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Billboard (США) 21.02.1976
SOVIET 'POP' RATES 'A DA DA'
NEW YORK—Among the highlights of the recent largest MIDEM convention of all at Cannes, France, was the first appearance before a Western world audience of Russian pop groups and soloists. In the past such music was limited to the confines of the U.S.S.R.
However, under the auspices of VAAP, the Soviet Union’s performing rights society, the appearanсes at MIDEM were arranged and proved enlightening to quite a number of the record and music industry executives present.
“We came to present our popular music abroad,” says Alexander Lebedev, director of VAAP’s foreign department. “We hope that record companies and artists will become more familiar with it and perhaps even wish to include some of our
songs in their repertoires.'’
The “Pesniary Group,” eleven shaggy-haired musicians, kicked off the entertainment with a program of White Russian folk songs arranged in modern rock rhythms, then added some contemporary songs to conclude their presentation. The musicians backed up their vocal arrangements with electric guitars, drums, piano, violin, saxophone, flute and
three folk instruments—a reed pipe, a Russian lyre and an antique guitar.
The group has been together since 1972 and most of their repertoire has been composed and arranged by their leader, Vladimir Mouliavine.
Another Russian act on the program was the Romen Trio which played mainly gypsy music from Southern Russia.
The two soloists who impressed with their “pop capabilities were composer Yan Frenkel, who sang two of his original songs while accompanying himself on the piano, and Alla Pougatcheva, one of Russia’s most popular female vocalists, who brought the crowd literally to its feet.
Many music industry executives commented favorably on the music claiming “a whole new world of Russian music has been opened up to us."
As a result of the presentation and the enthusiasm generated, discussions are under way between G. Schirmer Inc. of the U.S., which holds an exclusive long-term contract with VAAP to publish Russian music in the Western hemisphere,
the Schirmer sister company, Macmillan Performing Arts, and VAAP to arrange a U.S. concert tour for the Russian performers later this year.
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