He has been forced to leave his country owing to the invasion of Russia, and move to Ireland to learn a new culture, enter a new education system and learn a new language.
But the love of music is universal and for nine-year-old Ukrainian Mark Kosinsky, who hails from Berdyansk in south-eastern Ukraine, joining Balbriggan’s ‘Reclaiming the Arts’ events in Balbriggan last weekend was just another joy in his rising career as a drummer.
The talented young performer brought the house down in delivering an incredible solo on the Late Late Toy Show.
Along with his father Dmitry (guitar) and Maciej Blizinski (bass), the trio known collectively as the ‘Mark Kosinsky Trio’ performed at The Warehouse, Vauxhall Street (adjacent to Monica Tolan’s) in Balbriggan on Saturday last, December 17.
Already, the youngster has played the Liberties Festival in Dublin, the Letterkenny Blues and Roots Festival, and gigs in Sligo and Mullingar.
His talent is awesome, his appeal universal. Mark has his own YouTube channel and is currently learning to play bass. His longterm objective lies in a music career and says he would love to be part of a punk or pop band when he is older.
From the age of three, he was drumming on whatever he could get his hands on, including bowls, tables and cups!
“I just started with a bowl and paintbrushes and went from there,” he said.
‘Reclaiming the Arts’ is a series of events inspired by locally-based artists eager to celebrate creativity over consumption during the festive season.
There was warm acclaim last weekend for local man Matthew Kelly at the launch of ‘Dear Balbriggan’, his fascinating anthology of the town’s creative talent at the Our Balbriggan Hub.
The occasion marked the start of a series of events open to the public over the weekend, inspired by locally-based artists eager to celebrate creativity over consumption during the festive season.
Activities centred on three other venues throughout the town: The Old Bank Building, George’s Square; The Warehouse, Vauxhall Street and 2-4 Dublin Street, formerly Vision Radio.
There was a wonderful reaction at the launch of Balbriggan visual artist and art educator Alison O’Grady’s 60-canvas composition, ‘Ár mBaile’, which captures the town painted through the eyes of its people.
The Warehouse on Vauxhall Street hosted music and arts engagement on Friday and Saturday, along with a visual art exhibition at The Old Bank were curated by Italian art historian and visual arts curator Valeria Ceregini.
This included the work of acclaimed artists Darren Rogers, Thomas Brezing, David Newton, Akvile Simanskiene, Billy Brew, Shaneski, Gordon Farrell, Antonio D’Souza, Maya Brezing, Murielle Celis and many others.
