Biography
Pawlo Humeniuk ranked among the foremost Ukrainian fiddlers during the opening decades of the twentieth century. After relocating to the United States in 1902, he upheld the folk traditions of his native country. Eastern European expatriates cherished his performances, which supplied the soundtrack for Ukrainian, Polish, Slovak, and Hungarian gatherings across America. His signature 1926 release, "Ukrainske Wesilie (Ukrainian Wedding)," moved nearly 150,000 copies, while the follow-up "Chrestyny (Christening)" enjoyed almost identical success.
Humeniuk had taken up the violin at age six and later resumed lessons, once in America, at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Florida. In his homeland he had worked as a tanner and builder of instruments; in the United States he turned to music full time. With his band he appeared regularly at concerts, festivals, weddings, and on the vaudeville stage. Between 1926 and 1940 he issued more than one hundred recordings.
Humeniuk had taken up the violin at age six and later resumed lessons, once in America, at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Florida. In his homeland he had worked as a tanner and builder of instruments; in the United States he turned to music full time. With his band he appeared regularly at concerts, festivals, weddings, and on the vaudeville stage. Between 1926 and 1940 he issued more than one hundred recordings.
Albums
