Mikael Tariverdiev

Russian composer Mikael Tariverdiev is known as soundtrack author for 130 movies such as "Seventeen Moments of Spring", "Irony of Fate" etc.
Professionals say his music has its own face and could be recognized from first tacts. He could create music in every "academical" genre - music for cinema, theatre, opera or romance. Original intonation and beautiful voice were the main treats of his music. And he always tried to develop himself, everytime he set new tasks and found new ways of solutions.

He was really great composer with deep music.

Vospominania (from "Olga Sergeevna")
Vozvraschenie nadezhdy

Fuktovy Kefir | Fruit Kefir

They define band music style as jazz-punk or funk-punk with some grunge and hardcore. But mostly it doesn't matter. The main is songs that can amaze you every time.
I heard their song 'Pruzhinka' (springy) about lost doggy some years ago in tv program 'Kitchen' then I tried to find album with no success and know I'm happy downloading some songs today and wish you to do the same!

Pruzhinka.wma
Грущу.mp3
First Album
lj fkefir.ru

Masskva

Lera Masskva (name she took after joke at Moscow sitizen accent) was born in New Urengoy, little north town where temperature is only +10...14 in july.
Then she moved to Moscow wishing singing but the firm promoting young stars turned unfair. She only asked: "Where is best karaoke-club here?" After several days of karaoke singing producer of famous ZeKo Lable Igor Markov opened Masskva.

Now her songs are under great Zemfira influence and it would be hard to overcome it. No doubt Masskva will develop her songs and her singing because to be ikon for russian lesbians can't be aim of such a talanted girl.

On 7 flour.mp3
SMS.mp3

BOA

I found this band occasionally walking through nonprofessional music sites. BOA was on 1th place in local chart. I downloaded and got admired: they are really good. BOA music is like "Neschastny sluchay" and "Ivasi" style so if you like these bands you'd probablu fell in love with BOA.
Jazz, easy listening, excellent texts, naiv - this is BOA.

Molchat' ili pet' (Be silent or do sing).mp3
Dvornik Stepanov.mp3

Edita Pieha

Born in small miner town in France Edita Pieha had to become famous soviet singer. Always she differed from soviet folk singering women: she was elegant and stylish, her polish accent showed foreign birth so it might be hard to win sympathy of soviet public.
Now in Russia she is not really popular but her grandson Stas Pieha became popular after tv-show Fabric of Stars and new wave of interest to Edita Stanislavovna became that time. And certainly Stas sings ordinary pop songs despite of his grandma's traditions.
Her songs were free, funny, romantic and smart - like a joke at heavy USSR-machine.

Lastochki (Swallows).mp3
Manzherok.mp3

LP

LP is a band from Kaliningrad (ex-Koenigsberg), Immanuil Kant's motherland. Kaliningrad is small town far from Moscow and near Europe and Baltic sea. So people playing music in this town can be independent from Moscow barbarian show-business and "actual" tendencies.
LP plays nordic, romantic rock music full of energy and drive. They are modest and ambitious but not impudent.

LP can be decoded as "London-Paris" and also "Long-Play". When players were 13 years old they took guitars and in 1997 their song "Janette tears" was being sung at the main Kaliningrad square.

She smiles (sex RMX).mp3

Strana Glukhikh | Country of the Deaf

Imho Country of the Deaf (imdb.com) is the best russian movie of 90th. Interesting, unusual story tells us about girl Rita and her deaf girlfriend Yaya. Rita loves a man who loves only gambling games and became a victim of his passion. To get money she has to be "ears" for boss of mafia of deafs - she has to pose herself as deaf girl feeling danger for her chief. Above this line there is Yaya's dreaming about fantastic country of deaf where she's going to take also Rita. But to the final Rita understands her efforts were futile and her boyfrined could appreciate only gambling money. Then she hears the sea Yaya described her - like a deaf girl.
The root of this story was taken from Renata Litvinova's book.
There are many symbols of Russia in 90th: easy money, absurd life where girls have to survive in different ways, beautiful dream that holds your mind, relations between girls we can hardly understand, unreal deaf mafia, sad sky in Moscow mornings...
All the emotions were showed in soundtrack by Alexey Aigi and his Ansamble 4'33. It's over-free and melancholy music like Mosccow life at all.

