Dudubeat - Experience (2002)

«Experience is the debut project of the St. Petersburg-based duo Dudubeat. Its members, Karen Sargsyan (duduk) and Arsen Grigoryan (keyboards) brought together in it their love for the traditional melodies of Armenia and the desire to make them more modern, fully preserving the national colors, producing a tasteful blend of live instruments and electronic sounds. Combined with the electronic rhythms, the moving, deep and tender sound of Karen’s duduk, which he plays in strict adherence to the classical style of duduk playing, becomes even more expressive. The result is an album quiet varied in moods and atmospheres, which will please all the lovers of background music and also the more adventurous listeners. Ethno-beat for mind and body. Recommended.»

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Iva Nova - Iva Nova (2003)

«Iva Nova was formed in St.Petersburg in 2002, when five young Russian ladies met to create a new collective of musicians.

All of them had had vast experience of playing at gigs with various groups and having found themselves to be really kindred souls, they started off their joint career, naturally and courageously combining the tunes and instrumentation of traditional Slavonic music with the energy and attitude of punk.

Their original songs with tunes and lyrics based on the riches of the folklore, are catchy and sensitive. Fuzzy dirt-simple guitar riffs and explosively frenetic percussion supported by the poignant bass and the energy of jazzy accordion fill their performance with both rural restlessness and urban craziness.

Iva Nova's sound is driving and powerful, their live acting is cheerful and often humorous: this high-spirited music will hardly leave anybody untouched.» (More info at MoreZvukov.nl)

Official site: http://www.iva-nova.ru/

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Riddu Riđđu 1991-2001 (2001)

«Every summer in the far north of Norway, in the land of the midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle, a unique music and culture festival is held in the municipality of Gáivuotna (Kåfjord), a few hours drive from the city of Tromsø. This festival, called Riddu Riđđu (which means, roughly, “storm off the water”), celebrates the music and culture of the Sami, the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia, and of other indigenous peoples of the world.» (Read more)

«For 10 years the Riddu Riđđu Festival has featured the culture of the Sami and other Northern Peoples. In 2001 Riddu Riđđu celebrates its 10^th anniversary. To mark this jubilee we have gathered musical highlights from past festivals. All tracks are live recordings from Riddu Riđđu, and are published by kind permission of the artists.» (From the liner notes)

Featured artists: Hedningarna, Wimme, Chirgilchin, Sara Marielle Gaup, Mari Boine, Sirmania, Sabjilar, Tiina Sanila, Elvel, Per Ivars Orkester, Namgar Lkhasaranova & others.

Thanx to Giuliano for this post.

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Ivan Kupala - Kostroma (1999)

«Despite what some first-time (English-speaking) listeners may think, Ivan Kupala is in fact a group not a single composer. Hailing from St Petersburg in Russia: Denis Fyodorov, Alexei Rumyantsev and Alexei Ivanov were all working at the same radio-station when they teamed up and decided to make modernised versions of Russian folk-songs. A variety of live shows and tours across Russia resulted in the group Ivan Kupala and their debut 11-track album Kostroma released in 1999. The group is named after the feast of John the Baptist (who is known as Ivan Kupala in Russia) which is a Belarusian version of the midsummer-festival on 7 July. Lead voices on the album are all female, and each track for the most part features solo voice and group-chants interchangeably. The title-song was also released as a single and serves as a great primer to the album – Russian traditional-singing combined with upbeat arrangements and lots of synthesiser work including Dao Dezi-like bagpipe solos. “Brovi” follows this with a similar approach, but adds more complexity and thus is even better: a thumping club beat introduces us to the track with perky synth-instrumental and verse/chorus chants that are exceptionally performed and highly infectious. “Vinograd” slows things down slightly with a rock-pop beat and accordion instrumentals to create a more folk-like piece. “Molodost” is a laid-back, more romantic piece with beautiful flute interludes. Slower tracks are in the minority though, the album is primarily a collection of fast-tempo uplifting songs: like the accordion flourishes and staccato male backing yodels of “Kanarejka” and the bouncy-synths of “Kolyada” which culminates in a fantastic clapping-yelping section that urges everyone to come dance. However “Galia” stands as a true highlight; its slow steady beat, lush synth chords, faint mandolin playing combine with a haunting vocal performance continually multi-tracked, light electronic basslines and even a sitar bridge-section. “Polosa” ends the album off nicely by continually growing more excited, with the listener unable to resist being swept along. The album is near-perfect and only let down slightly by the unfortunate use of reggae influences and brass-instruments in the song “Svatochki”. If you are a fan of Eastern European singing you will surely love Kostroma. Similarities with Deep Forest's second album Boheme are inevitable due to the Eastern European influences, but Ivan Kupala is much more than a clone. After the release of the first album all the songs were then handed over to various producers to create the compilation album Remixed Kostroma (released in 2000) which saw the original tracks re-invented into commercial styles that are very popular in Russia today […] – trance, hip-hop/breakbeat, club, drum'n'bass, jungle and even salsa! Ivan Kupala is definitely a project that deserves wider distribution and worldwide attention. […]» (Earth Rhythms)

