The Ukrainians - Shchedryk

Review by Nilay Özsüer

Shchedryk by The Ukrainians: A Quirky, Genre-Bending Joyride That Sticks With You If you're the kind of person who gets bored with cookie-cutter albums and craves something that feels like a passport stamp for your ears, Shchedryk by The Ukrainians is exactly what you didn’t know you needed. Released in 2017 on Zirka Records (UK), this album dives headfirst into a wild mash-up of Worldwide, Rock, Folk, and Country vibes—basically, it's all over the place but in the best way possible. And trust me, once you’ve heard it, you won’t forget it anytime soon. Let’s talk about “Oy Dunayu Dunayu” first because holy cow, this track hits different. It starts off with this raw, almost haunting energy—it’s like someone opened a time capsule from another century and let its soul spill out. The melody is simple yet so damn powerful; it feels like standing barefoot in a field somewhere between Ukraine and… well, wherever your imagination takes you. There’s no need for flashy production here. Just pure emotion wrapped up in folk roots. Every time I hear it, I get goosebumps—and not just because my cat jumped on my lap again. Then there’s their bold take on “California Dreaming/She’s Lost Control.” Yeah, they mashed up two iconic songs, which could have been a total disaster, but instead? Pure magic. It’s like watching two old friends argue at a party and then suddenly burst into laughter together. One second you’re swaying to the dreamy vibes of “California Dreaming,” and the next thing you know, you’re hit with the edgy intensity of “She’s Lost Control.” It shouldn’t work, but oh man, does it ever. This track alone makes me want to grab my air guitar and pretend I’m cool enough to pull off rockstar moves. What really stands out about Shchedryk is how unapologetically itself it is. These guys aren’t trying to fit neatly into one genre or tick boxes—they’re just throwing everything onto the table and seeing what sticks. Sometimes it’s chaotic, sometimes it’s beautiful, but it’s always authentic. Even when they revisit classics like “Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells),” they manage to make it feel fresh without losing the heart of the original. Honestly, listening to this album feels like hanging out with an eccentric uncle who insists on telling you stories about his travels while playing random instruments he picked up along the way. Sure, some parts might feel a little rough around the edges, but that’s kinda the charm. By the end, you realize you’ve laughed, thought deeply, and maybe even teared up a bit. So yeah, if you’re looking for something predictable, skip this. But if you wanna shake things up and experience music that feels alive—like it has dirt under its nails and stars in its eyes—then give Shchedryk a spin. Just don’t blame me if you find yourself humming “Oy Dunayu Dunayu” during your morning commute. Oh, and fun fact: I still can’t decide whether I love or hate that California Dreaming mashup, but either way, it’s stuck in my brain forever.

Artist: The Ukrainians
Album: Shchedryk

2017

Rating: 5.0

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Filename: the-ukrainians-shchedryk.zip

MP3 size: 45.6 mb
FLAC size: 445.6 mb

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Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
She's Lost Control
Oy Dunayu Dunayu	3:47
California Dreaming
Chy Znayesh Ty	3:22
Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells)	1:24
California Dreaming / She's Lost Control	4:1
Shchedryk	1:23
California Dreaming/She‘s Lost Control	4:02

Video

The Ukrainians - California Dreaming She's Lost Control (official audio)

The Ukrainians - Щедрик - Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells) OFFICIAL VIDEO

Images

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ladda ner album The Ukrainians - Shchedryk

last ned album The Ukrainians - Shchedryk

Catalog Numbers

Zrkcds11

Labels

Zirka Records

Listen online

lyssna på nätet
online luisteren
écouter en ligne
escuchar en línea
kuunnella verkossa
lytte på nettet
ouvir online
online anhören
ascolta in linea

Formats

CD
Maxi-Single

Barcodes

Barcode: 702669860468

About The Ukrainians

Album herunterladen The Ukrainians - Shchedryk

descargar álbum The Ukrainians - Shchedryk

Group dedicated to Ukrainian music with a UK twist. Formed in 1990 after the success of 's Ukrainian session (""), on which future members of the band played.

Name Vars

The Ukranians
Ukrainians
Українці

Members

Peter Solowka
Allan Martin
Roman Remeynes
Len Liggins
Stepan Pasicznyk
Paul Weatherhead
Michael L.B. West
Paul Dino Briggs
Dave Lee
Alan Dawson
Stefan Tymruk
James Howe
Stephen Wood

Interesting fact about Album

Here’s a fun fact: The album *Shchedryk* by The Ukrainians, released in 2017, blends traditional Ukrainian folk tunes with rock and world music vibes. It even features a unique mashup of "California Dreaming" and "She's Lost Control," mixing classic Western tracks with Eastern European flair. How cool is that?

Comments

lisetvalle

2025-03-15

Дякую за найкраще виконання Щедрика. Привіт українській громаді !

fluiguy730420208

2025-03-14

Ancient Slavs celebrated New Year on 21st March, that's why it talks about a swallow. Swallows usually don't fly around in the freezing winter XD.

khidpoison

2025-03-14

Йде до плейлісту! Дякую!

lillyosaka

2025-03-13

"The song is based on a traditional folk chant whose language was thought to have magical properties. The original traditional Ukrainian text used a device known as hemiola in the rhythm (alternating the accents within each measure from 3/4 to 6/8 and back again). The chant based on an ostinato four-note pattern within the range of a minor third is thought to be of prehistoric origins and was associated with the coming New Year which in Ukraine before the introduction of Christianity was originally celebrated in April." The version arranged for choir that became the melody for Carol of the Bells was arranged by Mykola Leontovych in 1916 who also wrote the first church litany in vernacular Ukranian. He was shot and his family robbed by a Soviet agent in 1921 as part of Soviet suppression of Ukranian culture and identity; 9 months before it was sung at Carnegie Hall to much acclaim, then after radio play had an English version of the lyrics added. Mykola Leontovych was declared a martyr by the Orthodox Church, the same one now backing Putin.

lucianallima23

2025-03-12

Everytime I watch this, I cry bc of the betrayal my pagan ancestors must've felt when this was done to them

koriq725011231

2025-03-11

Amazing energy ???????

dannot25

2025-03-11

*?супер и привет от тренера по футболу*

shineshineweb

2025-03-11

I’m not a Christian or any related religion because I believe that if there is a God, there is a Goddess. Not “Mrs God” but her own force. So what’s the point? Just that I believe any practices are okay as long as they don’t harm others. Your music somehow reinforces my beliefs.

hotelmaps

2025-03-10

Slava Ukraini!!! Hail the heroes!!!

cesareortiz

2025-03-10

я плачу. ????https://youtu.be/Qlx7NLcAmSo?

jddolan2019

2025-03-09

Браво!

dgclass

2025-03-09

Najpiękniejsze wykonanie ?

champ1st

2025-03-09

Ояебу

showrov007

2025-03-09

Це чия мова

asmaaabdelrahmanebraheem

2025-03-08

If You would like to sing in english :)

Shchedryk, shchedryk, shchedrivochka

iblocksource

2025-03-08

We were dancers. We were free

rebeccaaosterberg

2025-03-07

When I saw The Ukrainians back in April at a fundraiser for Ukraine at Salisbury Arts Centre, and heard the familiar strains of She's Lost Control in the middle of this song on the accordian, I lost my sh*t.