Alexey Aigi & 4'33 - Night.mp3, 5,4Mb
Alexey Aigi & 4'33 - Strana gluhih (final theme).mp3, 6,5Mb

Obermaneken

The most original band I ever heard. Cosmic and pseudoromantic music can be comparised only with greek Syrens' songs.
Eugene Kalachev and Anzhey Zakharischev fon Braush met 10 years ago in St.Petersburg which one was the best place for getting estetic comcept of group. Then they moved to Moscow in anatily Vasiliev's theatre where flower style fell in blossom. As ideologist Anzhey proclaimed new erotic movement and created perfomance with cake-woman. Then there was a movie called "Oh, marquise de Sad!"...

In 2000 popular and odious magazine OM loyal to deviants of each sort named Obermaneken's album "Magnetizm" 5-stars-album that was probably cool in Russia.

Cosmic guest.mp3
Fiji.mp3

Clavdia Shulzhenko

Clavdia Shulzhenko was born in 1906 in Kharkiv. She fated to become one of many symbols of war time like Mark Bernes in singing or Olga Berggolts and Constantin Simonov in poetry. In 17 she became actress of local theatre, her first accompanist "Dunya" would become famous composer Isaac Dunaevsky.
Clavdia Ivanovna didn't have beautiful appearance: she had pretty face, turned-up nose, evident cheek-bones; but she always tried to keep herself good. In all circumstances she wore elegant dresses sewed by best moscow dressmaker. Once she was driving to regiment and the car was catched with bombarding fire - Clavdia covered her suitcase with costumes not to damage it.
She wasn't pretencois. She lived very modest, her food always was frugal. Shulzhenko went to market herself and often joked: "I sing for market".
She didn't like first text version of song "Blue scarf" so she insisted on rewriting as if she felt it would be main song in 1941-1945 years not counting "Stand up, enormous country!" and "Dark night".
Clavdia Shulzhenko - Blue Scarf.mp3, 629kb

Oleg Dal'

Some years ago I was fond of memoirs and read book about famous soviet actor Oleg Dal'. The book amazed me: Dal seemed to be genius not appreciated by contemporaries. There was a story about plate recorded by Dal - "Alone with you, brother..." - where he recited Mikhail Lermontov's poems.
Dal's reciting differs from modern poetic reciting: sadness, melancholy show not only poet's world but actor's.

Duma.mp3, 2,91mb
I skuchno i grustno.mp3, 1,24mb
Vyhozhu odin ya na dorogu.mp3, 1,08mb
Zaveschanie.mp3, 1,24mb
all in russian

Irina Bogushevskaya

Irina Bogushevskaya is unique russian singer working in a unique genre: she sings light, some romantic but very smart songs in cabaret and chanson style. These songs are not similar bard songs or "prison chanson" ones - she managed to create her own original style. Also it should be said she writes texts herself. It's a really good music as it turns to us.

photo by A.Cordovskiy


Terpkiy vecher.mp3 (astringent evening)
Rio-Rita.mp3
39 tramway.mp3

Spring in Moscow

My final exam is over so i have a chance to continue describing my thoughts of soviet and postsoviet music.
I often think about life in USSR... I was born when Yuri Andropov ruled country that means the end of Soviet Union was near. My concept of soviet life differed with great dissonance which concludes in unpleasant things I saw myself and in nice, some nostalgic stories about happy youth I heard from my parents and saw in films like "Ya shagayu po Moskve" (Walking the Streets of Moscow) or "Pokrovskie vorota" (Pokrov Gates).
60th for me - it's time of tender relations, deep love and thaw as well. I imagine young people at the party in district far from Moscow center dancing and smiling and - I don't know why - all the girls I see in my mind clothed in striped roll-necks :) And Joe Dassin as God of Romantic Spring!

