Eney


Eney was a Rock [music in Ukraine|Ukrainian rock] band active in 1968–1977. Named after the famous character, Aeneas, from one of the literary works of Ivan Kotlyarevsky, Eney was the first Ukrainian band to perform its own repertoire.

History

During the 1960s Students from the Kyiv special music school formed a band named after Ukrainian composer Mykola Lysenko. They initially played unique interpretations of Ukrainian folk songs. Later its members were exposed to the late works of The Beatles and started to rearrange works of Bach and Khachaturian.
Starting from 1970, the band performed songs in Ukrainian language. Eney's performances took place in a number of Kyiv's higher education establishments, and their recordings were broadcast by Ukrainian television and radio. In 1971 the band split as Petrynenko and Blinov left it to form the new band called Dzvony. The band started to experiment in new genres: blues and soul.
In 1972 the band and their music where banned in the Soviet Union and labeled "bourgeois-national". As a result, all existing records and recordings were destroyed. After that the band went underground until 1974. The members then merged with Dzvony into the new vocal-instrumental ensemble Decorative Trails. After the band was accepted to the Ukr-kontsert it changed its name to Hrono. In 1977 the ensemble became known as Eney once again. After a period of time, Eney broke up and its members either joined different bands or went solo. Petrynenko later created his own band Hrono.

Musical style

Eney's songs combined elements of Ukrainian folk and North American musical genres. In its compositions the band used texts by notable Ukrainian authors, including Stepan Rudansky, Oleksandr Oles, Pavlo Tychyna, Vasyl Symonenko, Lina Kostenko, Dmytro Pavlychko and others.

Notable songs

  • Eney - words and music by T. Petrynenko
  • Zberezhy - words and music by K. Stetsenko
  • Ty znayesh, shcho ty liudyna - words by V. Symonenko, music by K. Stetsenko
  • Pisnia - words by O. Oles, music by K. Stetsenko
  • Soniachne vesillia - words by D. Cherednychenko, music by K. Stetsenko
  • Snihy - words by D. Cherednychenko, music by M. Kyrylin
  • Mosty - words by P. Tychyna, music by M. Kyrylin
  • Chary nochi - words by O. Oles, music by M. Kyrylin
  • Chy daleko do neba - words by S. Rudansky, music by O. Blinov
  • Ta orav muzhyk kray dorohy - folk song arranged by T. Petrynenko
  • Khvalylasia bereza - folk song arranged by K. Stetsenko
  • Mariyka bula - folk song arranged by K. Stetsenko
  • Viye viter z polia - folk song arranged by K. Stetsenko
  • Plyve kacha - folk song arranged by T. Melnyk
  • Dobryi vechir tobi - koliadka