Music For All (English) - Mulavin, Pesnyari

You are listening to Radio Belarus. Here is Slas M. Cash with the project “Music for all”. Our today’s issue is dedicated to outstanding Belarussian singer, composer, leader of the folk-rock band Pesnyari Vladimir Mulavin. V. Mulavin was born in January, 1941 in the Russian city of Sverdlovsk. He started to play the guitar at the age of 14, when he entered the Musical College. As early as at 16, he traveled with an orchestra throughout the whole Soviet Union. In 1962 V. Mulavin came to Belarus for the first time as he was to serve in a military ensemble of the Armed forces here. It was in Belarus, that V. Mulavin found his wife to come, a solo songstress of the Belarussian State Philharmonic Lidia Karmalskaja. After the military service, V. Mulavin together with his brother Valery founded a folk-music band “Lavony” (“The Jesters”), which outlined his future inimitable style. In 1969, the band was renamed into “Pesnary”, which means “The Singers” or “The Minstrels”. Now, let us listen to one of their songs. (music) In 1970, the band “Pesnyari” won the First Prize at the All-Soviet Union hit festival. The Pesnary’s popularity began soaring; offers from concert managers of many countries of the world came in one after another. In 1976, the Mulavin’s group went to their first tour to the USA. It was a great success – even the ever-popular Beatles, who visited the concerts, acknowledged the high level of the young Belarussian musicians. Another song of the ‘Pesnyari’ band is waiting its turn. (music) The Soviet state authorities permitted the “Pesnyari” to develop a stage appearance close to that of the Western pop-stars. The Pesnary played electric guitars and drums, wore Belarussian ethnical garments, long hair and moustaches. But the most peculiar was their music: V. Mulavin arranged the Belarussian folk songs in a rock’n’roll or jazz-rock way with energetic rhythms and a polyphonic melodies. Some of his masterpieces boasted up to seven vocal parts simultaneously. Now, we have one of such works of art in store for you. Listen and enjoy it! (music) The Pesnyari’s first albums were released with the number of copies exceeding 16 mln. Being Russian, V. Mulavin did a lot for breeding up the Belarussian ethnical awareness. As famous director of the Belarusian State Jazz Orchestra Michael Finberg pointed out, V. Mulavin had managed to do so much for the Belarussian and the whole Soviet pop music, as nobody else had. He created a completely new musical direction – an extraordinary mixture of the folklore and rock. These songs became a symbol of the 70-ies and 80-ies, and still go on influencing the new generations. Vladimir Mulavin and the band Pesnary have been and will be the visiting card of Belarus. (music) You are listening to Radio Belarus. Here was Slas M. Cash with the project “Music for all”. Later on in our programs, we will continue telling you about outstanding Belarussian singer, composer, leader of the folk-rock band Pesnyari Vladimir Mulavin. And our today’s issue is over. Stay tuned and good bye!

• Serie : Music for all
• Production :TVR Radio
• Version :English
• Script :
• Year : 2014
• Country : Belarus
• Running time :20'00"
• Subject :Reports, Music
• Showing of extracts allowed : Yes
• Limit Country : No