Susan
Downing's Russian Music Picks
by
Susan Downing
I'm a big fan of Russian pop and rock music, so much so, in fact,
that this spring I began a new research project: I'm interviewing
a series of female Russian pop singers about their careers
and how
they function as role models for their listeners. (I've already
interviewed Alsou, Zemfira,
Chicherina, Propaganda, Gliukoza, Katya Lel', Iulia Savicheva,
and Blestiashchie.)
In
case you're interested in getting started listening to some Russian
music, but don't have a clue about where to start, I've compiled
the following list of groups and soloists you might want to check
out. The oldest ("classic") singers and groups are listed
first. If you want to go right for what's hot these days, skip down
to the "Current Groups" section at the end.
If
you decide you want to try to find albums by any of these artists,
you can go online to www.rbcmp3.com, which sells many CDs (in addition
to having a great selection of Russian films on DVD and video.)
Or, if you have access to a car, you can go to nearby West Springfield,
to "Books, Music, Video", a Russian video/music store.
(Directions can be found on our website.) The store has a good selection,
and if you want something they don't have, they'll try to get it
for you. What's more, they'll let you listen to anything you want
before buying it!
Also,
the biggest names in Russian pop sometimes come to America for concert
tours, which often include a stop in Boston. (This spring, the Russian
Club went to see both Akvarium and Liube!) Keep an eye on our "Events"
rubric for announcements of upcoming concerts and trips.
For
more info on these and other groups, go to www.rubl.ru the "Russian
Ultimate Band List" site, where you can get links to sites
on just about any Russian group you want!
Happy
listening!
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Field
Guide to the Groups ad Singers
Vladimir Vysotsky
- Bard singer, died at age 43 in 1980; many political songs, plus
songs about the concentration camps and life among the people.
Professional
groups: Referred to officially as VIA (Vocal-Instrumental Ensemble,)
these groups had state sponsorship in early days of Russian rock,
and the designation still exists today. Music was their main job,
which meant that they had recording contracts, got paid to perform
(and had quotas delineating how many concerts per year they were
expected to perform) and also had to have their concert content
approved by the Philharmonia (the artistic council responsible for
these groups.) Even today, you'll see some groups whose names contain
the acronym VIA, such as VIA GRA.
Veselye Rebiata (The Jolly Kids)
Tsvety (Flowers)-headed by Stas Namin
Zemliane - Countrymen
Visokosnyi god (Leap Year)
Alla Pugacheva - The indomitable female pop star, born in
1949, who became a social phenomenon and wildly popular personality.
She still performs today. Wife of Fillipp Kirkorov, mother of Kristina
Orbakaite, who is now gaining prominence as a pop singer in her
own right.
Amateur groups:
These groups were not officially supported: performing was not their
day job, they got no record contracts, were not officially allowed
to make money from performing. However, their content was not controlled
by any official agency, and they could perform as much as they wanted.
(This professional v. amateur distinction began to break down in
the mid-80s, when official rock clubs opened and provided performing
opportunities for groups who had previously had only amateur status.)
80s Groups:
Starred groups are still performing today
Mashina Vremeni
(Time Machine) *: (Moscow) Lead singer/composer Andrei Makarevich.
First real Russian rock group; one can call them the Russian Beatles
because of their influence on rock music in USSR. Makarevich was
first and most influential figure in the area of Soviet rock lyrics.
Akvarium
(Aquarium)*: (Leningrad) Lead singer Boris Grebenshchikov. Most
important group in terms of setting tone for 80s Soviet rock. Influenced
by Grateful Dead, Doors & Jim Morrison, Lou Reed.
Avtograf
(Autograph): Lead singer Sitkovetskii.
Zoopark
(Zoo): (Leningrad) Lead singer/composer Mike Naumenko. Naumenko
was a protégé of Grebenshchikov (Aquarium); notable
because of the naturalism of his lyrics, and the realistic portrayal
of real life.
Alisa*:
Metal band headed by charismatic Konstantin Kinchev who also did
some acting (see the movie "Vzlomshchik" about the Russian
punk music scene.) This band has been performing more frequently
of late.