Joe-Dassin - Je Viens Comme Un Voleur.mp3, 6,86 МБ
Joe-Dassin - A Toi.MP3, 6,47 МБ

Iya Chantladze

photo by moogdroog

Georgian Sade. But I know nothing about her and only enjoy listening.
Iya Chantladze - Armikhvarkhar.mp3

Zhanna Aguzarova

In 16 years old Zhanna moved to Moscow wishing to enter an institution with hospice for students. So she entered technical school by painter profession. At once she found herself in artistic circle presenting herself s diplomat's daughter or medicine student. And immediately she got to very popular in Soviet Union of 80th BRAVO band.
Pavel Kuzin /drummer/ said he was shocked: Zhanna's voice was so strong and original. There were not in BRAVO ordinary musicians but musical dandys (maybe freaks). As for Aguzarova she is and always was a freak of music and clothes style. If God wouldn't gift her voice she'd become avangard designer.
At one of concerts BRAVO were arrested: "What papers did you mean?" - policemen asked have in mind the line "They spit on different papers".
The reasons of her immigracy to USA are not known. But she returned to Russia in 1996 and lives there in status of marsian girl, ex-star of soviet showbiz.

Vernis ko mne v chem delo.mp3
Sneg idet.mp3
Ty tol'ko ty.mp3
Bud' so mnoy.mp3
Leningradskiy rock'n'roll.mp3
Chudesnaya strana.mp3

Tamara Gverdtsiteli

She began to sing at 9 years old. Her georgian name is Tamriko. She left Georgia in the beginning of 90th because of civil war. She lived and worked in France for 4 years. Her culmination were concerts in Olympia Hall in Paris and in Carnegie Hall in NY.
She was 10 when mother brought her at choir "Mziuri". Tamriko had very beautiful, strong and cognitive voice. With Mziuri she often travelled in Europe. In 19 she won Red Carnation Prize at Sochi Festival and Golden Orpheus in Bulgaria, a lot of prizes in Drezden, San Remo etc.
Margareth Thatcher was present at Tamara's wedding - it happened occasionally: Thatcher was invited to the best wedding registry office in Tbilisi.
She sings in 6 languages.

Viva, King, Viva!.mp3
Youth.mp3 (both in russian)

Pelagea

Pelagea is russian folk and romance singer that is real rarity in modern Russia. Nobody knows why this genre is unpopular despite of songs' beauty and deep traditions. Pelagea is 18-year old girl but she became famous in professional musical sphere in 11 when Dmitry Dibrov invited her to his tv-programm Anthropology.

Ya ehala domoy.mp3
Lyubo, bratzy, luybo.mp3
Ne uhodi.mp3

Emmanuelle

Soviet censorship determined human morality. Usually soviet film ended with passionate kiss of two persons instead of sexual scene holliwood movies shown or alluded to. Some foreign films imported illegally and demonstrated to close friends in the flats with impenetrable curtains were the gulp of sexual liberty soviets needed so much. The main factor wasn't quality of these films but censorship interdiction because - as russian say - "forbidden fruit is always sweet".
One of foreigns films illegally imported to USSR was "Emmanuelle" and the generation of soviet men fell in love with Sylvia Kristel played the main role of simple-hearted temptress.
"Griechische Feigen" by Siggi Gotz (1976) was another film watched by inexperienced soviet erotomaniacs and its heroine Corinne travelled with nude bossom seemed them to be real pornostar.
Music wtitten by Pierre Bachelet and Francis Lai became the main theme of adult parties and considerably favoured to devastation of iron morals.

