Early Life
Hütz was born in Boyarka, near Kiev, to a Russian father and a mother who was of half Roma ancestry. His father was a butcher who also played guitar in one of Ukraine's first rock bands, Meridian. Hütz learned English through his musical "mentors" because
Russian rock always had lyrics that were superb and more advanced than the original Western rock ‘n’ roll, I think. Of course, Western rock is much stronger when it comes to performance and production, but Russian song writers were the champions of writing lyrics. So naturally I picked mentors who taught me how to tell a story, like Johnny Cash or Nick Cave or Leonard Cohen or Shane MacGowan from The Pogues. I learned English through my mentors. I feel like they are kind of my uncles in this sense.
Hütz's ride to the United States was a long journey through Poland, Hungary, Austria and Italy. Descendants of gypsies called the Servo Roma (a tribe known for its blacksmiths, horsetraders and musicians), Hütz and his family fled their hometown after hearing of the Chernobyl meltdown. Enduring a seven-year trek through East European refugee camps provided Hütz with an immigrant experience that is reflected in his songwriting. However, it is Hütz's Roma and Ukrainian background that is his central inspiration, influencing his lifestyle and the music of his band Gogol Bordello.
Hütz arrived in Vermont in 1992 as a political refugee through a resettlement program with his mother, father and cousin Yosef.
Read more about this topic: Eugene Hutz
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