Bravo*:
Lead singer Zhanna Aguzarova. Bravo was unusual because of its female
lead singer and popular because of its light-hearted and retro sound.
Although Bravo is still performing, Aguzarova is no longer associated
with the group, having gone solo.
Televizor:
(Leningrad) Socially conscious, driving rock. These guys weren't
afraid to talk about Soviet era problems.
Kino
(Movie): Lead singer Viktor Tsoi; also Aleksei Rybin. Kino had great,
but short-lived success, due to Tsoi's untimely death in a 1990
car crash. His songs are very frequently covered even today by Russian
rock groups.
Liube*:
Lead singer since 1997 Nikolai Rastorguev. Bard-folk-nationalistic
fusion. Their patriotic songs are often featured in Russian TV and
movie soundtracks, and the songs' strong folk style melodies and
harmonies are very popular. Liube is closely tied to the Rodina
political party, which makes heavy use of their songs in campaign
spots. Think of them as Vysotsky meets folk music meets propaganda.
DDT*
(Originally from Ufa, currently operating out of Petersburg): lead
singer/composer Iuri Shevchuk, gravel-voiced singer who combines
bard tradition (ala Vysotsky) with a lyrics- and message-oriented
rock sound in the tradition of Time Machine.
Nautilus
Pompilius (Leningrad): Lead singer/composer Vyacheslav Butusov.
Classic lyrical rock in the tradition of Time Machine. Composed
and performed the songs included in the soundtrack for the movie
"Brat", in which he also has a minor role. These days,
he's performing with a new group, "Iupiter."
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Current
Groups and Singers
Alsou:
Born in 1983, this Muslim with an oil industry millionaire father
was the first of a generation of young singers to gain popularity
in Post-Soviet Russia and abroad. After winning second place in
the 2000 Eurovision competition, she gained recognition outside
Russia. Although she has been dubbed the "Russian Christina
Aguilera," she in reality strives to project a wholesome image,
an approach that sets her apart in the sea of Russian pop singers
who have adopted more provocative images. The first Russian female
solo artist to make it big after 1991.
Detsl:
The first big Russian rapper has recently put out a second album.
TATU:
Julia and Lena (aged 16 when their first album came out in 2001)
gained worldwide fame (notoriety?) with their pro-lesbian lyrics
and sexually charged videos and stage performances. An entirely
manufactured duo with decent voices and classic naughty schoolgirl
costumes, the key to Tatu's success lies in the shrewdness of their
producer, Ivan Shapovalov, a real marketing genius. By building
the group's image to cater to sexual fantasies galore, he made sure
that Tatu would be controversial from the start, with lyrics and
an image that challenged and shocked a sexually traditional and
often homophobic Russian public.
Mummy Troll:
Lead Singer Il'ya Liagutenko. Known for their quirky indie style
and occasional social activism (including HIV-awareness work). Immediately
recognizable because of Liagutenko's unique singing voice.
Propaganda:
Female trio led by Vika Voronina, who writes all their lyrics and
music. The 2000 debut album by this group of three girls in their
late teens with a grunge image was a funky hip-hop collection with
intensely personal songs ranging in topic from young love to condemning
drug use to saving the environment. When their second album came
out in 2003, two of the members had been replaced, and although
the songs and lyrics still pack some punch, the jeans, flannel shirts
and kerchiefs are gone. After their makeover, the trio is visually
indistinguishable from the rest of the pop girl pack. They could
be the sell-out of the new century.
Chicherina:
Group named after and fronted by Iulia Chicherina from Ekaterinburg/Sverdlovsk.
Like Zemfira, she has her own, idiosyncratic style that is distinct
from the heavily made-up, provocative women who make up the majority
of Russia's female pop singers. Sometimes referred to as the Russian
No Doubt because of Chicherina's high energy and quirky lyrics.
Debut album 1998.
Zemfira:
Group named after and fronted by Zemfira Ramazanova from Ufa, capital
of Bashkirtostan, near the Ural Mountains. Group debuted in 1999.