Emmanuele-song.mp3, 7,90 Mb

Iva Nova

Iva Nova is young russian band which consists of 4 girls: Lena Zhornik (trash-bayan), Katya Fedorova (drums), Inna Leshenkevitch (guitar) and Vera Ogareva (vocal). In february 2005 new vocalist Nastya Postnikova appears in band.
The style can be defined as slaviс ethno-punk.

Byla ne byla.mp3
Rodopskaya.mp3
Korrida v derevne Zaborovye.mp3 (Corrida in village Zaborovye)

Yuri Vizbor

Yuri Vizbor graduated Moscow State Pedagogical Istitute (named V. Lenin). That time it accumulated rebellious spirit of epoch. Many people provided theirself with guitars and began to sing simple and romantic melodies about quiet life full of harmony, love to nature, mountains, travels. Singers and their fans gathered around camp fire and were singing all the night. It was their original answer to pompous soviet music propagandized with all types of media.
For a long time Comsomol Organizations of Kuybyshev conducted Grushin's festival in memoriam of Kuybyshev's student Valery Grushin. First year there came about 600 persons, but 12 years later there were 100 000. That was author's song boom in USSR.
Also Vizbor played several roles in soviet films ("July Rain" by Marlene Hutsiyev for example) but his heroes were persons like Vizbor himself and of course they played guitar and sang.

Milaya moya.mp3

Julia Buzhilova&Renata Litvinova

Julia born in 1983 was a participant of tv-project Fabric of Stars-#1, reality-show directed to find out gifted young people to promote then. Julia wasn't winner of Fabric but she composed some songs one of which was "You're writing to me" where great modern russian director, actress, scenario writer and producer Renata Litvinova took part.
Renata Litvinova (her voice you hear in this song) graduated VGIK (Russian State Institute of Cinematography); she wrote some successful scenarios and directed several films ("No death for me" - scandal documentary film about 5 divas of soviet cinema; "The Goddess"), worked with Kira Muratova. Also Renata was a juror of Berlin Cinema Festival.
It's hard to describe what Renata Litvinova means for russians: she's probably angel, new diva of russian cinema like Greta Garbo or Marlene Dietrich were in their countries and epochs.


One day I'll go away
and only my words which are unfading would stay
these feelings are striking of walls
and I see sparks
they're not dissolving unlike me
so mortal one
they're like eternal monument
and would never be forgotten
and would be passed from man to man
and they would feel finally
how I loved you
It'll be rather good to live and live
to love and love you
you to be immortal
and not to become first
not to run away
as I call death
death is not fearful
but let her not to get closer to you...

You're writing to me.mp3 (in rus)

Evgene Doga

Evgene Doga was born in 1937 in Moldova. He graduated Kishinev Musical School (violoncello class) and then studied for 9 years in conservatory.
He composed music secretly but once his classmate Maria came to repetition for radio wishing folklore song to present but her teacher Pavel Bachinin (ex-Pablo Baccini) told her another song to try. She said she had no second song and Evgene offered his own song. "Classmate Maria" became favorite moldovian singer Maria Bieshu and Doga became composer.
But soon Doga was crushed with disaster: his left hand was paralysed. He deсided to devote his life to composing and entered conservatory again.
During his life Doga collaborated with many film directors. The most successful were works with Emile Lotyanu ("My tender and affectionate Beast", "Gypsy Camp Leaves for the Sky") and Ion Popescu-Gopo ("Maria Mirabela").
He also composed music for opening ang closing Moscow Olympiade (1980) and his first ballet "Luctafarul" (1982). But russians think if he had composed nothing but his famous Waltz for "My tender and affectionate Beast" his name would become legendary still.

