Ukrainian Vinyl Records Part 3: Traditional Songs
Welcome to Part 3, the final instalment of our mini-series, Rediscovering Old Ukrainian Vinyl, here on Little Ukrainian Blog. In this series, we’ve been uncovering the beauty of our musical heritage, one record at a time. Today, we’re thrilled to share the last five treasures from our family’s collection, a selection of traditional Ukrainian folk songs that capture the heart and soul of our culture.
Over the course of these three posts, we’ve presented 15 of our most beloved vinyl records, each representing a piece of Ukraine’s rich musical history. We hope you’ve enjoyed this journey with us and invite you to share these posts so others can discover the wonderful legacy of our culture, too.
If you missed the beginning of this series, you can catch up with Part 1 here.
1. 40 Favorite Ukrainian Melodies
Released in 1961, this vinyl has 40 instrumental traditional Ukrainian melodies. All the albums songs feature the Odessa Community Orchestra and is directed by Ivan Hrusevskyu.
The cover features the famous painting “Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks” by Ilya Repin.
Label: Request Records
Released: 1961
- Little River Vorskla (Ворскла Річка Невеличка)
- The Blowing Winds (Віють Вітри)
- Since I Got Married (З Того Часу Як Женився)
- Morozenko (Гей Морозе Та Морозеньку)
- Woe Is Me, A Tchumak (Ой Я Чумак Нещасливий)
- Ukrainian Dumka, No 1 (Українська Думка Ч.1)
- The Sun Is Low (Сонце Низенько)
- Redhead Pappa, Redhead Mamma (Дід Рудий, Баба Руда)
- Go Not, Oh Gregory (Ой Не Ходи Грицю)
- In The Carpathian Mountains (У Горах Карпатах)
- Ukrainian Shumka (Українська Шумка)
- Kibzar (Singing Bard) (Кобзар)
- I’ll Go Across The Nemen (За Німан Іду)
- Would I Play Me The Bandura (Взяв Би Я Бандуру)
- Hitch Your Horses, Boys (Запрягайте, Хлопці, Коні)
- Oh Wind, Blow On Our Ukraine (Повій, Вітре, На Вкраїну)
- Guelder Rose In The Garden (На Городі Калинонька)
- Play, Gypsy Play (Заграй, Ти Цигане Старий)
- Hopak (Гопак)
- Good Evening, Little Girl (Добрий Вечір Дівчино)
- Reapers On The Mountain (Гей На Горі Там Женці Жнуть)
- The Farmer Sowed The Millet (Сіяв Мужик Просо)
- In The Valley (Ой У Лузі)
- High On The Mountain, The Army Rides (Гей Там На Горі Січ Іде)
- High Stands The Mountain (Стоїть Гора Високая)
- The Cossaks Went A-Whistling (Засвистали Козаченькі)
- The Sheepherder (Чабан)
- Don’t Be Surprised (Гей Не Дивуйтесь)
- ‘Tween The Mountains (По Цей Бік Гора)
- Brother, Join Me Wandering ( Ой На Бойки, Пане Брате)
- The White Snow On The Mountain (Там На Горі Сніг Біленький)
- See The Village From Afar (Ой Видно Село)
- Rise, Oh Rise, Bright Moon (Ой Зійди, Зійди, Ясен Місяцю)
- Liking And Loving (Любив Та Кохав)
- Got, What A Night (Ніч Така, Господи)
- Three Wells In A Field (Ой У Полі Три Криниченьки)
- Oh, What Is That Noise? (Ой Що Ж То За Шум)
- The Field Of Rye (Ой У Полі Нивка)
- The Willow In The Field (Ой У Полі Верба)
- The Sycamore Above The Water (Стоїть Явір Над Водою)
- The Wide Dnieper Rushes, Roars (Реве Та Стогне Дніпр Широкий)
2. Тріо Конвалія – Вечірнiй Дзвін
Trio Lily of the Valley - The Evening Bell
The second album from the singers “Lily of the Valley”, but this time they refer to themselves as a trio, whereas on their first album they didn’t. The album is called “The Evening Bell”. It features Marusya Yurkiv-Yarotska, Olya Yurkiv, and Darka Golysh, from Manchester, England and was recorded at Indigo Sound Studios in 1976, which closed in 1982.
