Few artists have done more to bring Ukrainian traditional music into today’s European music scene than GANNA. Since 2013, the Ukrainian singer, composer and ethnomusicology researcher has been collecting ancient folk songs from across Ukraine and reimagining them through jazz, electronic music, improvisation and contemporary composition. Today, critics describe her as one of the most distinctive voices on Europe’s jazz and folk scene.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Her 2022 album HOME was named Album of the Year by Germany’s DLF Kultur and Jazz Event of the Year by Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR). Her solo debut KUPALA was included among the best Ukrainian albums of 2023 by Slukh.Media and MIXMAG, while LIVEUROPE recognized it as one of Europe’s New Sounds of 2024. Her latest album, UTOPIA, released in 2025, earned praise from Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and taz, which described GANNA as “a vocal experimenter, master of electronic sound and performer on rare instruments who has spent years preserving and reinventing ancient Ukrainian folk songs.” On Aug. 9, GANNA will perform at the Vyrii Festival. Ahead of the concert, Kyiv Post spoke with her about Ukrainian folk traditions, Europe’s changing perception of Ukrainian culture, and why music remains one of the country’s strongest voices abroad. GANNA. (Image via GANNA’s Press Office)
GANNA on Bringing Ukrainian Folk Music to the World
Ukrainian singer, composer and folk researcher GANNA explains why Ukrainian traditional music belongs on the world’s biggest stages – not because of Russia’s war, but because of its artistic power.
1,042 words~5 min read