(Vals iz filma Moy Laskoviy i Nezhny zver) Waltz from film My tender and affectionate Beast or try this
(Berezovaya Alleya) Birch Path - from Maria Mirabela

Liza Umarova

Liza Umarova is the most popular modern Chechen singer today called "Chechen Edith Piaf". Chechens policemen, russian soldiers, children and adults are her songs' admirers. Her CD was recorded in awful conditions but distributed in a moment (about 2000 illegal copies). "I think it cost $50 [to make the recording]," she said. "I was sewing, earning money to feed the children at that time. I sewed sets of linen swaddling for newborn babies. And I had a lot of cloth, rolls of cotton. I sold all those rolls at the market, on the cheap, and made back the $50."
Liza and her family live in Moscow for a long time but she keeps in mind events had place in Grozny 10 years ago.
The beginning of war caught her in Grozny but her children were so little to run away. Moreover she thought government would gain an understanding and the war would stop soon. But then her brother came from Novosibirsk and told the republic encircled with armade - he saw the troops while getting Grozny. He rescued family to Ingushetia and they began to wait war ending. Then she left for Almaty (Kazakhstan is her native country) riding as illegal passenger with children. While this trip her little daughter caught nephritis.
In 1997 the war ended and Liza's family came back to Grozny but in 1999 they decided to move to Moscow despite of the fact lots of chechens emigrated to Germany or Norway but Liza had refused.
Liza Umarova's songs are about tragedies the war had brought to chechens and russians. She's real patriot of Motherland more than generals and politicians. She considers combatants should negotiate and stop war.

... Grozny, you're hero-city today
and all the chechens are proud of you
although your streets are broken down
and our childhood's under ruins
but we're proud of you, capital,
Grozny's hero-sity ...

Grozny is hero-sity.mp3
Blind harmonist.mp3
My Soul.mp3
Get up, Russia.mp3
San Nokhchiycho.mp3 (in chechen)
Chechen Woman.mp3
Motherland.mp3
Ma elkha san nana.mp3 (in chechen)

Nino Katamadze

Moscow, february, 16 tonn

Georgian jazz-diva Nino Katamadze and her band Insight are famous with incomparable emotional songs which are difficult by mood and sincere as well.
Nino was born in Adjaria and studied as a vocalist in Batumi. The culmination happened in 2002 when Nino was singing in Great Britain and public fell in ecstatic love.
Once in the street .zip
Olei .zip
I will come as a snow .zip
Beauty .zip

Radio Rio

Radio Rio's young moscow band playing bossa-nova in russian, italian and portuguese. This music is romantic and easy like USSR' music of 60th but it also belongs to world mainstream. The main style is latino lounge.
Radio Rio band was one of the leaders of Current Music, festival for musicians have their own blogs (Livejournal mainly).

Radio Rio - Coca-cola&Sprite.mp3, 3,63 Мb
Radio Rio - Con te.mp3, 5,6 Мb

Anna German

Anna German was born on 14 February 1936 in Urgench, Uzbekistan. Ten years later she moved with her mother and grandmother to Poland. After college, she studied geology in Wrocław, which she graduated with the best results. In parallel to her studies, she stayed faithful to her greatest hobby since childhood: music and singing. Therefore, Anna joined the theatre "Kalambur", where she could actively practice and develop her talents. This was the first step to her big career as a singer. She took part in many famous Polish festivals like Sopot and Opole and was fascinating the public with her beautiful, strong, vibrating voice and also with her unique appearance. Her songs "Zakwitnę różą", "Człowieczy los", "Bal u Posejdona" and "Tańczące Eurydyki" became hits awarded with the highest prizes. Anna was singing in Polish, Russian, English, Italian, Spanish, Latin and German such famous songs like: "La mamma" of Charles Aznavour and "Ave Maria" of Charles Gounod. She created her own, very special lyrical style.

In the Soviet Union, now in Russia and other post Soviet republics, she was beloved and became very famous. For very many fans she is still alive in such beautiful songs of the Russian composers like: "Nadiezda", "Iz-za ostrowa na striezen" and "Odin wychozu na dorogu". It was almost impossible to get the tickets for her concerts, usually sold out long before.


Anna German - Nadezhda.mp3, 3,41 МБ (Hope)
Anna German - Odin Raz V God Sady Tsvetut.mp3, 4,42 МБ (Once a year orchards blow)