Leonid Yablonsky (12 March 1908, Kyiv - 11 January 1966, Toronto) was a Ukrainian musician, performer, composer, lyricist, and founder of the Leonid Yablonsky Jazz Chapel, one of the most popular musical groups in Lviv and Galicia in the 1930s.
Biography
He was born on 12 March 1908 in Kyiv to a military family. In 1919, he moved to Poland with his father, a colonel in the Ukrainian People's Republic Army, his mother and brothers Ivan, Anatoliy and Yaroslav. He ended up in an internment camp near the Polish city of Kalisz. After his release from the camp, his parents stayed in Kalisz, and Leonid went to study in Lviv. At first, he studied at the Teacher's Seminary, and later at the Mykola Lysenko Higher Music Institute.
He earned money for his living and studies by playing the violin. Later, he founded a band, which included Bohdan Vesolovskyi, Anatol Kos, and Stepan Humynilovych. It was one of the first Ukrainian bands to perform entertainment music. Soon enough, they became one of the most popular musical groups, which Lviv residents affectionately called the Yablonsky Chapel, and Leonid himself - Yabts, or Yabts-jazz.
In 1937, he married Natalia from the Bigus family, and in 1938, their daughter Marta was born.
In 1942, he moved to the Czech Republic with his family. Their daughter Roma was born there. In 1948, they emigrated to Argentina and settled in Buenos Aires. According to his daughter Marta, he managed to earn good money doing what he loved - music:
"Our living conditions were quite favourable. In Buenos Aires, my father managed to organise a good light music orchestra, which had regular performances in one of the most prestigious restaurants in the Argentine capital. So, we had a good life there.
He lived in Argentina with his family for seven years, and in 1955 he moved to Toronto, Canada. His mother Eupraxia and brother Yaroslav lived there. At first, he worked in a hotel and later organised a musical group. In Canada, he established contacts with former members of the Yabtsio Jazz, Bohdan Wesolowski, who lived in Montreal, and Stepan Huminilovych, who settled in Oshawa. Thanks to the sponsorship of the owners of the Arka-Queen bookstore, they began releasing a series of records, of which more than a hundred were released.
His band became very popular among Ukrainians in Canada and the United States. In addition, he performed as an ordinary chorister in the Prometheus Choir, directed by Lev Turkevych, and after his unexpected death, he took over the management of the Chaika Women's Choir.
He died suddenly on 11 January 1966 in Toronto. He was buried on 15 January 1966 at Prospect Cemetery in Toronto.
