UPDATE: Part 6 added! The Blind Auditions are now over.

Spring is finally here! And that can only mean one thing, The Voice franchise is starting to bloom, with Ukraine being no exception. I'm not your usual TV user, especially but there are two TV shows I watch like a real TV junkie with a pack of sunflower seeds (#2 Ukrainian food after borscht), The X Factor UA and The Voice UA, also known as Holos Krainy ( Голос країни), which I'll be presenting to you.

Recap after the jump ...

The judging panel of the show is very unstable. This year we have two newbies, one of them being kind of legend in our country (if you have seen the XF UA, most of the Ukrainian songs featured on it were his). I believe his our very own Britney, being the most advertised judge. He's never been a very public person and I could only imagine the amount of money producers had to pay him to change the fact he's never been seen on any talent show. His name is Slava Vakarchuk (Святосла́в Іва́нович Вакарчу́к).

Other newbie is Tina Karol (Тіна Кароль), our lone feamle judge. She's blond, quite annoying and her name is very similar to other annoying blond's who is also the only female judge of The Voice of some other country. She's had her fine moments of glory when she placed second on the summer talent show New Wave (which is international but still Eastern-Europe oriented; maybe I'll show you a little bit of it this year).

Oleg Skrypka (Оле́г Ю́рійович Скри́пка) is our Blake Shelton (when I use these parallels I don't intent to say our culture is secondary, I'm just trying to make those introductions more fun for me and for you). He is the kindest and most honest judge here, and I wonder how those qualities correlate with country music? If I were a contestant, I would definitely chose him (and Blake if I were an American contestant).

Last is Alexander Ponomarev (Александр Пономарев), who sings my favourite Ukrainian song "Vin chekae na nei" (written by Vakarchuck, btw). He is a lot like Gary from the UK's XF, boring and personality-free. But a brilliant singer with a classic musical education which kind of explains his presence here. 

This four guys are stable with their careers and therefore aren't so interesting to us. What is interesting is to see who had come to the show this year to sing, fight (and to share the saddest lifestories of crushed dreams and impossibility of them coming true without any talent show merchandise). My performance-only videos were blocked from youtube (God knows why those guys care so much about rights in this country, but they do even though I made a note the rights are all theirs) so the videos contain the whole story.

Staisha - 26, "Shy guy" - She was a back up singer for a famous Russian singer but of course she's always wanted more. It's not that she has a three-octave voice, but her diction is very good ans she definitely enjoyes herself. Tina and Oleg both pushed their buttons but why would a young contemporary artist choose a mature country singer? You're right, no reason. Team Tina this one!

Taras Melnik (Тарас Мельнік) - 22, "Balada Boa" - He's a DJ on a radio. Also, he's almost deaf on one ear but doesn't want anyone to know this (why say it on national TV then?) Perfect articulation and right energy. He's singing a futbol fan's song (I didn't know that at first of course), and that's a fresh choice which feels right (and no one ephasized the fact that he sang in Portuguese in a country where almost no one speaks Portuguese, compare it to The First Ever Audition Song In Spanish in The Voice USA) . All four want him, Skripka even started to dance during the audition (I'd dance too, but my sofa is just too comfortable). I wonder how his energy might feel out there, live. Judges wanted him to sing something different so he did sang "Apologize", which was good too. Not so dance-y, but still fine. With a full hands of choices he picked to go with Tina.


Randall Gregory - 58, "Black Magic Woman" - The real cowboy from Texas with a complicated life story I tried to follow but fell asleep (in short, he'd had a best friend from Ukraine and now is here in his memory). Perfect match for Skrypka, although I don't really know what's his place on the show if only for posters and buzz.


Irena Karska (Ірена Карська) - "Besame mucho" - I love it when they put us on the judge's shoes. I wondered how she would look like but of course I was mistaken by the deepness of her voice and she turned out to be much more younger and skinnier (I'd say whiter but is this an appropriate thing to say?). Her low register playes well with the song (In Spanish. Just saying). That's someone who actually has a three octave voice, impressive. Two judges want her, Tina and Alexander. Irena wants to go with her guts and her guts are attracted to Alexander.


