28.06.2019 Events, Music

DAGADANA

DAGADANA is a group of outstanding musicians triumphantly merging elements of Polish and Ukrainian culture through jazz, folk, electronic and world music. 

It all started with a jazz workshop in Cracow, where a mutual love for music become the spark that ignited a great friendship and lead to the formation of the band. Poland and Ukraine are neighbouring countries, both of Slavic origins, with similar languages and customs. When exploring these roots in search for musical inspirations, you will find a multitude of surprising similarities and differences that emphasise their uniqueness. This is exactly what you will find in the songs of DAGADANA, a band that attempts to blur the boundaries and build bridges that will connect both nations.

“The clash between the jazzy, pop and classical elements with the deep folk material. Imaginative arrangements bring out the strong traditional melodies. Illustration of the adventurous music coming out of Eastern Europe.” 

Songlines Music Travel

“It’s a hard one to describe or sum up, which is A Good Thing. By turns anthemic, liquid pianistic, violin-sweeping, soft-voiced, strident hard-voiced, rock and that’s just the first track. Onward into scatting, the heavenly choir, electronic swoops and warbles, systems patterns, chugging cello, jazz-rock, big brass shots, cheery whistling over growling khoomei, hefty rock, tense drone serenity, beaty poppiness, ending in a velvety melismatic a cappella rendering of a wesnianka, a spring song. There’s never been a treatment of Polish and Ukrainian traditional music like it.”

Roots Magazine

Scheduled Events Music

Open House – Polish Underground Movement Study

Saturday 20th June 2026 - Explore Polish Wartime history at an Open Day of the Polish Underground Movement Study Trust - an archive dedicated to the Polish Resistance in WWII located on Ealing Common.
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Collecting Cultures: Central and Eastern Europe –

This panel will reveal insider tips on what to seek out in the market, unpack the unique qualities that make this region’s photography so compelling, and spotlight must-know artists and hidden gems that even seasoned collectors might have missed. Perfect for discovering fresh perspectives and building your collection with confidence.
16 05.2026 Events, Visual arts

Polish Fashion Stories: Unexpected Encounter – Batik

The earliest known examples of Polish batiks appeared around 1903 at an exhibition in Kraków, when the artist Jan Bukowski presented furniture upholstered in textiles decorated with what was called then “a manner of Easter eggs” - it was before the term batik had even entered the Polish language. From this point, other Kraków artists began to further explore the technique and its possibilities.
05 05.2026 Events, Visual arts