When one has spent more than ten years of their life in Ukraine and has made many different friends from many different walks of life, but primarily those who are involved in the development of contemporary Ukrainian cultural life you start to miss those friends a great deal when you are far away from that environment. This feeling started to come upon me surprisingly just this past Saturday as it was Mykolaya, or St. Nicholas Day, that day that St. Mykola brings children gifts. This longing for those friends happened the day after I got together with some guys I went to high school with, one of them I hadn't actually seen for nearly as long as it has been since I finished high school. While the three of us had one common bond it became apparent to me that I lived in a completely different world than they do. The time in Ukraine was like a self-imposed exile from my home in Canada in a new home with new people and in a new place, and there was nothing wrong with this, it was a period in which I needed to really live through it was more than anyone I knew in Canada could live through in a life time.
Now I am once again in exile, another self imposed exile that is required for work on a book that has been incubating in my mind for over a year and half now. I have started writing and there are are episodes of that book that are directly related to Ukrainian music, some of which I have mentioned in passing on this blog. But it has been an extremely long time since I have actually written something here, and when I did write it was not about a happy event, but the passing of one of those musicians that I met and who I considered my friend. All his friends will miss Andriy Valaha, but they must continue and move on.
So even though the album came out so long ago, and Mis'ko Barbara of Mertviy Piven', gave me a signed copy of it some time ago, when he told me about Dana and Shockolad, in the spring I never really had the time to sit down and listen to Made in UA. A compilation of songs to the poetry of Yuriy Andrukhovych, I knew that when I finally did sit down and listen to it, it would be when time was something I had and serious listen would be possible.
That time came over the weekend, as I was in the midst of writer's block, and jumping between writing an episode on my first encounter with my Ukrainian cousins in 1985, in Leningrad of all places, and an episode from nine years later which is related to Barabara, and other musicians from L'viv, when we all met in Ternopil, a city so different than Leningrad.
Now just a little about Made in UA. Just like I was searching for something contemporary and new back in the late 1980s, getting a little tired of traditional folk music, there were others who were searching for something new and refreshing on the Ukrainian music scene, and 20 years one of the bands to appear on the contemporary Ukrainian music scene was Mertviy Piven', sure there were others, but anyone who has been following what has been going in Ukrainian music there are probably less than a dozen bands or individual musicians that have been active all these years. One of them is MP, but also coming out of that boisterous period as the Soviet Union was crumbling there were others, Eduard Drach, Maria Burmaka, Plach Yeremii, and while I'm not going to mention those that went the way of the Dodo, there are few that made it on to the scene then that are still around.
If you want something that is a mix of the sometimes in-your-face poetry of Andrukhovych and something that regardless of their twenty-year history, pick up Mertviy Piven's Made in UA. I had fun listening to it, and there were even a few tunes that were a little contagious.
Everything is constantly in flux, from the music we listen to, to the politics and society around us. uaMuzik is a reflection on Ukrainian music, politics, society, the food I create and technologies.
Showing posts with label Mertviy Piven'. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mertviy Piven'. Show all posts
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Made in ЮА [UA].... the long road to Liviy Bereh (L'viv)
It has been some time since I have actually sat down and written anything, but it does not mean that my life has not been filled with a great number of musical events.
On May 20th I was sitting in one of my regular haunts when in comes an old friend of mine, Mykhaylo [Mis'ko] Barbara, lead man of Mertviy Piven', he sits down and joins me for a while and we start chewing the same old fat as usual. I met Mis'ko back in 1994 and over the years, we have become good friends willing to share ideas, and sometimes even reminisce about when we met at a small cafe in Ternopil during the third week of July back in 1994. But that day we met was a little different, I tried to avoid thinking back into the past[My father passed away thirty years ago to that day and I didn't want to dwell on it!], I was thinking about today, what I would be doing tomorrow and how good it would be to see friends in L'viv on the upcoming weekend at the 20th Anniversary of Studentske bratstvo.
One of the first things Mis'ko says to me that day, “Vasyliu, I've just discovered a girl with an incredible voice, one of the best ranges and abilities I've heard in a very long time!” I smiled at Mis'ko, and asked, “So who is she?” He replied, “Her name is Dana!”
He said, “Well you are going to be in L'viv this weekend, aren't you? Come out to Liviy Bereh, is a new club that has opened up underneath the L'viv Opera, we are playing our 20th anniversary concert there on May 24th, and she will be singing back vocals on a few numbers.” With that he pulled out a copy of the band's latest CD called Made in UA, featuring the poems of Yuriy Andrukhovych put to their music. Pulled out a pen and signed it for me... “If you get a chance take a listen and tell me what you think?” said Mis'ko. In all honesty, I still haven't had the time to give it a great listen.
Mis'ko, packed up his notebook and headed off! Then I noticed a pair of sunglasses on the table. I gave Mis'ko a call... He answered and said, “See at the gig on the 24th, and don't forget my sunglasses! I won't be in L'viv on the 23th as we have a gig in Rivne that night, and have a great party with our friends from SB!”
A couple of days later I arrived in L'viv by train on a Saturday morning. The weather was clear when I arrived, but as the day went on we started to get some cloud cover, and I wondered just what kind of day would shape up for the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Studentske bratstvo. Let's just say that it turned out to be some party... Starting out in the courtyard of the L'viv City Hall at 17:00. It was good to see people, some that I had not seen for nine years, others I saw the last time in 1993.
The evening was filled with entertainment, primarily patriotic and satirical songs that students sang back in 1989, prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union and when there was a rebirth of being proud being Ukrainian, particularly in the western parts of Ukraine. By about 22:00 a core group of merry makers headed off to a friend's restaurant to continue the celebration. This was also filled with singing and dancing and plenty of good food and drink. By about 3:00 in the morning we all slowly began to disperse. It was a fine evening, but the core musical section of this blog is only about to begin.
By 15:00 on the 24h of May I ran into some friends that I didn't have time to catch up with the night before and we found a quiet side street, away from where any one of us could run into someone we knew. Given the Mertviy Piven' concert was to start at 21:00 I began to debate one key thing. Should I have a nap or push it and stay up... I decided upon the later, as going to sleep after the late night before would have clearly resulted in not a nap but a very long sleep.
As usual, when heading off to a new venue, I try to give myself a little bit more time than usual. I stood and front of the Opera and thought, “So where is the entrance?” Not that it really mattered, as I would eventually circumnavigate the Opera from the left hand side while facing it and find the entrance on the right hand side.
I pulled open the heavy wooden door and found a second door, paid my 100 UAH entrance fee, and headed down the stairs into the basement of the L'viv Opera. What I saw was a stage at the end of the hall, of about 35 meters long. The place was packed, clearly there were plenty of MP fans that had gathered to listen to both the new material off of Mertviy Piven's new album.
The club is done in good taste, and has vaulted brick ceilings. Looking around at the décor I thought to myself. “I wonder if the architect, Zygmunt Gorgolewski ever thought that this building would also serve such a purpose?”
I looked around then noticed my friend Markian Ivashchyshyn and a young woman sitting next to him. Markian told me to pull up a chair and introduced me to Dana. We sat and awaited the beginning of the concert, and it was not long before they started.
For the most part, the concert was filled with new material from their new CD. At one point, Dana got up and excused herself and made her way up to the stage, in fact this is what I was waiting for. I always feel that when a musician gives a thumbs up to another musician it is worth its weight in gold, and from what Mis'ko had told me about I was in for a bit of a treat. He was not mistaken.
As Mertviy Piven' wrapped up their material, Mis'ko traditionally introduced all the members of the band including Dana Vynnytska. They all, including Dana, received an incredible round of applause. It was not long before the audience started calling out for an encore. You could hear the repetition of the word “Bis! Bis! Bis!” from the crowd of probably close to 150 people under the vaulted ceiling.
Mertviy Piven' returned to the stage and launched into some of their older material including such well known songs as “Beautiful Karpaty” and “Lito bude” and concluded with their first “hit” “Eto!”. Everyone in attendance seemed pleased.
After all those seeking autographs and copies of the new Mertviy Piven' CD began to disperse I headed up to the stage with Mis'ko's sunglasses. To the right of the stage was a curtain which separated part of that end of the hall from the audience and served as a backstage area. As Mis'ko continued to sign CD's I had a chance to say my hello's to some of the band members and then moved towards the area behind the curtain. I was greeted with a big hug by Svitlana Oleshko, Director of the Arabesque Theatre from Kharkiv, and Mis'ko's partner... “Vasyliu good to see you, its been a while!” said Svitlana.
Mis'ko tore himself away from his fans for a second when he caught a glimpse of me came over and shook my hand as I handed him his shades. He asked me how the celebration the night before and I asked him about the Rivne gig. I looked at him and told him it was time for me to head home to sleep. “Thanks for coming out and bringing my sunglasses,” he said with sincerity.
I headed back towards the door, and Dana and I headed up the stairs together. As we headed along Prospect Svobody, Dana said, “I hope to see you on June 6th at our CD presentation!” I told her that I wouldn't be in L'viv that long so she invited me to their concert on May 28th at the Jazz Club at Dzyga. Needless to say that will be a completely different blog post... and eventually, I will actually sit down and review Made in ЮА.
On May 20th I was sitting in one of my regular haunts when in comes an old friend of mine, Mykhaylo [Mis'ko] Barbara, lead man of Mertviy Piven', he sits down and joins me for a while and we start chewing the same old fat as usual. I met Mis'ko back in 1994 and over the years, we have become good friends willing to share ideas, and sometimes even reminisce about when we met at a small cafe in Ternopil during the third week of July back in 1994. But that day we met was a little different, I tried to avoid thinking back into the past[My father passed away thirty years ago to that day and I didn't want to dwell on it!], I was thinking about today, what I would be doing tomorrow and how good it would be to see friends in L'viv on the upcoming weekend at the 20th Anniversary of Studentske bratstvo.
One of the first things Mis'ko says to me that day, “Vasyliu, I've just discovered a girl with an incredible voice, one of the best ranges and abilities I've heard in a very long time!” I smiled at Mis'ko, and asked, “So who is she?” He replied, “Her name is Dana!”
He said, “Well you are going to be in L'viv this weekend, aren't you? Come out to Liviy Bereh, is a new club that has opened up underneath the L'viv Opera, we are playing our 20th anniversary concert there on May 24th, and she will be singing back vocals on a few numbers.” With that he pulled out a copy of the band's latest CD called Made in UA, featuring the poems of Yuriy Andrukhovych put to their music. Pulled out a pen and signed it for me... “If you get a chance take a listen and tell me what you think?” said Mis'ko. In all honesty, I still haven't had the time to give it a great listen.
Mis'ko, packed up his notebook and headed off! Then I noticed a pair of sunglasses on the table. I gave Mis'ko a call... He answered and said, “See at the gig on the 24th, and don't forget my sunglasses! I won't be in L'viv on the 23th as we have a gig in Rivne that night, and have a great party with our friends from SB!”
A couple of days later I arrived in L'viv by train on a Saturday morning. The weather was clear when I arrived, but as the day went on we started to get some cloud cover, and I wondered just what kind of day would shape up for the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Studentske bratstvo. Let's just say that it turned out to be some party... Starting out in the courtyard of the L'viv City Hall at 17:00. It was good to see people, some that I had not seen for nine years, others I saw the last time in 1993.
The evening was filled with entertainment, primarily patriotic and satirical songs that students sang back in 1989, prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union and when there was a rebirth of being proud being Ukrainian, particularly in the western parts of Ukraine. By about 22:00 a core group of merry makers headed off to a friend's restaurant to continue the celebration. This was also filled with singing and dancing and plenty of good food and drink. By about 3:00 in the morning we all slowly began to disperse. It was a fine evening, but the core musical section of this blog is only about to begin.
By 15:00 on the 24h of May I ran into some friends that I didn't have time to catch up with the night before and we found a quiet side street, away from where any one of us could run into someone we knew. Given the Mertviy Piven' concert was to start at 21:00 I began to debate one key thing. Should I have a nap or push it and stay up... I decided upon the later, as going to sleep after the late night before would have clearly resulted in not a nap but a very long sleep.
As usual, when heading off to a new venue, I try to give myself a little bit more time than usual. I stood and front of the Opera and thought, “So where is the entrance?” Not that it really mattered, as I would eventually circumnavigate the Opera from the left hand side while facing it and find the entrance on the right hand side.
I pulled open the heavy wooden door and found a second door, paid my 100 UAH entrance fee, and headed down the stairs into the basement of the L'viv Opera. What I saw was a stage at the end of the hall, of about 35 meters long. The place was packed, clearly there were plenty of MP fans that had gathered to listen to both the new material off of Mertviy Piven's new album.
The club is done in good taste, and has vaulted brick ceilings. Looking around at the décor I thought to myself. “I wonder if the architect, Zygmunt Gorgolewski ever thought that this building would also serve such a purpose?”
I looked around then noticed my friend Markian Ivashchyshyn and a young woman sitting next to him. Markian told me to pull up a chair and introduced me to Dana. We sat and awaited the beginning of the concert, and it was not long before they started.
For the most part, the concert was filled with new material from their new CD. At one point, Dana got up and excused herself and made her way up to the stage, in fact this is what I was waiting for. I always feel that when a musician gives a thumbs up to another musician it is worth its weight in gold, and from what Mis'ko had told me about I was in for a bit of a treat. He was not mistaken.
As Mertviy Piven' wrapped up their material, Mis'ko traditionally introduced all the members of the band including Dana Vynnytska. They all, including Dana, received an incredible round of applause. It was not long before the audience started calling out for an encore. You could hear the repetition of the word “Bis! Bis! Bis!” from the crowd of probably close to 150 people under the vaulted ceiling.
Mertviy Piven' returned to the stage and launched into some of their older material including such well known songs as “Beautiful Karpaty” and “Lito bude” and concluded with their first “hit” “Eto!”. Everyone in attendance seemed pleased.
After all those seeking autographs and copies of the new Mertviy Piven' CD began to disperse I headed up to the stage with Mis'ko's sunglasses. To the right of the stage was a curtain which separated part of that end of the hall from the audience and served as a backstage area. As Mis'ko continued to sign CD's I had a chance to say my hello's to some of the band members and then moved towards the area behind the curtain. I was greeted with a big hug by Svitlana Oleshko, Director of the Arabesque Theatre from Kharkiv, and Mis'ko's partner... “Vasyliu good to see you, its been a while!” said Svitlana.
Mis'ko tore himself away from his fans for a second when he caught a glimpse of me came over and shook my hand as I handed him his shades. He asked me how the celebration the night before and I asked him about the Rivne gig. I looked at him and told him it was time for me to head home to sleep. “Thanks for coming out and bringing my sunglasses,” he said with sincerity.
I headed back towards the door, and Dana and I headed up the stairs together. As we headed along Prospect Svobody, Dana said, “I hope to see you on June 6th at our CD presentation!” I told her that I wouldn't be in L'viv that long so she invited me to their concert on May 28th at the Jazz Club at Dzyga. Needless to say that will be a completely different blog post... and eventually, I will actually sit down and review Made in ЮА.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A funny thing happened to me at the Top...
Well once again I have found the energy and reason to write something related to music. Even though the Eurovision Song Contest is just around the corner, I've become fatigued by all of that hoopla. In fact I lived through it for the period it was here in Ukraine as the the English language Web Journalist in 2005. I saw all the ins and outs... and really, the only guys who I met who were really professional were the lighting crew from Sweden.
Well, you may be wondering what Top I have in mind as you read the title of this post. Top, has many different meanings, but maybe I it would be more apropos to say Spinning Top, after all that is what a Dzyga is. Hence, I was not at the top of Hoverla, Ukraine's tallest peak, but at 35 Virmenska Street (Armenian St.), in one of my favourite cities anywhere: L'viv'; where Dzyga is located. Prior to about 1995 it was located in the Powder Tower in L'viv. It was there that I met with the founder and friend of mine Markian Ivashchyshyn, in 1993, and I first heard the name Ruslana, as a performing artist. And a place I also ended up sitting until the wee hours of the morning with Pikardiska Tertsia's manager and friend Roman Klymovsky, at the end of July in 1994. But I think that that will have to be a completely different blog entry... [Someone remind me about the story of Vsevolod, coffee and Roman, and I will try to find the time! I'll also include some pics of Ruslana with Pikardiska Tertsia and Taras Chubaj and I will include them in that blog entry.]
Yes, nearly a month as passed, before I have sat down to recall what just happened at Dzyga.
An organizational meeting of the 20th Anniversary for a student organization, had just finished, where I was in attendance. That organization played an extremely important role back in the late 1980s and early 1990s prior to Ukraine's independence. At that time, I happened to be extremely involved in Ukrainian-Canadian student life, and the changes that were going on here in Ukraine, even though I was located thousands of kilometres away in Montreal. Earlier that day, April 16, I had met with an old friend Rozhyk, to work on some annotations for an commemorative photo album.
Fortunately, a few years back I had scanned pictures I took during my first visit to Ukraine. That visit, was a reciprocal visit to the Ukrainian Canadian Students' Union (SUSK) invitation of a number of students from Ukraine to attend their annual congress in Ottawa, in August 1989, just two months after the Tienanmen student uprising, that left a number dead, and chilled relations between China and the democratic world. A year earlier, the leadership of SUSK had been at the founding conference of Studentske Bratsvo (Student Brotherhood) in the city of L'viv(May 1989); however, the organization included sisters as well. So what does this have to do with music.. it has a great deal to with it.
Amongst those that were invited to Canada during the summer of 1989, was to have been a young Maria Burmaka, who had been one of the laureates at the First Chervona Ruta Festival in Chernivtsi, where she performed Oleksandr Oles' poem, accompanied on guitar, Oj ne kvitne vesno. Unfortunately, Maria did not get her passport in time to make that trip, but a number of years later I met her in Montreal nonetheless; at a demonstration and ceremony to commemorate the 1932-33 Famine in Ukraine(Holodomor).
Oh yes, back to the brotherhood and Dzyga!
So what does Studentske bratsvo have to do with music? One hell of a lot...
I can't recall the year exactly, but I believe it may have been shortly after the student hunger strike on what was then the Square of the October Revolution, now Independence Square (Majdan) in Kyiv in 1990, which they organized the first Vyvykh [Whirlwind] festival in L'viv. This festival featured a variety of local musicians and others popular ones at the time. I recall from a VHS cassette that was couriered to me through undetermined channels at the time, that Plach Yermii was definitely performing. I particularly remember Litayucha Holova. But from what brothers and sisters tell me, there were also performances by Vika Vradiy, Mertvi Pivni, Braty Hadjukyny and others.
Then, there was a second second Vyvykh Festival, that I think happened in 1992... sometime in the fall.. but .. after 10 years in Ukraine.. and nearly 20 years later.. there is only so much one can remember.
So back to the TOP!
So this organizational meeting is winding up and Markian Ivashchyshyn walks in with some packages. He opens them and starts handing out copies of Spivanyk Studentksoho Bratstva, they were literally hot of the press. The ten or so people gathered around the table went silent, and started leafing through the 272 pages, published by the Students' Brotherhood of Ivan Franko L'viv National University. I was included amongst those flipping through the pages.
The collection of songs is divided up into five different sections: Comical Songs, Lyrical Songs, Patriotic Songs, Travel Songs, and a Pot Pourri as they say in French. Amongst the songs included I found many that students twenty years ago were singing. Songs by Tryzubniy Stas, Braty Hadyukyny, Viktor Morozov, Taras Petrenenko and songs by more contemporary bands like Khvyliu Trymaj, Flit and Skaj.
Anyhow, as the meeting came to a close a journalist friend of mine walked in. A tall son of a gun, and someone that I had lived through a bunch of shit with in the early months of 2004 when a friend of ours radio station was about to get closed down by the Kuchma government. He was handed a copy of the song book, and then he asked me if I was staying for some live jazz. How could I refuse!
We left for the other room at Dzyga , my friend sits down and leaves this song book, he has just received, sitting on the bench next to our table, stating that he has to meet a common friend of ours to take care of some things. In the meantime, a young lady sits down and starts leafing through the song book. I ask her to join us. She comments about the songs in the book, music and life in general. In a short while my friend returns, not alone but with his girl. We introduce oneself to one another and we partake in each others company.
While I often enjoy looking at a band as it performs, particularly when it is musicians that I know, or well known musicians, that evening I sat with my back to the band, enjoying the ambiance of the location, the people I knew, and the young woman with long reddish hair, pulled back over her shoulders. She seemed to enjoy, my recantation of my experiences with different musicians, their styles, and interpretations.
At one point, she says to me, “Excuse me, but I have to join my friends!” I, as I always do comply with anyone who is a pleasant, and seemingly good person.
About a minute later, my journalist friend smiles at me... he says... “Look over your shoulder!”
I glanced over my shoulder, and there stood the young lady, with the hair of a autumn sunset, that had been sitting with us for nearly an hour...
For those of you who want her number... it will cost you dearly!
Well, you may be wondering what Top I have in mind as you read the title of this post. Top, has many different meanings, but maybe I it would be more apropos to say Spinning Top, after all that is what a Dzyga is. Hence, I was not at the top of Hoverla, Ukraine's tallest peak, but at 35 Virmenska Street (Armenian St.), in one of my favourite cities anywhere: L'viv'; where Dzyga is located. Prior to about 1995 it was located in the Powder Tower in L'viv. It was there that I met with the founder and friend of mine Markian Ivashchyshyn, in 1993, and I first heard the name Ruslana, as a performing artist. And a place I also ended up sitting until the wee hours of the morning with Pikardiska Tertsia's manager and friend Roman Klymovsky, at the end of July in 1994. But I think that that will have to be a completely different blog entry... [Someone remind me about the story of Vsevolod, coffee and Roman, and I will try to find the time! I'll also include some pics of Ruslana with Pikardiska Tertsia and Taras Chubaj and I will include them in that blog entry.]
Yes, nearly a month as passed, before I have sat down to recall what just happened at Dzyga.
An organizational meeting of the 20th Anniversary for a student organization, had just finished, where I was in attendance. That organization played an extremely important role back in the late 1980s and early 1990s prior to Ukraine's independence. At that time, I happened to be extremely involved in Ukrainian-Canadian student life, and the changes that were going on here in Ukraine, even though I was located thousands of kilometres away in Montreal. Earlier that day, April 16, I had met with an old friend Rozhyk, to work on some annotations for an commemorative photo album.
Fortunately, a few years back I had scanned pictures I took during my first visit to Ukraine. That visit, was a reciprocal visit to the Ukrainian Canadian Students' Union (SUSK) invitation of a number of students from Ukraine to attend their annual congress in Ottawa, in August 1989, just two months after the Tienanmen student uprising, that left a number dead, and chilled relations between China and the democratic world. A year earlier, the leadership of SUSK had been at the founding conference of Studentske Bratsvo (Student Brotherhood) in the city of L'viv(May 1989); however, the organization included sisters as well. So what does this have to do with music.. it has a great deal to with it.
Amongst those that were invited to Canada during the summer of 1989, was to have been a young Maria Burmaka, who had been one of the laureates at the First Chervona Ruta Festival in Chernivtsi, where she performed Oleksandr Oles' poem, accompanied on guitar, Oj ne kvitne vesno. Unfortunately, Maria did not get her passport in time to make that trip, but a number of years later I met her in Montreal nonetheless; at a demonstration and ceremony to commemorate the 1932-33 Famine in Ukraine(Holodomor).
Oh yes, back to the brotherhood and Dzyga!
So what does Studentske bratsvo have to do with music? One hell of a lot...
I can't recall the year exactly, but I believe it may have been shortly after the student hunger strike on what was then the Square of the October Revolution, now Independence Square (Majdan) in Kyiv in 1990, which they organized the first Vyvykh [Whirlwind] festival in L'viv. This festival featured a variety of local musicians and others popular ones at the time. I recall from a VHS cassette that was couriered to me through undetermined channels at the time, that Plach Yermii was definitely performing. I particularly remember Litayucha Holova. But from what brothers and sisters tell me, there were also performances by Vika Vradiy, Mertvi Pivni, Braty Hadjukyny and others.
Then, there was a second second Vyvykh Festival, that I think happened in 1992... sometime in the fall.. but .. after 10 years in Ukraine.. and nearly 20 years later.. there is only so much one can remember.
So back to the TOP!
So this organizational meeting is winding up and Markian Ivashchyshyn walks in with some packages. He opens them and starts handing out copies of Spivanyk Studentksoho Bratstva, they were literally hot of the press. The ten or so people gathered around the table went silent, and started leafing through the 272 pages, published by the Students' Brotherhood of Ivan Franko L'viv National University. I was included amongst those flipping through the pages.
The collection of songs is divided up into five different sections: Comical Songs, Lyrical Songs, Patriotic Songs, Travel Songs, and a Pot Pourri as they say in French. Amongst the songs included I found many that students twenty years ago were singing. Songs by Tryzubniy Stas, Braty Hadyukyny, Viktor Morozov, Taras Petrenenko and songs by more contemporary bands like Khvyliu Trymaj, Flit and Skaj.
Anyhow, as the meeting came to a close a journalist friend of mine walked in. A tall son of a gun, and someone that I had lived through a bunch of shit with in the early months of 2004 when a friend of ours radio station was about to get closed down by the Kuchma government. He was handed a copy of the song book, and then he asked me if I was staying for some live jazz. How could I refuse!
We left for the other room at Dzyga , my friend sits down and leaves this song book, he has just received, sitting on the bench next to our table, stating that he has to meet a common friend of ours to take care of some things. In the meantime, a young lady sits down and starts leafing through the song book. I ask her to join us. She comments about the songs in the book, music and life in general. In a short while my friend returns, not alone but with his girl. We introduce oneself to one another and we partake in each others company.
While I often enjoy looking at a band as it performs, particularly when it is musicians that I know, or well known musicians, that evening I sat with my back to the band, enjoying the ambiance of the location, the people I knew, and the young woman with long reddish hair, pulled back over her shoulders. She seemed to enjoy, my recantation of my experiences with different musicians, their styles, and interpretations.
At one point, she says to me, “Excuse me, but I have to join my friends!” I, as I always do comply with anyone who is a pleasant, and seemingly good person.
About a minute later, my journalist friend smiles at me... he says... “Look over your shoulder!”
I glanced over my shoulder, and there stood the young lady, with the hair of a autumn sunset, that had been sitting with us for nearly an hour...
For those of you who want her number... it will cost you dearly!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Latest on Mertviy Piven
Well, Merviy Piven, or Dead Rooster as they are known in English had a
concert on Sunday February 25th in Kyiv, and while it was my intention
to attend - I decided that my health was more important. I guess this is
a sign of age! I along with many others I know have been suffering
through colds at this time of year. At least it is not the flu, that has
closed down hundreds of schools in Ukraine over the last few weeks.
concert on Sunday February 25th in Kyiv, and while it was my intention
to attend - I decided that my health was more important. I guess this is
a sign of age! I along with many others I know have been suffering
through colds at this time of year. At least it is not the flu, that has
closed down hundreds of schools in Ukraine over the last few weeks.
In any case, I am sure that lead man Misko Barbara will ask me where I
was when I see him next and will totally understand. While guitarist
Roman Chayka and host of Channel 5's "Piat' Kopiok" will simply give me
a hard time... And that will be par for the course since we have known
each other since December of 1991.
The Devolution of Ukrainian culture beyond its borders
Recently on a business trip to Madrid to examine the state of the Ukrainian community and examining the Spanish market for a number of different projects there were a few things that shed light on what some of the problems that exist in the Ukrainian cultural sphere. While the weather and the general state of the streets in Madrid were a pleasant change from what I had left behind in Kyiv for a few days, I was appalled at some of the other things I experienced in Madrid. Though it did not at all surprise me, given the sad state of affairs in the Ukrainian music industry.
There are many who will read the above statement and not agree with me, but in fact the state of the cultural industry in Ukraine is in a worse condition that it was in the early 1990s, due to the inactivity of the State in the area of cultural development and the protection of its own market. Some industry insiders have told me that in one recent year, Russian performers took out close to $500 million out of Ukraine for performances. It is important to understand that this money was taken out by the Russian music clans that were formed prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union and still exist and those who are in the music industry understand that these clans exist. The Allego, Alla Pugachova, Kirkorov and the Kobzon clans, and there is a high likelihood that not a penny of taxes were paid on this income in Ukraine. As an aside, a monument to Kobzon put up in Donetsk not long ago. Musicians I know have commented that such a figure is very possible and that if Ukrainian contemporary bands even hit a gross figure which was one tenth of this amount then we could start to talk about the existence of a music industry in Ukraine.
Now as a prelude to what appalled me in Madrid, let's examine some of the problems that exist in Ukraine itself. Back in 2000 I was approached by a number of musicians and members of the Verkhovna Rada regarding the Canadian experience in applying content laws in radio and television, it took some time before such laws came to light in Ukraine, but at the current time Ukrainian law states that 50% of broadcasting both television and radio must be a Ukrainian product. While this may be the case, when watching M1 a leading music TV station in Ukraine and according to some sources under the control of Victor Pinchuk, it is seldom that I have seen anywhere close to the required percentage of Ukrainian performers. Sure, I have seen videos of groups like Tartak and TNMK, but knowing that there are so many other groups with videos out, I have seldom seen any of them and it seems to me that there is no where close to the percentage of required Ukrainian content. In a recent, interview with Rostyslav Shtyn, a patriarch of the Ukrainian music industry and one who gave such groups as Mertviy Pivni and Skryabin and Iryna Bilyk their start, M1 seems to be staffed not only by non-professionals but people who have no taste in music or are working against the development of the Ukrainian music industry.
Though this is not the only problem, think back of when the USA dropped sanctions against Ukraine when it finally passed legislation to deal with piracy, sure the legislation was passed and the sanctions dropped, however, some insiders have told me little has changed. Musicians who produce an album, have no guarantee that by the time that they receive their copies, that hundreds of copies are already not in the hands of those who sell pirated CDs.
After a long meeting with some Ukrainians living in Madrid, we set out to get a better understanding of where they get their Ukrainian cultural products. Our first stop was the store run by Meest near the Central train station in Madrid. As I walked in I noticed a number of products that I recall seeing on the shelves of grocery stores in L'viv, Ternopil and Kyiv, though this is not was what of interest to us, and we made our way to a small corner in the back of the store.
I ran my finger along a shelf of CDs on a shelf. Not one of these were in Ukrainian, and as I looked through a rotating stand I could not find a single licensed/legal CD, let alone anything Ukrainian. Nothing else was different when I looked over to a display stand, where the most of literature was in Russian, with one sole Ukrainian children's book for learning Spanish. Estimates are that close to 80% of Ukrainians living in Madrid are from Western Ukraine, hence it seems to me that Meest in Madrid, must be catering not only to the Ukrainian population, but also the local Russian population. While from a business point of view there is nothing wrong with this; however, from the legal, moral and the attitude of taking the easiest path of providing products to shoppers raises a question. When will Ukrainians stop putting themselves in a ghetto and start working on a professional and legal level? I have reason to state that this is also a problem of Ukrainians at home was well as abroad.
I think that regardless of where Ukrainians are, we must act professionally and within the realms of legality. What I saw in Madrid appalled me, and the current situation in Ukraine isn't much better. I can only hope that Ukrainian musicians will be able to join forces and take on the stations that pretend to be working in their interests. It has been accomplished in Canada, but then again Ukraine isn't Canada, but there is no reason why the best practices of Canada can not be exported. This should have been done years ago, but we have no choice but to begin the battle on a new front with not only the radio and TV stations that pander to those with money and not talent, but in with the listener's of these stations that really have no opportunity to understand the broad spectrum of music available to them. In the words of Rostyslav Shtyn, “When a person doesn't have a choice – they swallow whatever they are given!”
I think it is time that people start getting a choice and that when faced with what is blatantly illegal to scream out against it. We have started to scream... and are going to be taking steps to combat this problem.
There are many who will read the above statement and not agree with me, but in fact the state of the cultural industry in Ukraine is in a worse condition that it was in the early 1990s, due to the inactivity of the State in the area of cultural development and the protection of its own market. Some industry insiders have told me that in one recent year, Russian performers took out close to $500 million out of Ukraine for performances. It is important to understand that this money was taken out by the Russian music clans that were formed prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union and still exist and those who are in the music industry understand that these clans exist. The Allego, Alla Pugachova, Kirkorov and the Kobzon clans, and there is a high likelihood that not a penny of taxes were paid on this income in Ukraine. As an aside, a monument to Kobzon put up in Donetsk not long ago. Musicians I know have commented that such a figure is very possible and that if Ukrainian contemporary bands even hit a gross figure which was one tenth of this amount then we could start to talk about the existence of a music industry in Ukraine.
Now as a prelude to what appalled me in Madrid, let's examine some of the problems that exist in Ukraine itself. Back in 2000 I was approached by a number of musicians and members of the Verkhovna Rada regarding the Canadian experience in applying content laws in radio and television, it took some time before such laws came to light in Ukraine, but at the current time Ukrainian law states that 50% of broadcasting both television and radio must be a Ukrainian product. While this may be the case, when watching M1 a leading music TV station in Ukraine and according to some sources under the control of Victor Pinchuk, it is seldom that I have seen anywhere close to the required percentage of Ukrainian performers. Sure, I have seen videos of groups like Tartak and TNMK, but knowing that there are so many other groups with videos out, I have seldom seen any of them and it seems to me that there is no where close to the percentage of required Ukrainian content. In a recent, interview with Rostyslav Shtyn, a patriarch of the Ukrainian music industry and one who gave such groups as Mertviy Pivni and Skryabin and Iryna Bilyk their start, M1 seems to be staffed not only by non-professionals but people who have no taste in music or are working against the development of the Ukrainian music industry.
Though this is not the only problem, think back of when the USA dropped sanctions against Ukraine when it finally passed legislation to deal with piracy, sure the legislation was passed and the sanctions dropped, however, some insiders have told me little has changed. Musicians who produce an album, have no guarantee that by the time that they receive their copies, that hundreds of copies are already not in the hands of those who sell pirated CDs.
After a long meeting with some Ukrainians living in Madrid, we set out to get a better understanding of where they get their Ukrainian cultural products. Our first stop was the store run by Meest near the Central train station in Madrid. As I walked in I noticed a number of products that I recall seeing on the shelves of grocery stores in L'viv, Ternopil and Kyiv, though this is not was what of interest to us, and we made our way to a small corner in the back of the store.
I ran my finger along a shelf of CDs on a shelf. Not one of these were in Ukrainian, and as I looked through a rotating stand I could not find a single licensed/legal CD, let alone anything Ukrainian. Nothing else was different when I looked over to a display stand, where the most of literature was in Russian, with one sole Ukrainian children's book for learning Spanish. Estimates are that close to 80% of Ukrainians living in Madrid are from Western Ukraine, hence it seems to me that Meest in Madrid, must be catering not only to the Ukrainian population, but also the local Russian population. While from a business point of view there is nothing wrong with this; however, from the legal, moral and the attitude of taking the easiest path of providing products to shoppers raises a question. When will Ukrainians stop putting themselves in a ghetto and start working on a professional and legal level? I have reason to state that this is also a problem of Ukrainians at home was well as abroad.
I think that regardless of where Ukrainians are, we must act professionally and within the realms of legality. What I saw in Madrid appalled me, and the current situation in Ukraine isn't much better. I can only hope that Ukrainian musicians will be able to join forces and take on the stations that pretend to be working in their interests. It has been accomplished in Canada, but then again Ukraine isn't Canada, but there is no reason why the best practices of Canada can not be exported. This should have been done years ago, but we have no choice but to begin the battle on a new front with not only the radio and TV stations that pander to those with money and not talent, but in with the listener's of these stations that really have no opportunity to understand the broad spectrum of music available to them. In the words of Rostyslav Shtyn, “When a person doesn't have a choice – they swallow whatever they are given!”
I think it is time that people start getting a choice and that when faced with what is blatantly illegal to scream out against it. We have started to scream... and are going to be taking steps to combat this problem.
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