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Mervent - Mervent 2 (2003)

One of my favourite Celtic bands from Russia. Enjoy!

«Celtic music has risen swiftly in popularity in Russia since it first began to be heard in the mid-1990s. The first bands on the scene in the late 90s included Si Mhor, Slua Si, Puck and Piper. Feeling their way in a new idiom and meeting up with new musicians on the same course, frequently by chance, the bands found a focus in the First Celtic Music Festival in Russia, held in Moscow in 1998. Since then twice-yearly festivals of Celtic inspired music have centred on St Patrick's Day and Samhain (the Pagan New Year). The initial, perhaps experimental, phase in Celtic music in Russia has come to a close, and recently a number of the original bands split up and reformed in new groupings under the leadership of individuals who have developed a clear vision of how they wish to express themselves through the broad medium of Celtic folk music. One such new grouping is the Moscow group Mervent [in translation from the Breton, “Mervent” means a wind from the southwest, and is a punning expression of their influences on the music that they play], which was formed in August 2000, with a nucleus of two members of Si Mhor - Igor Burmistrov (fiddle, guitar, lead vocals) and Anastasia Papisova (harp, vocals, dance). […]

The musicians of Mervent try to exploit to the full their very varied musical experience, and this comes across clearly in their sets. The rich diversity of stringed, wind and percussion instruments gives their sets a shimmering range of instrumentation which is fully exploited in the arrangements of tunes in their sets, and the Irish dance numbers performed by Anastasia (rated as one of the best performers of Irish dance in Moscow by Irish nationals visiting Russia) are a natural visual enhancement to their concerts. Mervent's repertoire consists mainly of the music of European peoples, from Scandinavia and Ireland to the Balkans and Western Ukraine. There are also arrangements of Armenian melodies, and original compositions. […] Mervent does not perform reconstructions, but concentrates on playing contemporary folk music in a style strongly their own. You can simply listen to it, dance to it, or enjoy it as it unfolds - it contains both the human and the ethereal moments, which are the true marks of music played from the heart. (Mervent.ru; group bio also available in French and Russian)

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Zulya - Aloukie (1999)

«Multi award-winning Zulya Kamalova is the leading proponent of Tatar and Russian music in Australia as well as one of the most versatile and accomplished vocalists on the world music scene today. Since her move to Australia in 1991 Zulya has developed a totally original approach as an affirmation of her unique identity – an affirmation that takes her Tatar and Russian background to totally new places and in completely new ways. […]
A native of Tatarstan-Udmurtia region of Central Russia, Zulya began performing Russian and Tatar songs at the age of 9. Later she studied music and languages at university level. She made a dramatic decision to settle in Australia in 1991and inspired by the diversity of cultures began to share her music with Australians. Zulya’s first release in Australia, Journey of Voice (1997), a unique collection of vocal styles and traditions received accolades for its versatility, passion and the “achingly beautiful” tone of her voice. In the following years, Australian audiences have been able to witness the continuing rise of this unique musical treasure. Zulya’s later albums, Aloukie (1999) and Elusive (2002) have also been released in Europe and have been awarded and nominated for various awards […].These albums feature traditional and original songs in her distinctive Tatar style but with unusual instrumentation, presenting the traditional music from a new perspective.» (More at http://www.zulya.com/bio.htm)

