Gogol Bordello

Gogol Bordello

Gogol Bordello is a New York-based group active since 1999. Its music combines punk, gypsy music, Brechtian cabaret, folk punk, folk rock, dub, latin rock and related punk styles, and it is known for depicting the immigrant experience in New York through humour, excess and theatrical performance.

Formation and line-up

The group is led by Eugene Hütz, who sings and is a central creative figure. Hütz grows up in Ukraine and later lives as a refugee in Poland, Hungary, Austria and Italy before moving to the United States in 1993. His early taste in music comes from black-market recordings of acts such as The Birthday Party and Einstürzende Neubauten, and after the Chernobyl disaster he becomes interested in the mystical qualities of gypsy music.

After arriving in New York, Hütz teams up with guitarist Vlad Solofar and squeezebox player Sasha Kazatchkoff. American drummer Eliot Fergusen adds a stronger rock element, and Sergei Riabtsev joins on fiddle. Riabtsev, who has a background as a former theatre director from Moscow, later helps shape the band’s elaborate stage presentations. The line-up later changes: Solofar and Kazatchkoff are replaced by accordionist Yuri Lemeshev, guitarist Oren Kaplan and saxophonist Ori Kaplan. The group’s broader membership over time also includes Pamela Jintana Racine, Vladimir Solovar, Sergey Ryabtsev, Katheryn McGaffigan, Elizabeth Sun, Pedro Erazo, Tommy T, Michael Ward, Boris Pelekh, Ashley Tobias, Korey Horn, Gill Alexandre, Eugene Hütz and others listed in its continuing line-up.

Early releases and live reputation

The band’s first single appears in 1999 under the name Gogol Bordello, followed by its debut full-length Voi-La Intruder, produced by Jim Sclavunos of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Early performances include straight gypsy music at Russian weddings, but the sound develops into faster, more abrasive and high-energy songs that build the group a following in New York’s downtown scene.

Hütz also increases the band’s visibility through DJ sets at Mehanata, a Bulgarian club, restaurant and bar in New York, where he plays Ukrainian, Gypsy, raï and flamenco music for a mixed crowd of artists, models, Ukrainians, Russians, Gypsies and Bulgarians. In 2002, the group tours Europe and appears at the Whitney Biennial, reaching a wider audience.

Albums, film and wider recognition

Gogol Bordello releases its fourth studio album, Super Taranta!, in 2007. The band’s song “Start Wearing Purple” is used in Everything Is Illuminated in 2006, a film starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz. The group also appears in Madonna’s short film Filth and Wisdom and contributes three original songs to its soundtrack. Its music is also featured in Wristcutters: A Love Story, and the character Eugene in that film is based on and partly written by Eugene Hütz.

Style and performance

The group is associated with surreal costumes and highly theatrical shows. Its stage work draws on the members’ varied backgrounds, including Riabtsev’s theatre experience, and often presents stories about immigrants and outsiders. The band’s name and public image reflect a blend of Eastern European, punk and cabaret influences.