Music
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The Basics world music
Richard O. Nidel
(Published in 2005 , New-York, NY www.routledge-ny.com )
This the directory recommends СD of Russian folk group "DrevA" (page 174)
- Richard O. Nidel
Russland ist ein weites Land. Wer diese Weite musikalisch erforschen will, hat mit der Promo-CD von Dreva gute Chancen, einen Höreindruck vermittelt zu bekommen. Im direkten Kontakt zu den "Eingeborenen" vor Ort wurden Songs und Tänze einstudiert und zumindest erstere sind auf vorliegender Platte versammelt. So unterschiedlich die regionalen Folkloreeinflüsse sind, so unterschiedlich sind auch die zu hörenden Tracks.
Oft einstimmig mit begleitender Perkussion oder sparsamen instrumentalen saiten-, flöten- oder zungeninstrumentalen Klangteppichen ausgestattet, bezaubern die Songs vor allem wegen ihrer Fremdheit und dem damit verbundenen Exoten-Bonus. Bei den auf der vorliegenden Scheibe versammelten Songs handelt es sich um Lieder aus und zu allen Lebenslagen: Trauergesänge sind hier ebenso zu finden wie Trinklieder. Und: es ist erstaunlich, wie nah beides musikalisch beieinander ist. Die Arbeit des Ensembles hat sich inzwischen auch international herumgesprochen und somit ist es nicht nur zulässig, sondern geradezu folgerichtig, diese Platte auch bei uns vorzustellen. Erfolgreiche Gastspiele führten Dreva bisher schon bis nach Spanien, Dänemark, Belgien und Schweden und auch in Deutschland waren sie schon zu erleben, so 2005 beim Folklorefest in Krefeld und 2006 auch im Programm des Tanz- und Folkfestivals in Rudolstadt - im Übrigen einer ersten Adresse, wenn es um authentischen Folk geht.
- Roland Ludwig (www.crossover-agm.de)
(Translation from the Finnish language on the English language)
... Moscow DrevA more amazing it is fresh and And on many voices sung withdrawing for a side of the ordinary. It sounding Russian top octave does not belong to this Earth, and whence that from other planet ...
... I have met musicians DrevA behind a cup of tea and our conversation has gone about essence submitted.. The Group was and earlier in Finland, but for them was unforgettable heard and seen in Kaustinen ...
... This was сlarification which withdrew ideas there where music could render any influence. If all played as here there would be no wars and other horrors - with enthusiasm spoke Elena Mushnikova ...
... Musicians DrevA go across Russia and tell about the got experience.
Besides concerts, they devote time to acquaintance people and musicians distinct from ordinary to performances of music. Despite of the limited money resources it is possible to restore primary music, and musicians DrevA consider, that the material collected by them is much better any chaotic sound processing’s. The group always proves the version of sounding, basing on the original, but for them also each timbre of a voice is special.
- Pelimanni kansanmusiikin aikakauslehti (Magazine), 3-2007, Pia Rask
" Group DrevA is rather an informal group working in the folk style. The perception that Finnish people have of them is likened to warm Russian bread, which has just come from the oven!"
www.kaustinen.net - Jyrki Heiskanen /program director
write:
"…having played some of the sound clips on their website (www.drevafolk.narod.ru), I am happy to acknowledge that "DrevA" is both authentic and stunning. Anyone who is into field recordings of Russian folk music will recognize them as the real deal, and high quality real deal at that…" - http://mustrad.org.uk/recent letters
write:
"… I absolutely know that you won't hear anything similar for the whole summer to that this group does…". - organizer of Bath Fringe Festival
The rain has broken plans for clowns and the poets but not and audience.
Songs of Don's Cossaks yesterday were though the wet streets of Bogovicena and Bajeva street. Rain was falling and the 3 day of the festival but it did not bother the spirit of Russian artists of the group DrevA.
With all heart they were singing tradition songs to all people gathered around the stage.
Because of the rain they were singing without the microphones and cables but they still able left a big mark of the performance at the "Charlie stage".
- Newspapere "Vecernhi list" Zagreb, 5.06.2008, Martin Puuc
Discography
The group brought out the first CD "Russian tradition music of Western
and Southern regions of Russia" in 1994 and the second CD "Jolly
talking" in 2001.
Now the group writes down new CD "Cossack songs and music".
Songs of group sound on various TV and radio stations:
A Ultima Fronteira, Radio Onda Nada (SPAIN);
Un Emision Radio (SPAIN);
BBC Shropshire, (ENGLAND);
Radio Gets Wild (ENGLAND);
Womr Radio (USA);
Radio WTJU-FM (USA);
WCVF-FM Radio (USA);
Yle Radio (Finland);
Jarvick Radio (Finland);
Kaustinen TV (Finland);
Zagreb TV (Croatia).
Highway61 (Italy);
Crossover-Network For Youth Culture (Germany);
The Fevered Brain Radio Network (RadioMike) (USA);
Blue Radio (France);
TV3 (France).