Label: UKRAFT
Released: 1976
- Чом Трава Зелена? – Why The Grass Is Green
- Повстанська Вязанка – A Ukraine Medley
- Козак Відїздяє – Destiny Take Me
- Візьме Мене Доле – The Cossack Rides On
- Казка Про Любов – Love Story
- Карпати – Carpathia
- Ой У Полі Три Криниченки – Three Wells In The Field
- Гарна Дівчина З Одеси – Sweet Girl From Odessa
- Ні Долі, Ні Волі – No Future, No Will
- Ой Там За Дунаєм – Beyond The Danube
- Земле Рідне – My Homeland
- Галичанка – Halych Girls
- Вечірнiй Дзвін The Evening Bell
3. Souvenirs From Ukraine
This record of famous folk songs and dances is sung by various soloists and soloist of the Veryovka Song & Dance Ensemble. There are 14 traditional folk songs. The cover is a photograph of Ukrainian ladies wearing traditional clothing.
Apon Label: 2652
Released: Unknown
- Oi harna ya harna – Beautiful girl
- Skrypka by nehrala – Violin wouldn’t play
- Zeleneye zhytko – Beautiful fields
- Kachata husyata – Ducklings and goslings
- Oi pidu ya v zelenyj hayochok – In the forest
- Hutsulskyj hopak – Hutsul dances
- Na horodi verba ryasna – Willow in the garden
- Oi pidu ya na bazar – I’ll go to the market
- Oi dumala ya – I was thinking
- Koly rozluchayutsya dvoye – When lovers are parting
- Oi u poli verba – Old willow
- Stoyit hora vysokaya – There is a high mountain
- Baydaky plyvut – Kossacs are leaving
- Po dibrovi viter viye – My darling went away
4. Тріо Калина - A Ha Bеснi
Trio Kalyna - In the Spring
Another trio of singers, this time heralding from the diaspora in Canada. The trio were Nadia Kochanska, Donna Borowec and Kathy Harasymchuk, who were part of the Ukrainian National Youth Federation. They performed traditional and contemporary songs, and toured extensively throughout the USA and Canada.
Label: Harmony Records
Released: Unknown
- A на весні – In the Spring
- Цвіте терен – The blooming countryside
- Ой гарна я – Oh how beautiful I am
- Мати синові – A mother to her son
- Ой ти струмочку – The stream
- The Циганочка – Gypsy girl
- Бандуристе – The banduryst
- Ішов Козак – A Kozak came walking
- Чорні очка – Dark eyes
- Галичаночка – The girl from Halychyna
- Як я була – When I was
- Осінь – Autumn
5. Welcome to Ukraine
A selection of folk songs and dances, sung by various soloists and the famous Transcarpathian Song and Dance Ensemble. There are 12 traditional folk songs. The cover features two Ukrainian ladies in traditional dress, stood in front of a Ukrainian church.
Apon Label: 2650
Released: 1981
- Zhytko maty – Favorite song
- Ivanku Ivanky – My dear Ivanku
- Oi pidu ya do mlyna – Old grain mill
- Nespala ya seyi nochi – I couldn’t sleep
- Oi chorna ya sy chorna – Dark eye girl
- Tykha voda – Quiet water
- Hey Ivane bilenkyj – Love me dear
- Yak tebe neljubyty – I love you Ukraine
- Synu kachky letyat – My favorite song
- Volynanochka – Famous girl
- Oi pidu ya na dolynu – In the orchards
- Jikhav Kozak za dunay – Beyond the Danube
Did you enjoy this post?
We hope you have enjoyed our 3 part mini series. We have enjoyed documenting these albums so they remain online and showcase the history of the Ukrainian diaspora. And we certainly enjoyed listening to them again.
Please share our posts so people across the world can enjoy the rich history of Ukrainian culture, music, and our diaspora.
