1978 - UKRAINE’S MUSTACHE FUNK / Vodogray - Try Trembity / Водограй - Три трембіти

VIA “Vodogray”, one of the most prominent Ukrainian pop-bands in 1970s, has presented its own, very funky version of song “Tri Trembity” in 1978, with vocals by Victor Shport’ko and Lyudmila Artemenko. This sound is very typical for so called “Mustache Funk” – fusion of big-beat, funk, rock, and Ukrainian ethnic melodies, forming a unique sound introduced in early 1970s by a number of VIA (Vocal and Instrumental ensembles) founded in the Soviet Ukraine under an attempt of the Soviet government to provide the young crowd with an analogue of Western music. The result was unpredictable, as a lot of talented Ukrainian musicians at the time have managed to create their own distinct music style - “Ukrainian funk”. “Mustache funk” term was introduced in 2020 by Vitaliy “Bard“ Bardetsky, a Ukrainian music journalist, concert promoter, and ex-manager of several Ukrainian pop bands, in documentary ““Mustache Funk” - a doc on Ukrainian funk” - “Tri Trembity” (“Three Trembitas“ in Ukrainian), one of the most popular and covered songs in the history of Ukrainian pop-music, written by Miroslav Skorik and Aleksandr Vrataryov, was originally performed by singer Valery Viter and folk-rock band Kobza in 1974 in musical TV show “Ty plus ya = vesna” (Ukrtelefilm) - The song was also released in 1976 on VIA “Kalina”’s 7’ single in a quite different, rather rock sounding manner: Jazz-version of the song was recorded by Ukrainian singer Ivo Bobul in 1980s – The most contemporary cover was featured by VIA Kvartirnik in May, 2023 - The trembita (from the old Germanic “trumba”, “to trumpet“) is an alpine horn made of wood. It is common among Ukrainian highlanders Hutsuls who live in western Ukraine, eastern Poland, Slovakia, and northern Romania. In Poland it is known as a trombita (in the south), a bazuna (in the north), or a ligawka (in central Poland). Lyrics in Ukrainian: Три трембіти на три боки Розкидали сум глибокий. Трембітали трембітали Ту-ру-ру-ру-ру-ру-ру. А я піду я піду На четверту сторону. На дорогу на широку, Може милу перейму. Заглядає в річку дичка. По водичку йде Анничка. Промінь сонця на обличчі Грає - виграє. На четвертій стороні, Стрілась мила де мені, Трембітарику Анничка Білі руки подає