Batiar-Band

Lviv street songs and ballads from the 1920's and 30's still entertain people today with their humor, melodies and danceable rhythms.
The rich street language of those days - called "balak" - has now disappeared,
but traces remain in individual words and phrases still spoken in Lviv.
This language was based on a mixture of Western Ukrainian dialects and Polish, with some German and Hebrew influences.
Since the lyrics of many of these songs had a few variations,
I edited them for Victor Morozov to make them more understandable to contemporary audiences.
The most popular heroes of these songs were "batiars" - a specific breed in Lviv.
Batiars resided in the areas around Lviv and were known as local playboys, hoodlums and hooligans.

Yuri Vynnychuk

Batiar's Day in Lviv, 2010

Discography

Only in Lviv (2002)

1. BATIAR [MP3]
2. ONLY IN LVIV [MP3]
3. IN THE STRYJSKY PARK [MP3]
4. THE BUTCHER'S DAUGHTER [MP3]
5. AT THE VETERAN'S BALL [MP3]
6. WHEN THE MUSIC PLAYS
7. BOUNCING LAD
8. FAR FROM THE CROWD
9. DANCE IN THE SUBURBS
10. IT'S MIDNIGHT
11. LYCHAKIV TANGO
12. THE AUNT
13. FAJDULI
14. ONLY IN LVIV (remix from 30-іes)

Credits:

All ukrainian versions of texts by Yuri Vynnychuk except "Only in Lviv" by Bohdan Stelmakh

"BATIAR-BAND HALYCHYNA":

Victor Morozov - vocals, acoustic guitar
Petro Rachynskyj - accordion
Bohdan Nazar - violin
Stepan "Smola" Netrebiak - clarinet
Ivan Ohar - double bass
Roman Zhuk - tuba (6)

Our special thanks to:
Roman Lozynsky, Ostap Fedoryshyn
and Franz Yosyf

A BATIAR'S HEART (2010)

1. ZENYK [MP3]
2. DOROTHA [MP3]
3. ABRAHAM [MP3]
4. SO LONG AGO [MP3]
5. GOOD SWILL AT BOMBACH’S
6. A BALL AT BOMBACH’S
7. BATIAR LOVE
8. A BATIAR'S HEART
9. DIVE BAR
10. NO BELLS TOLL FOR ME
11. BATIAR HEAVEN
12. DEAR MADAM
13. THE GATES HAVE CLOSED

Bonus tracks:
14. PIPE
15. GIVE’EM A KNUCKLE SANDWICH!
16. LVIV BEER
17. BLACK COFFEE
18. THE LAST BAGEL
19. LIGHT BULB

BATIAR BLUES (2013)

1. ON PRUS PLATZ [MP3]
2. THE LAST BATIAR [MP3]
3. THE MANDOLIN, GUITAR & THE BASS [MP3]
4. MY SWEET TART [MP3]
5. WOJTEK
6. AT THE KULPARKIV NUTHOUSE
7. MY DADDY
8. MISS FRANNY
9. BATIAR BLUES
10. AT THE CEMETERY
11. PARTY
12. THE BOAT
13. AT THE KRAKIV MARKET
14. DUMMY
15. MARYSIA
16. IN THE PROFESSORS' DISTRICT

Bonus tracks:
17. THE LVIV GUITAR
18. A BATIAR CAROL
19. P.S.

Minus tracks (karaoke):
20. THE MANDOLIN, GUITAR & THE BASS
21. MY DADDY
22. THE LAST BATIAR

BEAUTIFUL DREAM - Bohdan Vesolovsky Songs (2018)

1. Beautiful Dream
2. A Girl As Sweet As Candy
3. How Can I Not Love You
4. When the Sun Sets
5. Is It Really True?
6. Don't Fool With Love
7. Hi-Ho
8. There'll Come a Time
9. Fly, My Lonely Song
10. Play For Me
11. Paraska
12. Good Night, My Love
13. Longing
14. A Romantic Adventure
15. All My Life

Bonus tracks:
16. You Will Return
17. All My Dreams
18. It's Too Late
19. Do You Know?
20. Charm of the Carpathians
21. I'd Fall in Love with You
22. Every Time

In his day, Bohdan Vesolovsky opened the door to European music and later, while living in Canada, created links between Ukraine and its diaspora around the world. Victor Morozov is somewhat like him in his artistic and literary endeavours. And now, Vesolovsky's "Beautiful Dream" is becoming a reality, as he transports us, once again, to the romantic retro atmosphere of 1930's Lviv. "Bondi" himself used to perform his humorous song "A Girl as Sweet as Candy". Now Victor Morozov offers us this "sweet treat". We are sincerely grateful or, as they used to say in those days, we tip our hats to him for such a heartfelt contribution to the borderless artistic phenomenon I somewhat humorously call "Bondiana".

Ihor Ostash, author of the book "Bondi, or the Return of Bohdan Vesolovsky"

See more details at the Victor Morozov's web site