«In Aloukie Zulya centers vocally on the hauntingly beautiful Tatar singing style, she grew up around in the heart of Russia. It is a sound originating somewhere in between Eastern Europe and Far East, that musicologists call "a bridge between Mongolian and Hungarian music." Zulya presents the traditional songs and the original compositions in a unique cross-cultural interpretation, celebrating the musical diversity she has experienced in the years of living in Australia. She says "Having settled here I realised the importance of not only sharing one's culture but also creating a unique Australian culture." Featuring a host of talented musicians she has arranged the songs using instruments as varied as didgeridoo, tabla, kora, double bass, bassoon, talking drum, thumb piano, flugel horn and piano accordion among others. Aloukie means a soulful song, that invokes memories of home. Zulya's crystalline voice shares the richness and strength of her culture whilst making a distinct new Australian sound.» (cdroots)

«Zulya Kamalova ist eine der wichtigsten Interpretinnen tatarischer Musik. Ein Grund für die ungemeine Faszination, die Zulya auf ihr Publikum ausübt, ist die offensichtlich Freude, die ihr das Singen bereitet. Selbst wenn Lieder von einer tiefgründigen Melancholie bestimmt werden, erscheint die Darstellung dieses emotionalen Reichtums dennoch als etwas grundsätzlich Erhebendes. Ihr Musikstil widerspiegelt das Aufeinandertreffen von Ost und West. Dazu kommt ihre Vorliebe, sich je nach Bedarf der musikalischen Elemente anderer Kulturen zu bedienen und auch solch ungleiche Klangfarben wie diejenigen des Didgeridoos, des Flügelhorns, des Akkordeons oder der indischen Tabla in ihren Stil zu integrieren.
Zulyas zweites Album Aloukie webt einen sehr markanten Teppich aus traditionellen und orginellen Songs mit Zulyas unverwechselbarem tarischen Stil. Aloukie wurde im Jahr 2000 zum “World Music Album des Jahres” bei den Australien World Music Awards gewählt. Bisheriger Höhepunkt von Zulya war die Auszeichnung “Artist Of The Year” bei den World Music Awards 2001. (indigo.de)

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Russendisko Hits (2003)

«Back in the 1970s and 1980s, no one would have thought of Soviet Russia as a hotbed of happening alternative rock. And as this compilation demonstrates, there was a good reason for that perception: it was not, in fact, a hotbed of happening alternative rock. However, it was a place where bands managed, despite pervasive cultural oppression and state-sanctioned musical monotony, to build a small and surprisingly diverse underground dance-music scene. Compiled by emigre DJs Yuri Gurzhy and Vladimir Kaminer, this album brings together a host of slightly cheesy but always quirkily charming selections by the likes of Siberia's Red Elvises, Distemper, the St. Petersburg Ska-Jazz Review and RotFront. These are bands that drew on many different influences and elements, from punk to disco to ska to klezmer, and interestingly, an awful lot of the result ends up sounding like some kind of high-octane polka. Spitfire's "Rio-Rita," Leprikonsi's "Chicks Don't Fall in Love with Me," and Zdob Si Zdub's "Gipsy and an Alien," for example, all fit within that general stylistic designation. But there are surprises as well: a queasy sort of Latin rock from Markscheider Kunst, punk/ska from Leningrad and a genuine klezmer rave-up from the De Amsterdam Klezmer Band (whose founding member is actually from Odessa). Yes, most of this stuff is mostly fun for the kitsch factor, but the album is also a genuinely moving document of youth culture's ability to create weird and crazy music under even the most adverse conditions.» (AMG)

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Myllarit - A Voi Voi! Karelian Fever (2000)

Another fine group from Russia, thanx again to Valery. Myllarit define themselves as a «new wave Karelian folk» band. Their sound is rockier and livelier compared to that of the other Russian groups I’ve posted recently, but nevertheless engaging and enjoyable. A Voi Voi! Karelian Fever is their fourth album.

