This creative collective, emerging from the underground music scene of Minsk, Belarus, was formed around composer and vocalist Alex Chumak, drummer Anton Nemahai and Mikita Arlou, considered one of the key figures of the local underground. The group – whose name translates as “union” or “alliance” – is currently based in exile in Warsaw, where it has expanded to include two additional members, Albert Karch and Igor Wiśniewski. Together, they will perform at Colours in their Czech premiere.
Since their early beginnings, Союз (Soyuz) have explored and pushed the boundaries of jazz-oriented, non-English-language music infused with experimental elements and touches of folk and world music. A major inspiration for the band is 1970s música popular brasileira, and through their rich instrumentation and analog production, they channel the distinctive atmosphere of South American music into a European context – without losing sight of their Eastern European roots. Their breakthrough 2022 album Force of the Wind was followed last year by the equally acclaimed Krok, recorded in part in Brazil.