Na Taku

In 2008 singer and piper Źmicier Sidarovič started a band, which organised traditional dancing parties in café "Žar-Ptuška" ("Firebird"), Minsk, until 2011 and then in other places.[1]

After Sidarovič passed away, the band continues to exist. It tours neighbouring Eastern European countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine.[2]

"Na taku" literally means "On the threshing floor" in Belarusian and refers to the folk tradition to arrange dance parties on the vacant threshing floor[3] (cf. "barn dance").

The band plays old everyday dances which originate both from villages and towns. While the majority of dances are of Belarusian origin, the band plays Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, Ukrainian, Polish, Finnish, Austrian, Breton and French dances as well. On the whole more than 100 different dances.[4] Dances are included in the band’s repertoire only if they are historically adopted to the rural culture and are well-integrated in tradition.[5]

We refused to orient on medieval music, which is played by a number of bands, from the very beginning and chose an ethnographic dancing music style. I have no idea where 'medieval bands' take materials from. Perhaps they visit European festivals or search for music in the libraries. We can still talk to people, hear their songs. It happened so that someone in a village showed us a dance, and in a couple of weeks we were told that this person had died. It is weird to realize that the dance could have disappeared forever together with that person.[1]

— Alaksiej Krukoŭski

Members of the band participate in ethnographic expeditions, adopt the traditional manner of playing from authentic musicians.[6]

• Alaksiej Krukoŭski: accordion
• Taciana Hrynievič-Matafonava: violin
• Raman Jaraš: percussion, harmonica
• Jaŭhien Baryšnikaŭ: percussion, bagpipe
• Darja Zujeva: violin

Past members

• Źmicier Sidarovič: bagpipe
• Ihar Doŭhi: percussion
• Alaksiej "Lesavik": bagpipe, violin