The Ukrainian Weekly 1993

10 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1993 No. 49NEW RELEASE: ''Dobryden'' tops Ukrainian kids'pop chartsby Anisa Handzia SawyckyjUkrainian children, their families and pre-schoolteachers have great cause for celebration. At long last, adramatically different audiotape for kids has appearedon the market, offering Ukrainian-language children'ssongs in contemporary arrangements highly appealing totoday's North American audiences.The tape, titled "Mirka і Ola: Dobryden" (Good Day),features 22 entertaining songs that will have their littlelisteners (and any innocent adult bystanders) instantlyand completely mesmerized.The songs include updated renditions of traditionalUkrainian children's songs, as well as a number of newsongs, many of them with an educational theme. Hereyou will find songs about numbers, colors, days of theweek, months of the year, parts of the body, foods (afterall, this is a tape by and for Ukrainians), and even aUkrainian alphabet song, as sung by a mouse.In tune with youth"Dobryden" is a tape that is perfectly in tune with themusical tastes of today's Ukrainian youngsters and theirparents. Unfortunately, this is something that cannot besaid of many of the Ukrainian children's tapes on themarket today, which are not that numerous to beginwith. With a few notable exceptions (such as the charmingseries of bilingual tapes with accompanying booksreleased a few years ago by Kazka productions ofEdmonton), the songs on these tapes tend to be eithercloyingly sweet, overly didactic, too fast, or too long. Ifproduced in Ukraine, such tapes often contain words orexpressions completely unfamiliar to the ear of theUkrainian adult in the diaspora, not to mention theUkrainian diaspora child.The creators of "Mirka і Ola: Dobryden" have avoidedall the above-mentioned pitfalls. In fact, they haveproduced a tape so original and unconventional that theythemselves wondered if Ukrainian children and theirparents would readily accept this new sound. (As it turnsout, they need not have worried.)On the "Dobryden" tape, listeners will find suchunexpected genres as western, pop, rockabilly, and evenrap sounds, all these offerings generously but tastefullyseasoned with a panoply of bells, whistles, sirens anddigital sound effects. The mix is guaranteed to knockyour little kids' socks off.And not just your kids. In fact, so unexpected andauthentic are the sirens that precede a song about firemen,that this writer/mom/driver never fails to instinctivelyglance in the rear-view mirror and start pullingover every time that cut comes up on the car's tape deck— and this after hearing the tape countless times!Speaking of countless times, perhaps not the leastimportant virtue of this tape is that it is so fresh andinventive, that it is extremely unlikely to get on a parent'snerves for a very, very long time, if ever. This is avery important feature, as children are likely to insist onlistening to "Dobryden" over and over again for daysand weeks, as they attempt to master the melodies andwords.Hooked on songsIn fact, in an informal survey, mothers of Ukrainiantoddlers and pre-schoolers in the New York metropolitanarea report a definite addiction to this tape on thepart of their little ones. Within a few days, the kids arenot just humming, but singing along — all without anyprodding on the caretaker's part.Not only are the words enunciated clearly on the tape,making learning easier for the child, but also the texts ofall 22 songs appear on the four panels of the tape'sinsert card, a thoughtful gesture toward parents andteachers, who can make good educational use of thetexts. (However, since the print size is necessarily verytiny in order to fit on the card, be prepai*ed to head for aphotocopying machine which enlarges, certainly a smallprice to pay for the convenience of the available texts.)It immediately becomes apparent to even the mostcasual listener that all aspects of this tape — from songselection, vocals and musical arrangements, to its educationalvalue and pure child appeal, have been carefullythought out by a very creative and professional team.both Canadian Ukrainians with somewhat differentcareer paths, but with a shared love of music, childrenand Ukrainian culture.Known to Canadian TV viewers as Samantha Taylor,former host of the CBC network's "Video Hits," MirkaBojeczko started out with a B.A. in speech communicationfrom Penn State University, with 10 years of pianolessons under belt. Subsequently she worked for morethan a dozen years as a disc jockey in the U.S. andToronto. She also logged eight years in TV, five of themwith "Video Hits," a daily national music video program.Today, she works as a free-lance broadcaster,while trying to spend as much time as possible with 3-year-old daughter Lydia.Ola Cholkan's background includes 10 years as a studentof piano at the Royal Conservatory of Music andprofessional voice instruction. She has recorded analbum, "Trio Osin," in which some of her original compositionswere featured, and she also performed on stagein the early 1980s. While music is her first love, she hasarmed herself with an MBA from the University ofToronto and now works as a full-time professor of businessmanagement while also pursuing musical projectsinvolving her singing and songwriting talents. She is themother of two children, Christina and Gregory.The two women met through their children's involvementin "Pershi Kroky" (First Steps), a play group forpre-schoolers in Toronto. Ms. Cholkan had made ahome recording of a tape of traditional Ukrainian children'ssongs to entertain her own kids, but the tapebecame so popular at the play group