«Myllarit (The Millers) are a dynamic brisk vocal and instrumental folk band from Russian Karelia. The group came together in 1992, an outgrowth of the pairing of accordionist Zobnev with Alexander Bykadorov, who had travelled Europe together playing Karelian and Russian folk music in the streets. The unique sound of Myllarit combines traditional music and poetry of Karelia, the White Sea, Olonets and Ladoga regions, and also Russian songs of the Trans-Onega region, with elements of rock, jazz and world music. Thus, fitting them to suit their more modern style. Besides, the group performs songs of the Ingria (St.-Petersburg region) in the local Ingric dialect of the Finnish language. “Karelia represents a rich mixture of so many different cultures,” said Zobnev. “Our rather severe climatic conditions help to hone this musical style. It is the music of the Russian pomors (White Sea coast natives) and Finnish and Karelian songs. It all mixes together and provides food for Myllarit.” Myllarit achieve their main impact on stage with great talent and humour. They are outstanding live performers. Their discography includes six albums. Myllarit is also very active locally in their hometown Petrozavodsk, the capital of the Republic of Karelia, where they support and promote local bands through the Myllarit Center of Musical Initiatives and the organisation of musical events, such as the annual Petrozavodsk Folk Marathon.» (From Myllarit’s MySpace page)

All you would like to know about Myllarit here.

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Inna Zhelannaya - Vodorosl (1995)

This one – thanx again to Valery! – is for my friend Alonsii at L’arbre de les 1000 musiques, who’s another big fan of Inna Zhelannaya's old band, The Farlanders. This 1995 fine solo effort can well be considered the final rehearsal for that (now sadly disbanded) group’s future releases. Here’s a brief profile of the artist, taken from the Moscow Times:

Folk Songs With a Twist

Inna Zhelannaya, one of the few Russian artists to achieve fame in the international world-music scene, makes a comeback with a new band.

Over the years, Inna Zhelannaya has garnered appreciation both in Russia and abroad for her unique mix of Russian folk, rock, world music and electronica. But she hasn't been as visible since her former band, Inna Zhelannaya and Farlanders, disbanded in 2004. Now, the 42-year-old Moscow native is set for a comeback […] with a new five-piece band to premiere a set based on folk songs from several Russian regions.

Zhelannaya began her musical career in 1989 working with the cult Russian rock band Alyans. When the Soviet Union opened up to the West in the early 1990s, Alyans participated in many international music festivals and toured Sweden and France. In 1994, she put together Inna Zhelannaya and Farlanders, with a line-up that included some former members of Alyans – bassist Sergei Kalachyov and woodwind instrumentalist Sergei Starostin. Two years later, she released an album called Seaweed (Vodorosl). One of her songs from that album, «Dalshe», was included on the One World compilation CD on the Putumayo World Music label, along with tracks by such performers as Peter Gabriel and the Gipsy Kings. Following that release, Zhelannaya and Farlanders played a number of times in the United States, including an appearance at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. But the band gained more of a following in Europe, where they toured extensively in the late 1990s and had a number of album releases.

In 2004, […] after Zhelannaya and Farlanders split, the singer pursued other projects. In 2005, she recorded an album called 77RUS with the Moscow-based band Malerija. Then she assembled a new group of musicians. […] Zhelannaya met two of her new bandmates – keyboardist Arkady Marto and percussionist Andrei Romanika – when she played with them onstage in their band Safety Magic, which produces meditative, ethnically influenced music, some of which has a passing resemblance to King Crimson. She enlisted violinist Artyom Yakushenko after seeing him play with the world-music band Bely Ostrog. The singer said her new band was all tooled up with electronics, with even the violin being electronically processed. But the band's percussion is purely acoustic, with no electronic elements. «Nearly everything has changed,» Zhelannaya said. «The only thing that hasn't is that we still base our new material on Russian folk songs. But by and large, there are very few elements of their original, orthodox versions left. These songs are totally remade and are in a radically different form.» (Kirill Galetski, Moscow Times, February 22, 2007)

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Reel - Strannie Ludi (2002) ******************* Va-Ta-Ga - Live (2006)

Thanx again to Valery, today I can post you two more gems from Russia. Reel/Va-Ta-Ga is, alongside the Farlanders, the best new Russian folk band I’ve heard so far. Highly recommended.

Va-Ta-Ga are Alexandre Leonov (vocal, winds, strings, saw), Olga Gaidamak (vocals, violin), Alexey Derevlyov (acoustic guitar), Arkady Sokolov (percussion), Sergey Shelyapin (double bass). The band was formed in 2000 in the city of Petrozavodsk (Karelia) and until 2004 has been known under the name of Reel. Among its members the group counts four graduates from the Petrozavodsk’ State Music Conservatory while their leader Alexander Leonov, besides being a main vocalist and a multi-instrument performer, has been for years collecting folk songs as well as designing and making traditional music instruments.

The musicians themselves call the Va-Ta-Ga style an «art-folk based on the Northern folk songs». The musical journalists refer to their music as either «ethno-ambient» or «folk jazz». Having roots in the karelian and north-russian culture, Va-Ta-Ga’s members also draw inspiration from other parts of the world, including Tuva in the east and the global World Music scene. Va-Ta-Ga players use acoustic instruments as well as modern digital and analogue sound treatment. Besides a classical guitar and a double bass the band has a great variety of traditional wind, strings and percussion instruments. (From the band's site)

« […] Strannie ludi starts with one of the highlights of the cd, “Vutitsa”. A mystic song with throat-singing and airy female vocals. The song (and many others) remind me of the Farlanders, one of the few Russian folk-rock groups who made it outside the country. The way the songs are build up and the vocals have a lot in common with this group. Reel, however mixes more with other cultures than the Farlanders. On “Obriadovaja” the band creates a fusion between an Irish flute tune and steaming Russian male vocals. The same on “Zarja”, where bagpipe, violin and jazzy flute combine into a catchy piece of crossover music. The song “Pomorskaja” goes all around the world. With male vocals that sounds like the Joiking of the Sami people with a flute that reminds me more of South America, percussion that is often heard in India and all of this mixed with fine subtle electronics this song is another highlight on the cd. Strannie ludi is another strong product from the Russian Sketis label and I just cant wait until I’m allowed to review more of this experimental record company. (Eelco Schilder, folkworld.de)

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Raznotravie - Katorga (2001)

Another fine offering from Valery. This time, he presents us a good example of contemporanean acoustic Russian folk, Raznotravie’s 2001 effort Katorga. Thank you very much, Valery!

«Raznotravie blends Russian folk music with influences of world music, ancient music, avantgarde and much more. The group was founded in 1997; almost all members have remained in the band since then. In 2000 multi-instrumentalist and folk musician Mitya Kouznetsov joined them. Together they found a new sound which is presented on this album.
Raznotravie come from Rybinsk in theYaroslavl region in Russia. The group consists of seven members: Mikhail Posadsky (vocal, jaw harp, folk-whistle), main composer; Vyacheslav Kamenkov (acoustic guitar, domra, backing vocal) main arranger and also composer; Anna Kouznetsova (Kholodyakova) (hurdy-gurdy, backing vocal, folk winds, percussion); Mitya Kouznetsov (vocal, svirel [russian whistle], jaleika [russian reedpipe], flute, gusli [russian psaltery], mandolin, jaw harp, folk percussion) is the producer, composer and sound engineer; Alexandra Nikitina (chello); Valery Ershov (acoustic bass-guitar, backing vocal) and finally Pavel Davydovich on drums and percussion.» (kuznya.ru)

«[Raznotravie] is one of a few musical projects, which brightly represent Russia in the direction of world music. […] The poetic and musical style speaks about the uniqueness of the project, which is characteristic precisely for the Rybinsk Volga river Region and Poshekhonia, whence almost all musicians of group are from. Poshekhonia is a big part of land to the north from central region of Russia with wild woods, fields of various herbs and lost villages. […] The name “Raznotravie” takes it roots in nature of this land, which stores memories from an ancient time in every wood, in every herb. That is why the name could be translated as “manifold herbs”. But in russian it brings together very bright, wild, and ancient images in one word.» (From the net)

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