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’s road to the United States was a long journey through Poland, Hungary, Austria and Italy. 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. Later, Hütz moved to New York and took on his mother’s German maiden name of Hütz. It was in New York where he met members of Gogol Bordello.

Gogol Bordello’s live shows and Hütz’s stage presence has earned them invitations to places such as The Whitney Museum in New York, The Tate Modern in London and the Venice Biennale in Italy. Since moving to New York, Hütz has also made a name for himself as a DJ with a style best represented on his experimental side project J.U.F. (Jüdisch-Ukrainische Freundschaft) and a newer incarnation, MITITIKA. He has also performed and recorded with the Kolpakov Trio.

Hütz made his film debut in the 2005 film Everything Is Illuminated, playing the character Alex. In addition to starring in Everything Is Illuminated, Hütz wrote and performed (as part of Gogol Bordello) some of the music for the film’s soundtrack.

Hütz is also the subject of the 2006 documentary, The Pied Piper of Hützovina. In the January 2008 Gucci menswear show in Milan, Hütz was cited as the key inspiration for the collection.

Hütz is an avid supporter of Romani Rights, using his music to introduce the gypsy culture to a wider audience. When he’s not touring with Gogol Bordello, Hütz can be found DJ-ing at the Bulgarian Bar also known as “Mehanata” in New York or touring with the Russian gypsy group Kolpakov Trio, led by his mentor Sasha Kolpakov.

www.gogolbordello.com

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