About Yanko and the Colombian band with a Ukrainian heart “Los Yancovers”
Yanko, whose full name is Yanko Bogdan Peñafort, was born and raised in Colombia. He is a professional musician who plays more than 10 musical instruments and graduated from the 20-year-old conservatory of the National University of Bogota. His father is Colombian and his mother is Ukrainian. The other members of the band — Isamar, Nicolas and Juan David — are not of Ukrainian origin, but have put their soul into Ukrainian music.
Yanko began learning the Ukrainian language on his own initiative back in 2013. During this time, he has covered more than 70 Ukrainian songs, combining them with Latin American instruments and rhythms, and in some compositions adding lines in Spanish and English. The basis of the repertoire is Ukrainian folk, romantic and patriotic songs.
Over the past three years, Yanko and his band have been actively representing Ukrainian music in the world - from Colombia to Canada, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Macedonia, France, Bulgaria, Croatia and other countries.
In 2025, the band came to Ukraine for the first time in its full lineup, having performed a concert tour of 15 cities in Ukraine. In October 2025, Yanko and his band were awarded the National Prize “Treasure of the Nation”.
Author's merch of the band “Los Yankovers”
This year, the band created a special collection of merch, inspired by Ukrainian music with Latin American charm and the original composition of Yanko and Nina-Ukraina "My Roots from a Place of Strength". Yanko and the band wanted to give a piece of their creativity to everyone who shares their love for Ukrainian culture and their unique musical combination. The collection includes calendars with autographs of all band members, 3D magnets with the band's image, stylish shoppers and socks with the inscription "My roots are from the place of power" and the band's logo, as well as original CDs with Ukrainian folk songs and world mixes - with personal signatures of Yanko, Isamar, Juan David and Nicholas.
Gift sets are also available - in a white mesh or in an exclusive wooden box. They include signed discs, calendars, magnets, socks and thematic accessories. Each set is created as a warm symbol of the connection between Ukraine and Colombia, as well as a memory of the atmosphere of concerts and a common love for Ukrainian music.
