Iryna Voloshyna (Indiana University)
The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus is a refugee music ensemble. It was oppressed by the Soviets, went through German forced labor camps, and later – UNRRA refugee camps before they found new home in Detroit, MI in 1949. For generations, the ensemble’s mission was to preserve the bandura epic tradition in the Ukrainian diaspora community, while it was severely censored in the USSR. The questions I raise in my paper are: can Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus be considered an example of a living tradition, or a heritage practice? Is it inevitable for a traditional practice to become heritage in the context of diaspora?
Part of 04-03 Uprooting Ukraine: Resistance and Identity in North American Ukrainian Communities [Hybrid], Friday, November 03, 8:30 am–10:00 am