Mark and Marichka Marczyk, the couple behind the acclaimed art-folk outfit Balaklava Blues, met in Kiev during a 2014 protest. They were protesting their government’s ties to Russia.

And today, with the ongoing Ukraine crisis, the music they make couldn’t be more relevant and fired-up.

Photo credit: Balaklava Blues

“Balaklava Blues music is a reclamation of the violence perpetrated on my home country,” says Mark Marczyk.

And that music is also some of the coolest, most cutting edge of modern mash-ups — hip hop, electronica, dub step, and multimedia techno are all folded into Ukrainian folk traditions. These aren't your grandma’s old-country diddies.

It’s too easy to forget that the war rages on in Ukraine when other news pushes it out of the headlines with time. So music and art become a crucial connection, and Balaklava Blues spread awareness with a contemporary and danceable energy.

Photo credit: Balklava Blues

The duo is currently touring Canada, playing folk fests, theatres, and electronic music hotspots to bring their message to the masses.

“For us, it’s about finding the beauty and strength hidden by the oppression,” says Marczyk. “

“In that darkness, we find humanity, and in finding our humanity, we discover that we are not alone.”

Balaklava Blues bring their dynamic show to the Victoria Event Centre tonight, along with Estonian indie-folk group, Puuluup.

More info and tickets can be found here. The evening promises to be as emotional as it is entertaining.