Tatars in the Moscow Kremlin: ‘The Birth of Venus’, tambourine of Kamil Larin and jokes about Salavat
The ‘Oscars’ of the national music award Bolgar Radiosy have found their owners
During the whole year, the audience of the channel TNV and listeners of Bolgar Radiosy have been choosing the best performers in the hit parade Musical diste (Musical top ten). National favourites, who got votes the most, got a worthy reward: a chance to take part in the III National Music Awards. Spoilt Moscow audience was surprised with modernized fairy tales, light effects and, of course, wonderful songs. One of the capital actors even had to change a role and to sing Tatar hit of 1990-s — 'Tala-tala' specially for the show. But those who could not attend the final concert, should not be upset: the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya, having visited the Kremlin Palace, tried to convey the atmosphere of celebration and to visualize her impressions.
'Awards takes place in Moscow for the first time'
To imagine the first and, perhaps, the most spectacular performance of the concert can any reader even if he or she was not lucky to be in the Kremlin Palace — it is enough to recall 'The Birth of Venus' by Sandro Botticelli. In a white long dress, a singer Alsu Abelkhanova resembled an ancient goddess, and a pearl shell she replaced with the projector. At first, there was an image, symbolizing the universal chaos, then the space markedly narrowed – on a white projector there were outlined borders of the Republic of Tatarstan.
During that, Abelkhanova performed the song 'Yashe, Tatarstanym' ('Live, my Tatarstan'), the dance theatre 'Bez slov' and the state ensemble of singing and dancing of Tatarstan Republic assisted her.
Make Way for the Young Folks
Of course, if on the Kremlin Palace stage, where Soviet party conventions used to be held, the compere had started with the same intonation announcing performances, the concert would have been very pretentious. But it is out of vogue now, that is why Shombay from the theatre 'Munscha tashi', played by an honoured artist of RT Dzhavit Shakirov, was a presenter. 'Once upon a time, when Mintimer Sharipovich [Shaimiev] was not yet a President, there was a guy', started funny babay (granddad in Tatar), and every time before a performance he got out of the trunk a new tale. But it turned out that tales were very different from those that Tatar children used to listen in their childhood. Having a modern interpretation, they made people laugh and at the same time made them to be nostalgic.
The first part of the concert mainly consisted of folk and recognizable songs. Most of them were performed by young performers – winners of the hit parade Musical diste. For example, Marsel Vagizov, Nail Sagdiev, Rustem Rakhmatullin performed 'Kun Avyly koe' ('Kun settlement song'), Sirina Zainutdinova and Rishat Shaikhutdinov 'Sin onytma zhirde min baryn' ('Do not forget that I exist'), Artur Shugaepov y Radik Gabbazov – 'Ommegolsem' (Tatar female name). In the concert hall of the Kremlin Palace there were no empty seats, many people form the audience, hearing a familiar melody, involuntarily began to sing along with the artists.
Perhaps, one of the most moving was the performance of Gulsirin Abdullina and Azat Abitov, who sang a sorrowful song about failed love 'Beznen gomer' ('Our destiny').
Teremok à la Tatar
Of course, eminent singers such as Vil Usmanov, Filus Kagirov, Salavat and Guzelem Minnikhanovs performed the songs and won coveted statuettes from Bolgar Radiosy. The family couple, Honoured Artists of RT Guzel Urazova and Ildar Khakimov became winners of nomination that has been established this year especially for 3-years anniversary of Awards – they are the artists who have toured the most around Russia. Another statuette was given to Artur Mauzer Sax. During his performance, there was a video of the song on the screen. Although the plot was simple about village life, it can be called stylish. Rural scenery was not only a beautiful background but also the embodiment of mentality.
And how a concert can do without the comic performances? A difficult task – to amuse the audience – was taken over by Danir Sabirov, who told the Tatar version of the famous Russian fairy tale 'Teremok'. He called it 'Esteremkey' (blending of 'stage' and 'teremok').
As soon as the showman began to sing a parody song of Gabdelfat Safin, the mouse appeared on the big screen, the face of which with the help of 'Photoshop' was replaced by the face of the Tatar artist. Cock by Sabirov performance was so similar to Aidar Galimov that the audience applauded twice. Salavat Fatkhetdinov, in the role of a bear, appeared under the menacing Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven. At the end Danir Sabirov added a pinch of self-irony, depicting himself as a curly sheep.
'The audience loves when an artist sings and dances'
In the second part, grandpa Shombay continued to tell his tales, but as before they were not quite right. The most spectacular performance in the second part was a performance of Rishat Tukhvatullin. While he was singing the song 'Akkoshlar mekhebbete' ('Swan love'), the dancing theatre 'Bez slov' was dancing and rose on a large moon, like white birds, and their costumes glowed in the light. We would like to note that the studio of events Kyrlay was responsible for the performance of Alsu Abelkhanova and Rishat Tukhvatullin.
During an interlude, Rifat Zaripov and Ramil Sharapov make a minute of laugh. They staged a parody battle between two famous singers Rinat Rakhmatullin and Ferdus Tyamaev, dancing just like the performers do on the stage. 'The audience loves when an artist sings and dances, so we call ourselves 'coffee three in one".
'We shouldn't live only in our own pocket'
Perhaps, a Moscow band Shurale can be called a discovery of the Awards. This band mostly plays Tatar music in folk-rock style. According to a drummer Vitaly Savelyev, not only Tatars but also Russians and even foreigners listen to their music. At last concert, among the audience were French and Americans. The band went abroad with concerts, including Italy. This year, they are planning to go to Germany and Great Britain during Tatar summer festival Sabantuy.
The song 'Tala-tala' the performed together with an actor Kamil Larin. Larin is a member of a famous 'Quartet I'. The Russian audience knows him for his roles in the films 'What men talk about', 'Day of radio', 'Election Day', 'Election Day-2', the opening night of which took place not long ago in the Russian cinemas.
The joint performance was very lively and fun: Kamil Larin not only sang 'Tala-tala', but also played the tambourine. No wonder they say that a talented person is talented in everything. After his performance, the actor greeted the audience in Tatar language. But his mission was not over – Larin handed a statuette Bolgar Radiosy to a young but cheerful and ambitious singer Elvin Grey. In the world he is famous as Radik Yulyakshin. He won the award thanks to the video for the song 'Elama', which had over a million views on the web.
The veterans of the Tatar stage were greeted especially warmly — national artist of RT Zaynap Farhetdinova, national artist of Tatarstan Zufar Bilalov, honoured artists of the Republic of Tatarstan Dzavid and Zulfiya Shakirovs, a duet of Farida and Alsu.
'A concert in the Moscow Kremlin – is a great step forward, as it stimulates artists. If people hadn't listen to Tatar music, the concert hall wouldn't have been full. Tatars, as well as Bashkirs, live here. Besides, there are those who just love Tatar pentatonic music. Of course, something disappears, something is forgotten. Nevertheless, it is necessary to unite, we shouldn't live only in our own pocket,' told Zainap Farkhetdinova to Realnoe Vremya.
The concert finished with a joint performance of the song 'I tugan tel' ('Oh My Mother Tongue!'), which has long become an informal anthem of the Tatar people.
