra (with the participation of NAONI of Ukraine), Mozaïka (with the participation of NAONI of Ukraine).
Development of the group
ONUKA made themselves known far beyond the Ukrainian scene, attracting the attention of fans of quality music from other countries. In May 2015, the project participants won the national selection among Ukrainian bands to participate in the prestigious Sziget festival. The band's performance took place on August 11 at the British Knights Europe Stage. The group successfully presented a unique combination of electronics and Ukrainian traditional music to the public.
At the beginning of 2021, ONUKA also took part in the 21st International Meet in Beijing Festival. The event was held online. The band presented Ukrainian culture at the international level to an audience of over 300 thousand viewers.
Regarding the basics of ONUKA's creative concept, Yevhen Filatov sees it as a combination of content and form. The artist fully shares the ideas behind the project. The sound producer believes that music should, above all, remain an independent and holistic artistic product. It is important that the work is interesting, attractive to the listener and at the same time meets a high professional level. Filatov is convinced that when music is filled with deep meanings, it is able to go beyond the boundaries of usual perception. And the resonance caused can be much more powerful than expected.
Social activity
One of the important themes reflected in ONUKA's work was the Chernobyl tragedy. The events at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant were reflected in the tracks of the 2016 mini-album Vidlik.
In 2018, ONUKA launched the social initiative ECOSTRUM. The goal of the project was to attractattention to environmental problems. The group began cooperation with the public organization "Ukraine without Trash", supporting its activities through creative and information campaigns. ONUKA consciously uses its popularity to spread socially important messages. The video clip for the composition Strum was the first step in this direction and broadcast a call to be responsible for the environment.
Also in 2022, a charity film-lecture about folk instruments from ONUKA was released. The work was created in collaboration with the Repair Together Foundation. The film became part of the charity media project "Winter is Coming", where famous Ukrainians raised funds for the restoration of houses destroyed by the war. In addition, Nata Zhyzhchenko became an ambassador for the special fund "This is my city", which helps residents and defenders of Chernihiv.
Awards and honors:
- YUNA-2015 music award in the nomination "Discovery of the Year";
- Award of the international film festival Around International Film Festival Barcelona 2021 (award for the video clip for the song Zenit in the nomination "Best Music Video");
- MEGOGO MUSIC AWARDS 2023 music award ("Album of the Year" - Room);
- Emmy award for the documentary film "Cultural Quest: Ukraine" in the nomination "Outstanding Special Program" (2024);
- YUNA-2026 special award (place in the list of "15 most influential artists in 15 years").
Interesting facts about the band:
- Nata Zhyzhchenko not only sings in the band, but also plays many musical instruments. Among them are the sopilka, ocarina, whistle, omnichord, small percussion instruments;
- Music from the mini-album Vidlik was used in the documentary film of the TV channel "1+1" about the Chernobyl accident;
- The tracks of the EP Vidlik embodied the personal experiences of the project participants. It is known that Nata Zhyzhchenko and Yevhen Filatov lived in Slavutych for a week and visited the Chernobyl power plant.