and beyond, that itwas even sold as a fund-raiser for "Pershi Kroky."When Ms. Bojeczko heard the tape at the play group,she made a point of contacting Ms. Cholkan and the ideaof making a new tape together was bom. The duo selectedtraditional Ukrainian children's songs, researched thecredits, composed new songs, decided on formats andsound effects, and did the vocals.Because they are professionals in the music fieldthemselves, they knew they wanted and could get atechnically first-rate end product. Hence, they chose thetalented musical team of Darka and Slavko Halatyn toarrange, produce and record the tape.New Yorkers Darka and Slavko, who themselveshave set new standards in performing and recordingcontemporary Ukrainian music, were enthusiastic aboutparticipating. With the materials and basic concepts ontape from Mirka and Ola, Darka and Slavko not onlyarranged and performed the instruments but also providedvaluable suggestions, based on their own refinedmusical sensibility. The result is a tape with a rich musicaltexture and a polished finish.Run, Barney^ runIndeed, in terms of technical quality and musicalinterest, "Mirka і Ola: Dobryden" gives Barney, SesameStreet, Raffi and other English-language children's tapesa run for their money. It truly shines.Sales of the tape, which was released under Mirkaand Ola's own MOM Music label in July 1993, havebeen brisk, exceeding the duo's expectations, andnecessitating a second printing. The tape is sellingwell, not only among children in exclusivelyUkrainian-speaking families, but also among childrenwith only one Ukrainian-speaking parent. (Indeed, it isalso popular with the non-Ukrainian parents themselves!)It is easy to see how a tape so entertaining and so fullof musical surprises could enchant children with onlymarginal knowledge of the Ukrainian language, andmake them want to learn it better. Being Ukrainian hasnever been so much fun!Mirka and Ola happily report that Ridna Shkola(school of Ukrainian studies) in Toronto has alreadypurchased the tape for all the schools and pre-schools inits vast network.Hit in UkraineBut perhaps the biggest source of gratification to thetwo women has been the response m Ukraine. Throughan organization called "Help Us Help the Children,"which operates under the auspices of the Children ofChomobyl Fund, Mirka and Ola donated 25 tapes toCreative duooфhanages in eastern Ukraine, where the use of Russianlanguage prevails, even among ethnic Ukrainians. ThereMirka and Ola are Mirka Bojeczko and Ola Cholkan, was no telling what the response would be, not only dueto the language question, but also because of the unconventionalwestern musical format of the tape.Anisa Handzia Sawyckyj is a free-lance writer livingin New York. She has heard the "Dobryden" tape at Much to their delight, the women have seen a videotapeshowing the children enthusiastically singing theleast 100 times, thanks to her S-year-old son, McJcsym,who also eagerly awaits the appearance of the video. Ukrainian alphabet song from the "Dobryden" tape.Mirka Bojeczko (left) and Olia Cholkan.Gratified by the success of "Dobryden," whose targetmarket is the 2-8 age group, Mirka and Ola are gearingup for a second tape, aimed at 6 to 12-year-olds. Thewomen see a vacuum in the market in terms of children'stapes for that age group.The ultimate question: Dare we hope for "Mirka іOla: The Video"? After all, TV is such a powerful mediumand "Dobryden" lends itself so beautifully to amusic video format. The answer is that the video is adefinite possibility, with a likely release in 1995.In the meantime, Ukrainian children are fortunate tobe growing up in a time when they can fill their ears andhearts with the inimitable musical magic generated byMirka and Ola. "Dobryden" is a tape that will long resonatein our Ukrainian culture's collective boom box.It is also a tape that unquestionably belongs underevery Ukrainian child's tree this Christmas. "Dobryden"is available from the Yevshan Corp., whose toll-freenumber is 1-800-265-9858.St. Andrew's Eve ritualsto be recalled in New Yorkby Helen SmindakNEW YORK — The ancient Ukrainian rituals of St.Andrew, known in pre-Christian days as "Kalyta," willbe recalled here on Friday December 10, at 6:30 p.m. forthe pleasure and benefit of the young and the young atheart.In a colorful program arranged by the UkrainianArtists' Association and the Ukrainian Literary Club,the customs and rituals associated with AndriyivskyiVechir (St. Andrew's Eve) will be recreated throughwords and music at the Ukrainian Artists' Associationgallery, 136 Second Ave., fourth floor.Slava Gerulak will explain the meaning and customsof St. Andrew's Eve, which include special pastriesbaked in a round form to symbolize the sun (the conquerorof darkness and evil). Connected with weddings,sun worship and the commemoration of ancestors, thecelebration nowadays is known primarily as a feast foryoung people of marriageable age, since it foretellswhom young women will marry.Among those taking part in the festivities will beflutist Andrij Miliavsky, cymbalist Oleksa Fedoruk,bandurist Lavrentia Turkewicz and artist/actor LiubartLishchynsky. There will be fortune-telling for the youngpeople (both male and female) and refreshments foreveryone.The evening has been planned as part of a holidayseason bazaar that continues for three weekends —December 3, 4 and 5. December 10, 11 and 12 andDecember 17,18 and 19.Gallery art director Anya Farion notes that art workand crafts (ceramics, jewelry and textiles) will be onsale. The hours are 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 4p.m. on Saturday and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday.