ex-Soviet and modern Russian music

Monday, February 28, 2005

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

Sunday, February 27, 2005

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)

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