Stepan Pasicznyk
Stepan Pasicznyk is a British-born musician, songwriter and translator of Ukrainian/Irish descent from Luton, Bedfordshire. He was accordionist and co-songwriter for the albums Vorony and Kultura and accordionist and co-translator for the "Pisni iz The Smiths" cover, all by the original early-1990s lineup of British band The Ukrainians.
Stepan Pasicznyk performs traditional Ukrainian music, English translations, Irish traditional music, and originals.
Session musician work includes Rev Hammer's "Bishop of Buffalo" produced by Justin Sullivan of New Model Army, Cage by the Bridewells produced by Phil Manzanera, guitarist of Roxy Music, and "Swill" Odgers of The Men They Couldn't Hang's release "Elvis Lives Here" with his "Swagger Band". He sessioned on the release "Believe" by Ukrainian American duet Darka and Slavko. He played accordion for Reading-based traditional dance ensemble Metelyk in the late 1980s – early 1990s. He plays with UK Waltham Cross based Ukrainian function band Zhnyva. His plays accordion mainly, and also guitar, bass guitar, keyboards and mandolin.
He has translated songs from Ukrainian into English for Lessia Horova, pt together a musical arrangement for a London Theatre production "Husbands and Lovers" by Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnar, and recorded introductory music for British Columbia, Canada's longest running Ukrainian radio show, Nash Holos.
Between 2007 and 2014 he played accordion for Welsh folk rock band Here Be Dragons for their Italy tours, and for their US gig and ABC TV debut for the Chicago Celtic Festival.
In January 2015 he released the first ever adaptation from Ukrainian to English of the original meaning of Shchedryk with his daughters, the tune of which was used for the lyrically non related Carol of the Bells.
His Mum's cousin was Eddie Rabbitt, the Nashville country music star whose song "Kentucky Rain" was a hit for Elvis Presley, and whose song "Every Which Way But Loose" was the theme tune for a film starring Clint Eastwood and an orangutan.
