A creative collective that emerged from the underground music scene of Minsk, Belarus, Soyuz was founded around composer and vocalist Alex Chumak, drummer Anton Nemahai and Mikita Arlou, one of the key figures of the local underground community. The group, whose name translates as “union”, is now based in exile in Warsaw, where it has expanded to include Albert Karch and Igor Wiśniewski. Together, they will make their Czech debut at Colours of Ostrava.
Since its earliest days, Soyuz has been exploring and pushing the boundaries of jazz-inspired music sung in languages other than English, incorporating experimental elements as well as influences from folk and world music. A major inspiration is the Música Popular Brasileira movement of the 1970s, and through rich instrumentation and analogue production, the band brings the unique atmosphere of South American music into a European context while remaining deeply connected to its Eastern European roots. Their breakthrough album Force of the Wind (2022) was followed by the equally acclaimed Krok (2025), recorded in part in Brazil.