Rohata Zhaba
Year of foundation – 2019
City – Kharkiv
Language – Ukrainian
Genre – country-folk
Lineup:
- Mykhailo Baranovsky – songwriter, vocalist and guitarist;
- Anya Ptitsya – artist and percussionist;
- Yevgeny Frenkel – cajon player, cameraman and editor;
- Alisa Shevtsova – violinist;
- Chester Ivanena – guitarist and sound engineer.
History of the band
Rohata Zhaba is a music band originating from Kharkiv and combining folk, country and indie in its music, enriched with elements of many other genres. The basis of the group was the friendship between Mykhailo Baranovsky and Anya Ptitsya, who played together in the band Orange Tree while still at school. Mykhailo and Anya began their creative path in the music industry as members of a group created by the teacher of future stars.
Rehearsing in the basement, the musicians successfully performed covers in English and created their own compositions. At that time, there was also a band called Adahy ("the one who lives in the forest"). However, later the lyrics became Ukrainian, and Orange Tree and Adahy gave way to the Rohata Zhaba format.
Speaking about the concept of the name "The Horned Frog", the musicians explain: it is a mysterious creature. It is difficult to see or understand through sensory experience. After all, it is transcendent and exists in the world of dreams. It dreams of different worlds and their structure, but it is not a part of these worlds and is not their narrator. The band members broadcast the dreams of a fantasy creature. Through the prism of their own perception, the musicians convey the worldview of the Frog. This approach is quite interesting, since the band tells about the universe of the Frog through their own vision.
Creative path
After going through a kind of initiation rite, Adahy changed to Rohata Zhaba. They started playing concerts. One, two… They shot video clips for the compositions "Heads-beards", "Lantern", "Milky Way". After the start of a full-scale war in 2022, the band temporarily ceased its activities, as the members were forced to leave Kharkiv. However, later the musicians were able to get together and resume their musical career in Lviv.
Over time, the band gained wide recognition and released several mini-albums:
- “Somewhere Under the Clouds”;
- “In the Footsteps of Coal”;
- “From People to People”.
The band also released several singles. One of the releases, titled “Lichtar,” has over 1 million streams on Spotify. The content of all the albums was compiled in collaboration with sound producer Chester.
The band’s style and development
The band, as Mykhailo Baranovsky notes, creates its own mythology in its compositions. According to him, the mythology of the project’s work is a synthesis of images and ideas that have long existed in different cultures. In the band’s songs, you can find representatives of Indian tribes, shamans, and forest dwellers. The tracks even contain elements of concepts created by German philosophers of the 17th-18th centuries. Mykhailo also explains that the unique universe of Rohata Zhaba is best revealed in a combination of visual elements and a unique sound.
After the start of the full-scale war, the band's music did not change radically. The vast majority of the recorded songs were created before the full-scale invasion. But now the band's hits are taking on new meanings. The approach to creativity has changed, since, in addition to music, the band also creates video clips. The artists have faced a number of limitations. But it is the new solutions in the existing conditions that give the band's creativity a special charm.
At their live shows, the artists transform into fairy-tale characters. The musicians create a unique atmosphere by performing songs about the dreams of the Horned Frog. The band's music has gained immense popularity: the band's songs are marked by hundreds of thousands of listens on Spotify. Concerts gather large crowds of fans. The band's fans dress up in medieval costumes, wear horns and dance non-stop, immersing themselves in the magical world of their idols' music.
Rohata Zhaba has a creative track record of touring cities in Ukraine and performing at festivals, including Faine Misto.
Social activity
The Rohata Zhaba band is actively involved in social initiatives and charity projects. During the 2024 autumn tour, the band members repeatedly directed part of the proceeds to support Ukrainian defenders. In addition, Rohata Zhaba became participants in the musical charity event "Beshket", demonstrating consistent support for important social and volunteer causes.
Interesting facts about the band:
- only Alice and Chester have a professional musical education in the band;
- the band members call their audience of fans "frogs";
- fans wear original costumes to the musicians' performances. Once, a guy came to a concert in Kyiv in a massive fur mask that covered his head and shoulders. And violinist Alice once played half a concert in a fly agaric hat that she got from the hall;
- the covers of the band's tracks deserve special attention. According to fans and critics, they are real works of art
