ManSound

"They really sing!"
Lionel Hampton

"The variety of their repertoire is very impressive."
Ward Swingle

"...one of the premiere vocal groups in the world, ManSound."
Dr. Lynn J. Skinner (Executive Director of Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival)

"...the remarkable ManSound a cappella vocal sextet from Kiev, Ukraine."
Phil Elwood (San Francisco Examiner)

ManSound celebrates the versatility of the human voice. Their harmonious accordance, amazing vocal skills, rich timbre palette, emotion and naturalness make the group a favorite among admirers of high-quality vocal music. They have received recognition by audiences and music critics all over the world.

ManSound, an a cappella sextet from Kiev, Ukraine, got its start in 1994 as an idea of composer and arranger Vladimir Mikhnovetsky. The group consists of experienced professionals and it is a permanent participant of international jazz festivals and concerts.

From the very first performances of ManSound at concert venues in Ukraine, the interest towards the group has been increasing, as well as its popularity. The group got a hearty welcome at jazz festivals and concerts throughout the country. Since 1997, ManSound has been a sought-after guest at jazz festivals like, “Jazz Voices” (Moscow) and “Jazz Province”(in more than 10 Russian cities), and have been rewarded with well-deserved popularity in Russia.

ManSound began touring in 1996, when the group traveled to the United States for six weeks, performing with great success in universities and evangelical churches. They gave several dozen concerts in four states on the West Coast.

In December of 1998, ManSound held a series of Christmas concerts in Holland and Switzerland. And in April 1999, ManSound performed with great success at the 7th International Jazz Festival “Jazz en Artois” (France).

In February of 2000, ManSound performed at one of the biggest jazz events in the USA, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, following the invitation of Lionel Hampton himself. They also performed in 2002 and 2003, delighting the participants of their daily workshops and crowds of 5000 at the nightly performances. After their first appearance, Dr. Lynn Skinner, director of The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, said that ManSound was the hit of the jazz event.

During the summer of 2001, Mansound performed in Branson Missouri as part of the Zhivago Show. They were nominated for Best Vocal Group by Branson's All-American Entertainment Awards.

"This performance is one of the best kept secrets in Branson. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate this at twelve. This has to be one of the freshest talents to perform in the Ozarks in many years. Their ability and talent speak for itself and take a back seat to no one". Charles Lobodzinski (Crown Point, Indiana)

In July of 2002, Mansound participated in the International A Cappella Competition for Jazz and Pop Ensembles "Vokal.Total" in Graz, Austria. Mansound won first place in the Jazz Category winning over participants from eight European countries, and the USA, and taking home the coveted “Ward Swingle Award”. Ward Swingle, founder of the Swingle Singers, the first A Cappella group, and the jury chairman said of ManSound, “The variety of their repertoire is very impressive. I think that the group has a fine future”.

The sextet’s repertoire consists of Slavic folk songs, Gospel, and the jazz standards which they perform with original arrangements.

For the last ten years of the group’s life, ManSound has toured and performed in Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Estonia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Russia, Belorussia and the USA.

International festivals history:

2006
“JazzExtravaganza-2006” Ljubljana, Slovenia
“A Cappella Concert Series in Congress Casino Baden” Baden, Austria
“Vocal Zone” Kiev, Ukraine
“Tabasalu Jazz Festival” Tabasalu, Estonia
"Jazz in Manor Arkhangelskoe" Moscow, Russia
“Astana Blues” Astana, Kazakhstan
"DoDj" Donetsk, Ukraine

2005
“Berlin A Cappella Festival” Berlin, Germany
“Bielefelder Vokal Festival” Bielefeld, Germany
“Sunday Nights Jazz Concerts Series” Zagreb, Croatia
“Jazz in Old City” Khantymansiysk & Yekaterinburg, Russia
“Koktebel Jazz Festival” Koktebel, Ukraine
“III Children Jazz Festival Atlant-M” Kiev, Ukraine

2004
“Rainbow Jazz Festival” Tartu, Estonia
“Vokal Total” Munchen, Germany
"Leibnitz Jazz” Leibnitz, Austria
“Ethno Jazz Festival” Kishinev, Moldova
"Black Sea Jazz" Sochi, Russia
“Slavic Bazaar Festival” Vitebsk, Byelorussia
"Jazz in Arkhangelskoe" Moscow, Russia
"Jazz Near Old Fortress" Russia, Siberia, Novokuznetsk
"Jazz Festival" Naberegny Chelny, Russia

2003
"Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival" Moscow, Idaho, USA
"Voice Mania" Vienna, Austria
"Mama Lazz" Vilnius, Lithuania
“Jazz Voices” Moscow, Russia
"Jazz Crossroad" Kazan’, Russia
"DoDj" Donetsk, Ukraine
"Jazz Mini Fest" Vinnitsa, Ukraine
"Slavic Bazaar" Vitebsk, Byelorussia
"Jazz Province" 15 Russian cities

2002
"Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival" Moscow, Idaho, USA
"Voice Mania" Vienna, Austria
"Slavic Bazaar" Vitebsk, Byelorussia
"Jazz Province"

2000
"Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival" Moscow, Idaho, USA
"Vokal Total" Munich, Germany
"Sacred Music A’Cappella Festival" St.Petersburg, Russia
"Jazz Province" 15 Russian cities
"Slavic Bazaar" Kiev, Ukraine

1999
"Festival Jazz en Artois" Paris, Artois, France
"International Film Festival" Moscow, Russia
"Jazz in Donetsk" Donetsk, Ukraine
"Jazz Province" 15 Russian cities

1998
"Jazz Vocal" Panevezhis, Lithuania
"Jazz Horizons" Kryvij Rig, Ukraine
“Jazz Voices” Moscow, Russia
"Jazz Province" 15 Russian cities
"Slavic Bazaar" Vitebsk, Byelorussia

1997
"Autumn Blues" Nikopol’, Ukraine
"Jazz in Nizhnij Novgorod" Nizhnij Novgorod, Russia
“Jazz Voices” Moscow, Russia
"Jazz Mini Fest" Vinnitsa, Ukraine

1995
"Jazz in Nizhnij Novgorod" Nizhnij Novgorod, Russia
"Jazz Mini Fest" Vinnitsa, Ukraine
"Autumn Marathon" Kyiv, Ukraine
"Autumn Blues" Nikopol’, Ukraine