Good News for Ukraine's only Salsa Band disLOCAdos

In the fall of 2006 I met Karolina Patocki a Polish Canadian who had relocated to Kyiv as part of her professional career. We had met through a common friend who had been working here some time earlier. Some time after Karolina had settled in she was like usual getting in tune with the city she decided to get involved in a musical project which over time became very much part of her life.

By the time her contract with her employer had ended she was sing at a number of different clubs with what was then known as the Kyiv Salsa Kings... I mix of various musicians in Ukraine's capital, but not necessarily from Kyiv, who had a love for salsa music.

Sometime in the spring the band went a re-branding so to speak.. Karolina even consulted with me regarding the new name of the band.

The band started writing their own material, with Karolina, who had studied in Madrid, writing the lyrics... and Ilya, whose last name excapes me now, writing the music.

Today I informed Karolina to join our group on Multiply as a result of having forgotten to inform her of the Monopoly voting. Shortly thereafter she sent me some good news. disLOCAdos' original music will be given airplay on a station in Puerto Rico.... Congrats...

The hosts of "Salsoteca" a program on Puerto Rico have have expressed an extreme interest in their songs, and have agreed to play them on the radio!

You can listen via the internet. It's every Sunday 1-3pm Puerto Rico time. In Kyiv, that means on Sunday from 7pm-9pm. Listen LIVE here: http://www.wrtu.pr/index.html

So welcome Karolina to our group and if you love salsa ... tune in...

DisLOCAdos - with something new

A while back I made a note that the Kyiv Salsa Kings have changed their name to DisLOCAdos.

Yesterday, I was informed by band member Karolina Patocki that DisLOCAdos will be performing one of their last gigs at Art Club 44 this coming Sunday May 20, but they will also be presenting some of their new material.

So if you like Salsa check out their gig next Sunday.

Kyiv Salsa Kings make a shift

A while back I mentioned some different bands in Kyiv that are not necessarily Ukrainian, one of these bands, the Kyiv Salsa Kings are making a shift.

This morning I heard it directly from Canadian band member Karolina Patocki. The band has officially changed its name to DisLOCAdos. The name really says it all. A number of people playing music which is not natural for their location. Best of luck to DisLOCAdos, and their plans in the upcoming months.

Karolina had consulted me about the name change strategy, and given the band together with Karolina have been putting together some new materials, and with some change in personnel, we decided it was an appropriate time for a name change.

Some other music, but not necessarily Ukrainian

As usual I try to head to the Canadian Embassy in Kyiv every second week to do a little networking and socialize. This past Friday I saw a few familiar faces that I was not expecting to see at the Embassy and it was a pleasant surprise, when Blair Sheridan, a fellow former Montreal walked up to me and said, "Hey I've been reading your blog, some pretty interesting stuff!" I thanked him and continued my conversation with friends at our table.

Later on when I had decided to leave to meet with some other friends, I took another friend over and introduced him to Blair, then Blair asked, "Why don't you write anything about Speeding Lisa?" I didn't have an answer for him but I told him I would think about it.

Speeding Lisa is Kyiv's only ex-pat band that plays good old rock'n'roll. Formed about seven or eight years ago the band has gone through some transformations over the years. For a while they even had a Canadian female singer named Jennifer AuCoin. Jen added something different to the all guy band. Blair joined Speeding Lisa about three years ago and at one time we realized that we had a friend in common back in Montreal.

Euan MacDonald, a good friend of mine and co-owner of The Drum, or Baraban as it is called in Ukrainian is also a member of Speeding Lisa.  Back in September of last year I had organized an impromptu concert for British friend and songwriter Nicky Rubin at The Drum, which Euan joined in on with guitar just to have some fun. And then about a week later at Kupidon. You can check out the photos from both gigs here. And my review of the gig at the Drum in the Kyiv Weekly.

Speeding Lisa hasn't played for some time now, but I know all of those who have been following them over the years can't wait for their next gig.

While not in the same vein, there is one other ex-pat who also has a desire for music, but a slightly different type.

Canadian Karolina Patocki sings with the Kyiv Salsa Kings on a regular basis at a few different venues in Kyiv, including this evening at Art Club 44. Having spent nearly two years hosting a latino radio program in her home town of Ottawa, Karolina has brought some new depth to the Kyiv Salsa Kings. Her combined knowledge and love for the Spanish language and desire to help the band develop is changing the band's repetoire. Last week Karolina told me that she has been writing lyrics for new band material, and some of her Spanish speaking friends who dot the globe, have even made contributions to which the band's leader and musical wonder Iliya is to write the music and arrangements for.

I'm looking forward to check out the band tonight at Art Club 44. If you are in Kyiv, keep your eyes open for performances of both Speeding Lisa and the Kyiv Salsa Kings.