Sergey Khomenko: La Musica Come Messaggio di Pace e Omaggio alla Tradizione Ucraina
Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Sergey Khomenko, a composer and musician who stands out for his ability to blend musical genres and cultural traditions. Recently, Khomenko released "Ukrainian Kolyadka", an instrumental piece inspired by ancient Ukrainian Christmas carols. In a period marked by profound personal and professional transformations, Sergey shares with us the creative process and motivations that led to the creation of this composition. Khomenko also talks about the meaning of his collaboration with PaKo Music Records and the influence of his personal history on his music. In a difficult historical moment for his country, Khomenko offers us a unique perspective on the importance of traditional music as a cultural heritage and a message of peace.
Hello Sergey, it's a pleasure to have you here! What inspired you to create a composition based on traditional Ukrainian Christmas carols, such as "Ukrainian Kolyadka"?
Good morning everyone! Thank you! Since the beginning of the barbaric invasion of Ukraine by Russia, I have undergone a certain transformation, a radical change in my attitude towards the country of terrorists, that is, the so-called Russia, and I began another study of the culture, music of Ukraine, its history, and wrote about 10-12 compositions on Ukrainian themes from 2022 to 2024. So, not only Ukrainian Kolyadka.
The first nine notes of the piece are inspired by a traditional carol that you accidentally heard. Tell us about that moment and how it gave birth to this composition?
Yes, that's right, I accidentally heard a Christmas carol from the Vinnytsia region on Facebook (sung by an amateur children's group), and I really liked the first 9-note phrase, which I then used in my composition.
What challenges did you face in transforming a traditional melody into a contemporary instrumental work?
No challenges. I like to use different styles in my compositions, folk and classical, rock and jazz, it comes naturally to me, it is present in almost all the songs, it is always a kind of fusion of some styles.
Ukrainian traditional music has a long history. How do you think "Ukrainian Kolyadka" manages to keep this cultural heritage alive?
Yes, of course, the more composers will use this great musical heritage of Ukraine and its people, the longer this music will live. In the last few months you have released songs such as "Ukrainian Overture in Memory of Maestro A. Khodakovskiy", "Overture of the Roman God Mars", and "Reflections of the Roman God Mars". What is the connection between them and "Ukrainian Kolyadka" or how do they differ from each other? I think Koliadka Ukraina is not connected to the songs you mentioned, it has its own history.
Do you think that musical traditions, such as Kolyadky, still have a place in the modern music scene? How can they be appreciated by an international audience?
In my opinion, Ukrainian carols are extremely beautiful and diverse, each region of Ukraine has its own way of singing and I hope that the music will be interesting for a modern international audience.
Did you use any special instruments or techniques to recreate the unique atmosphere of Ukrainian Christmas carols in "Ukrainian Kolyadka"?
Yes, it took a long time to get the sounds, the sonorities (often combining different instruments). To create the atmosphere and reflect the sound we wanted in Ukrainian Kolyadka.
How was your path from an independent musician to a collaborator with PaKo Music Records, and other labels? What did it mean for you to release these works?
The collaboration with PaKo Music Records was my first collaboration with the label (before that I had only collaborated with French and US synchronization agencies). It was interesting and important for me to experience this collaboration, I am happy and very grateful to the owner of PaKo Music Records, Patrizia Colombo.
Do you plan to explore other Ukrainian or international traditions in your next projects? Can you give us some previews?
Yes, I am finishing work on two new Ukrainian-themed songs: Ukr Dance and Lullaby Ukraine. They will be on the air soon.
Finally, what do you hope listeners will feel and understand when they listen to "Ukrainian Kolyadka"? What is the main message you want to convey through this composition?
The beauty of Ukrainian folk music and I want to wish peace to Ukraine, so that finally the Asian barbarians, that is, Russia, or as it was called until the 18th century - Tartaria) leave Ukraine alone, withdraw their troops from Ukrainian territory, stop destroying cities, killing people, destroying the culture and history of Ukraine. Russia has been engaged in this terror for almost 300 years.