***
Photos
Bio
Folk group "DrevA" (www.myspace.com/drevafolkrus) was founded in 1989 as a branch of the theatre "Perekriostok" (art-director Victor Luferov) and specialised in Russian folk and urban songs and music up to this time. Repertoire of the group is built on the materials of the expeditions in the different regions of Russia: Belgorod, Voronezh, Briansk regions and also in the Cossak stanitsas of Don and Kuban.
The group members learn the songs using expedition records and also in the direct contact with country singers and musicians. The folk group doesn’t use the songs from the note editions, the performance of the group is based on improvisation as it is usual in traditional country singing. The members of the group aspire to authentic manner of singing without some kinds of arrangement. The important part of this manner is keeping the nature sound of each singer voice.
The actors themselves take part in the expeditions, master the instruments, design and make costumes.
The songs of above-mentioned regions of Russia are marked differ from each other. The group masters the manners of singing of the few regions therefor it has the opportunity to make bright and interesting performances. For example, Bryansk tradition of singing is mainly female. This region is the place where the most old pagan songs are still kept. Belgorod tradition is mainly female too, but there exists archaic male wind-instrument, in Russian "caluka". It is made from dry stalk and the sound of this pipe instrument remind of wind howl.
The Don and Kuban tradition of singing is the male as a rule. These songs are not so old as Southern and Western and singing is often accompanied by playing on Russian accordion, balalaika, guitar, drums, wheel-lyre, tambourine. The wonderful feature of Cossak songs is upper soaring treble voice. Repertoire of "DrevA" includes unique Cossak romances recorded in stanitsa Oust-Buzulook of Don region.
So far as the group includes both the women and the men, it can perform the songs of different traditions.
DrevA in Europe
Folk group "DrevA" participated in 2004-2009 in different European Festivals and music events in different countries: Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, England, Croatia, Macedonia, Finland, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, France, Serbia, Poland, The Netherlands, Austria:
- (in Switzerland)
Buskers Bern Festival (Bern), (5-7 August 2004);
Neuchatel buskers Festival (Neuchatel), (9-15 August 2004);
Murten Festrilax (Murten), (8 August 2004);
Cemmeriboden music festival (Schangnau), (22-23 August 2008);
Concert in Lignieres (Neuchatel), ( 24 August 2008);
Luzern streetmusic festival (Luzern), (26-31 August 2008);
Festival d'Art de Rue (Sion), (05-06 June 2009)
- (in Spain)
Viladecans Al Carrer (Barselona), (1-4 July 2004);
- (in England)
The New Inn (Pub) (Buckingham), (10 June 2005);
Bath Fringe Festival (Bath), (4-6 June 2005);
- (in Croatia)
Zagreb Folk Festival (Zagreb), (20-24 July 2005);
Zagreb Street music festival (Zagreb), (2-8 June 2008);
- (in Finland)
40 Kaustinen Folk Festival (Kaustinen),2007;
Concert in Bibliothek (Kerava), (14 March 2009);
Concert in Theater (Kerava), (15 March 2009);
MasterKlass (Kerava), (16 March 2009)
- (in Sweden)
"International music festival" (Kristianstadt), (15-18 June 2006);
Concert in Hjortnas (Leksand), (24 June 2006 );
"Krokstrand folk festival", (24-25 June 2008);
"Korro folk festival", (26 June 2008)
- (in The Netherlands)
Concert in church (Oosterleek), (3 August 2008);
Party (Enkhuizen), (12 June 2009);
Concert in church (Grootebroek), (14 June 2009);
International dance festival (Burgum), (16-22 June 2009)
- (in Belgium)
"Paulusfeesten" (Oostende), (10-11 August 2006);
- (in Austria)
Concert in folk club (Feddlersgreen) (8 August 2008)
- (in Germany)
"Folklorefest" (Krefeld), (19-21 August 2005);
"TFF Rudolstadt" (Rudolstadt), (7-8 July 2006);
- (in Macedonia)
Second International Street Festival (Skopje), 2007;
- (in Denmark)
Uldum Streetmusic Festival (Uldum), (2 July 2005);
"Nakkefestival" (Rorvik), (19-22 July 2006);
- (in France)
Festival International de Musique Universitaire (FIMU), (BELFORT), 2007;
Festival International de Musique Universitaire (FIMU), (Belfort), (30-31 May - 01 June 2009);
Summer festival (Longny), (5 July 2009);
Festival des Folklores du Monde (Alencon), (09-14 July 2009);
Folk Festival (Saint-Malo), (12 Jule 2009)
- (in Serbia)
International Street Festival (Novi Sad), 2007;
- (in Poland)
Concerts on celebration in Gniezno (10-11 May, 2008);
Festival "The Podlasie Octave of Cultures" (22-28 July 2009)
- (in Italy)
"Ferrara buskers Festival" (Ferrara), (21-30 August 2004);
"Teramo Street Animation Festival" (Teramo), (4-9 July 2005);
Ischia Cinema Festival (Napoly), (10 July 2005);
"Santa Sofia buskers Festival" (Santa Sofia), (13-15 August 2005);
"Martisana i
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