Residents in southeast Saskatchewan who are looking to hear something that鈥檚 absent from the majority of playlists and local radio stations will want to mark their calendars for Magic of Karpaty.
The musical performance, which consists of two musicians from Ukraine, will take place at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Estevan on Nov. 26 and at Midale School Nov. 27.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like telling a story and it can be very emotional,鈥� explained Nadia Babchouk, referring to the Ukrainian music that will be in full force in late November. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 also music you can dance to and get excited about.鈥�
Babchouk is one half of the musical duo from the Ivano Frankivsk region of West Ukraine where music is an important aspect of the culture. It鈥檚 also where she obtained a diploma for teaching the violin. She then moved on to university, where she received a scholarship and decided to pursue music even further. Over the summer in 2014, Nadia joined Veseli Halychany, a musical folk group that has been touring the world since the late 80s, during their tour in Ukraine.
She moved to Prince Albert and attended university classes there about 14 years ago in hopes of furthering her career in teaching music. Babchouk relocated to Midale a year ago and runs the Magic Music School. Many remember her for her recent performance at the United Way Telethon.
鈥淚 really want to show people the beauty of Ukrainian culture,鈥� she said, after noting the large number of Ukrainian people who live in the area.
Babchouk currently teaches in Estevan and Weyburn within local businesses that have been kind enough to offer her some space and time during specific times in the week. She also teaches at her home in Midale, but is looking for a permanent location in the Energy City.
鈥淚鈥檓 not making too much money yet,鈥� she said, and listed a number of other part time jobs she鈥檚 worked at in order to make ends meet.
One of her passions, which she said surprises most people, is her affinity for car racing.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 been a dream of mine for a long time,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 haven鈥檛 been able to try it yet, except on the street,鈥� she joked.
Music, however, is unquestionably her passion, and she said she hopes the upcoming performances will raise enough money for her to buy more instruments for students and fund a local orchestra.
Babchouk鈥檚 husband, Greg Mackie, who works behind the scenes, organizing shows and making sure his wife鈥檚 performances run smoothly and are of the highest quality, said a local orchestra is something that belongs in a smaller communities, not just the big cities like Saskatoon and Regina.
听
鈥淚 think having an orchestra in your area delivers a sense of civic pride,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have the brass orchestra, which is wonderful, but when the city needs entertainment and some music, these people are readily available.鈥�
听
Mackie said young children who are interested in music and attend music school will have something to look forward to locally, and can cherish the fact that they can represent the city they were raised in.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just like basketball or hockey, you start at the junior levels and work your way up to the seniors,鈥� he said.
Mackie met Babchouk in school at Prince Albert, and their encounter, he said, was completely unexpected.
鈥淢y plan was to get out of Prince Albert by the end of August and avoid meeting anyone and avoid winter,鈥� he laughed. 鈥淚 stayed there until April and met Nadia through one of her friends, who kind of introduced us, so I guess I kind of struck out on both of my goals.鈥�
Babchouk鈥檚 musical partner, Bogdan Vatsyk, who Babchouk has known since university, was a member of an orchestra in Ukraine and is renowned for his uncanny skill with the violin.
鈥淗e is so multi-faced, it鈥檚 incredible,鈥� said Mackie. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a guy in Ukraine named Papa Duke, and he鈥檚 the standard a lot of people go by when it comes to music,鈥� he said. 鈥淧apa Duke is well known, and though Bogdan isn鈥檛 as popular, he鈥檚 in that class. He can listen to a tune for a few seconds and play it on the violin.鈥�
Mackie said Vatsyk also plays the piano and an instrument called a cimbala, a unique stringed instrument.
Babchouk asked Vatsyk to come to Canada to play at musical festivals and help spread their country鈥檚 unique musical culture.
鈥淗e鈥檚 way better than me,鈥� Nadia said modestly.
Mackie stressed the significance of having a piece of foreign culture showcased in the area.
鈥淚t takes a huge amount of effort in maintaining these cultural elements, but it鈥檚 beautiful,鈥� he said.
Magic of Karpaty is a production that encourages participation, and people who have attended one of Babchouk鈥檚 shows will realize how hard it is to stay seated.
鈥淲e want everyone to get up and dance and have a good time,鈥� Babchouk explained.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a very relaxed atmosphere,鈥� Mackie noted. 鈥淧eople will soak in sounds they鈥檝e never heard before, and we want people to be entertained.鈥�
