Los Colorados

Los Colorados is a Ukrainian folk, rock and funk band formed in Ternopil, Ukraine, and active since 2006. The group becomes known for parody covers of popular songs, which it posts on YouTube.

Formation and line-up

The band starts with three musicians who work in the same office in Ternopil: Ruslan Prystupnic Prystupa on lead vocals, Rostyslav Roslyk Fook on guitar and backing vocals, and Serhiy Masyanya Masyk on bass guitar and backing vocals. All three have previous experience in other bands. They begin playing for fun and write their own song, Pomidory (“Tomatoes”), which leads to the formation of the group. Because the band needs drums, Oleksandr Guns Davosyr joins on drums, and later Vitaliy Luka Shostak joins on rhythm guitar. When they first appear on stage for local rock club concerts, they use the name Los Colorados, and 24 April 2006 is treated as the band’s birthday. In 2008, after their appearance at the Nivroku festival, Guns and Luka leave the group and Oleksandr Lesyk Drachuk joins on drums and backing vocals.

Style and reputation

The band describes its style as agri-alco-rock, a term linked to lyrics about agricultural work and peasant life, together with a live show in which the members drink alcohol on stage. Their songs often include extracts from well-known foreign songs and work as a kind of game with the audience. Among the songs mentioned as especially popular are Chorna lubov (“Black Love”), Tyotya Lyuba (“Aunt Lyuba”), Nenavyzhu pianino (“Hate the piano”) and Rillya v ilyuminatori (“Tillage in the window”).

Public breakthrough

Los Colorados first build a following among young people in the Ternopil district, then play in other towns, local clubs, open-air concerts and music festivals. A later interview on the local Ternopil channel SmileTV leads to wider attention after the band performs acoustic versions and parody covers of songs including Katy Perry’s “Hot n Cold” and Peter Nalich’s “Guitar”, and the video is posted on YouTube. The acoustic material opens new possibilities for the group, and it continues to give concerts, especially in Lviv.

Release plans

The group is working on its first album.