A twenty-something pop-rocker from Ufa, Zemfira has her strengths
in her intense, personal lyrics, combined with strong guitar playing
and a no-nonsense, anti-glam image. Think of her as the Indie performer,
or a straight Melissa Etheridge. Russians sometimes refer to her
as the female Mummy Troll because of her unusual voice quality.
Gliukoza
(stage name of Natasha Iunova): Just a year out of high school,
this shy girl from the Volga River region (i.e., the boonies), should
be an inspiration to any girl who ever jotted down a song in her
school notebook. She hit it big and piqued curiosity last year when
the video for her hit song "The Bride" starred an anime-style
heroine instead of the flesh and blood Natasha. Now she's gotten
over her stage fright and is strutting around Russia's stages in
black leather, accompanied by Duke, her loyal Doberman.
Valeriya:
The darling of the Russian pop world. Two years after leaving the
stage because of a messy private life, this mother of three young
kids made a triumphant return to the stage one year ago. A domestic
abuse survivor with a gorgeous and newly matured voice, she's the
Russia's sweetheart. And yes, she's marrying her new producer, Iosif
Prigozhin, later this summer!
Katya Lel':
Formerly a middle-of-the-pack singer, her latest album featured
a new producer (whom she shares with Gliukoza) and a new edgier,
jazzy style. Look for her to develop more of her own style now that
she's broken into the Top 10 on the charts.
Bi-2:
Appeared first in 1988, but hit it big in the early 90s. Headed
by Shura and Lyova (who don't use their last names), two guys from
Minsk, Belarus, who live in a variety of places, mainly abroad,
but who continue to record in Moscow and are very popular with the
Russian audience. Their music is featured in more than one film
by director Alexei Balabanov, including "Brother 2", "The
War".
Tantsy minus:
Headed by Russian rock bad boy heartthrob Vyacheslav Petkun, beloved
of fans for his sexy voice and on-stage antics. This Moscow group's
music is lighter than Petkun's image would suggest. Debut album
appeared in 1998. Until last fall, Petkun was one of the singers
performing the role of Quasimodo in the Russian production of "Notre
Dame de Paris."
Iulia
Savicheva: A veteran of "Star
Factory 2" (a kind of Russian "American Idol") who
turned 17 on Valentine's Day this year, Savicheva is a fresh young
face represented by Russia's hottest producer, Max Fadeev (who also
produces Gliukoza and Katya Lel.) She was Russia's 2004 representative
to the Eurovision song contest, where she placed 11th out of a field
of 36. As yet unspoiled and uncorrupted, Iulia's first solo album
should come out this fall.
Blestiashchie
(The Shining Ones): A group of four typical female pop singers who,
since their appearance in 1995, have capitalized on their good looks
and pleasant voices to produce top-ten songs and gain product endorsements.
The girls and their recent song "The Orange Song" are
now featured in an ad for a popular Russian orange juice.
Zhanna Aguzarova:
Formerly the lead singer of the group Bravo, she spent seven years
in America trying (unsuccessfully) to launch a career here. She
gave up and went back to Russia, where her new solo album appeared
last year. Quirky and plagued by a past that included way too many
drugs, Zhanna's hoping for a big comeback.
Smyslovye
Galliutsinatsii (Thought Hallucinations): light rock band from
Ekaterinburg (former Sverdlovsk). Crucial in supporting early career
of Chicherina, their band debuted in 1989.
Ruki Vverx
(Hands Up): Boy pop/dance music duo of former DJs Sergei Zhukov
and Alexei Potioxin who now write their own songs. Debut in 1997.
Last year Sergei put out a solo album billed as more heavily rap-oriented,
but essentially not too different from standard Ruki Vverx fare.
Fillipp Kirkorov:
Mr. Alla Pugacheva, he's the flamboyant King of Russian pop. With
a gleaming smile and a stage presence that charms an audience ranging
from kindergartners to grannies (I've seen him in action and give
him two thumbs up!), Fillip also has an excellent voice.
Kristina
Orbakaite: Alla Pugacheva's daughter (and Fillip's step-daughter,
although the age difference is negligible!). With the backing of
her mom's production company, she's making her own way in the pop
world as a kind of hipper, thinner version of her mom. Decent voice,
run of the mill songs.
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