Jazz Meets Shevchenko: Ukrainian Artists Reimagine a National Voice

Shevchenko’s Word in the Language of Jazz

The poetry of Taras Shevchenko — with its powerful call for freedom, dignity, and the cultural identity of his people — feels more relevant today than ever. In a time when Ukraine continues to defend its independence and voice in the world, Shevchenko’s words resonate with renewed urgency.

Today, his Great Word must sound louder than ever.

In the musical album and concert program “Shevchenko,” those words are reimagined through the voices and hearts of Ukrainian jazz musicians. For them, the Word is not merely sound — it is meaning. Meaning that evolves and transforms when poetry merges with music.

Jazz itself embodies conscious freedom — a spirit deeply aligned with Shevchenko’s language and ideas.

A Bold Musical Interpretation

Composer and vocalist Yulia Roma turns to Shevchenko’s poetry to create a new series of musical works. Through her interpretations, familiar verses reveal new emotions, textures, and moods.

At first glance, jazz and Shevchenko may seem worlds apart. But creativity thrives on boldness and discovery. Reimagining classical literature through new artistic forms allows these works not only to live on, but to shine with new colors, feelings, and sounds.

Jazz offers vast possibilities for such transformation. In these compositions, Yulia Roma’s voice carries warmth, tenderness, courage, and emotional depth — qualities that breathe new life into Shevchenko’s timeless poetry.

Is it possible to combine the unwavering word of Kobzar with the intellectual freedom of jazz? The answer comes in the new album “SHEVCHENKO”, a project more than 10 years in the making by leading Ukrainian musicians Yulia Roma and Yurii Shepeta, released symbolically on the poet’s birthday.

The Musicians Behind the Project

All arrangements in the album and concert program were created by Yurii Shepeta, an acclaimed pianist, composer, and arranger.

Shepeta’s passion for music began in childhood and eventually led him to professional training and a lifelong career in jazz. In the mid-1990s, in his hometown of Vinnytsia, he organized the city’s first jazz festival.

After moving to Kyiv, Shepeta continued performing and producing creative jazz programs such as tributes to Bill Evansand Thelonious Monk, as well as the program “I Love Brazil.”

Alongside his jazz work, Shepeta collaborated with prominent Ukrainian pop artists as an arranger, working with the pop group VIA Gra and composer Konstantin Meladze. He later served as bandleader in the early seasons of the Ukrainian TV show The Voice of the Country.

His creative path also expanded into contemporary ballet, including his participation as one of the composers of the ballet The Great Gatsby Ballet. Today, his music is performed across Europe and the United States.

A Powerful Jazz Ensemble

The project also features celebrated Ukrainian musicians.

Ihor Zakus, an Honored Artist of Ukraine, is one of the country’s most respected bass players. A musician, composer, producer, and educator, Zakus founded the influential jazz initiative Jazz Kolo, a platform dedicated to supporting Ukrainian jazz and connecting improvisational musicians.

Zakus performs on a wide range of instruments including 4-, 5-, and 6-string fretted and fretless bass guitars as well as acoustic bass, delivering a distinctive sound and exceptional technique.

Joining the ensemble is drummer Oleksandr Yavdyk, a versatile session musician active in Ukraine’s underground music scene. A graduate of the Kyiv music academy system, he has collaborated with numerous artists including the band Tonka and works across genres ranging from jazz to electronic and experimental music.

Shevchenko for a New Generation

Through this project, Ukrainian musicians demonstrate how classical literature can find new expression in contemporary culture.

Shevchenko’s poetry — written in the 19th century — continues to speak powerfully in the 21st. And through the freedom of jazz, his words gain a new voice, capable of reaching audiences far beyond traditional literary or musical boundaries.

Right now, at a time when the struggle for cultural identity is more urgent than ever, Taras Shevchenko’s poetry is finding new life. Here, jazz is not just a genre, but a philosophy of conscious freedom that perfectly resonates with the Great Word.

Listen to the album on various platforms.

Discover more.

EMPR