Marina Makoviy (Марина Маковій) - 26, "Mama, I´m coming home" -  She tried to audition for the first season of the show two years ago but didn't pass the button test. Stories like that are like double-sad stories and producers will definitely over-sugar her triumph if she makes it through. I, for a start, like her style a lot so she could stay. And not only for a style, obviously, cause she also has some serious energy and a powerful voice. Slava chose her and she did wanted him, so there is a micro happy end here. Oleg said that songs like that one wouldn't get public to vote so she should change her repertoire if she wants to go further. Although he has a very good point I don´t want her to change that much.


Victoria Korgenok (Вікторія Корженок) - 36, "What are you doing" - The winner of  the one and only Idol UA (more like a cover version of Idol) who'd spent her million uah on an apartment (it's nice to know that artists are just like us, boring and material-minded). I almost forgot we've had that show, it was like 10 years ago. She's talented and technical for sure (otherwise she would not win, with a face like that. Yes, I'm naughty and jealous). I don't support her being here, she's had her money and her fame and if it wasn't enough to push her dreams, well, maybe they not gonna happen. (Should I stop being naughty?). Obviously, the judges didn't see her and obviously she sings good and professional and that's magical jazz so Tina and Oleg pushed their buttons. Team Oleg Skrypka.


Victory Olizee (Вікторія Олізе) - 21, "History Repeating" - She's been bullied at school because of her skin color but that only made her stronger (I won't be bitter, I can only imagine how it would feel being the only different skin-colored person in a small Ukrainian city). She is likable, has a good voice and a promising style, so I would root for her. Slava broke the red button, I never saw such a passion in a judge before, or maybe it was just the cheapness of the plastic the button is made of ... I guess she didn't really has a choice after that. Team Vakarchuck.

That's all for today but we have a long way to go since there would be 14 acts for every judge this season. Should we follow the show? I'd say yes, definitely (do we have a choice, really?).

Artem Kondratyuk (Артем Кондратюк) - 22, "I breathe" - He used to play the church's bells when he was a child. He won different vocal contests 14 times and now is after yet another victory. I don't see a winner in him, but that doesn't mean he's a bad singer. I don't really understand the song choice. I guess he chose it because of his deep tone but he copies the original so accurately it's not interesting. Oleg pushed his button though.

Lyudmila Movchan (Людмила Мовчан) - 25, "Highway to hell" - This girl with a provocative t-shirt was here last year but didn't have any luck. Her hobby is to fix cars so the show states she has boyish nature. I don't know about her nature but her voice is definitely strong. I guess her energy felt so strong  she blew the coaches mind. Everyone wants her, but she choses someone unexpected, Tina.

Week 5

Week 6

Team Oleg Іван Сяркевич Юлія Ярошенко Людмила Капітонова Олексій Бойко Олексій Кирпач Тата Підболячна Артем Кондратюк Вероніка Дорош Сергій Чуйков Блез Малаба Камілла Бойко Тетяна Ожелевська Вікторія Корженок Рендалл Грегорі Team Alexander Анна Ходоровська Ованнес Атоян Марта Спіженко Майкл Кіркілан Антоніна Наконечна Ольга Богатиренко Ганна Бєлкіна Тетяна Гуцал Яна Кулик Сергій Ручкін Наталія Ісаченко Ірена Карська Олексій Шпортько Юрій Камбарян

Team Slava Юлія Горюнова Анастасія Горохова Ольга Лукачова Олена Жигарева Анна Лимар Мікаель Кіладзе Лев Ременєв Дмитро Бабак Отар Немсадзе Христина Соловій Соня Сухорукова Туфан Чіґдем Вікторія Олізе Марина Маковій Team Tina Радмір Мухтаров Олексій Ковальов Оксана Жорова Людмила Мовчан Яна Дрюпіна Анна Тиха Дует London Hill Євген Анішко Ольга Сивакова Зоряна Романів Олеся Корчагіна Джові Тарас Мельник Staisha