White Day - 1996 - Balalaika In Rock

Белый День - 1996 - Балалайка In Rock

"White day" on Russian means day time from dawn till dusk. That title was taken by folk-musicians for their band, playing traditional folk-music with tradirtional instruments which are globally associated with Russian folklore - balalaikas, domra, russian accordion, rattles.
And what about this record? A bit of joke, a bit of fun :) I will not say anything about this album, titles of it and of compositions can say for itself. Download and have fun. Of course if you have a bit of sence of humour ;)

Hvarna – 2009 - Koła Viartańniaŭ

Meet the next world-project that combine folk songs and tunes to modern sound. Don't expect another "deep forest-like" sound here but feel ancient magic of ancient land...
"Hvarna" is a project of Belarusian musician Andrey Palaўchenі (leader of bands "Osimira", "Pragnavit") and musicians of St. Petersburg group "Obereg". The basis of the project - songs and tunes of Kryvia (Belarus), Finno-Ugric folks and the Russian North, fused with the improvisational style of playing and vocal techniques. Style of playing can be defined as the space between the ethno ambient and dark wave. But that wave is not as dark as storm clouds in the hour of the wolf, but quiet and thoughtful evening beforte bright silence night full of soft starlight and moon shining.

Singularity and uniqueness of the group is in connection the two sacred priestly instruments and traditions: Kryvian duda (pipe, flute) and Russian gusli (slavonic harp). Musicians try carefully and skillfully to combine these two "opposites" that gives a special force and solemnity to the music. Lyrics and ancient hexes musicians left untouched, allowing only to give them new musical interpretation, leaving the magical atmosphere of feeling of creation of their ancestors.

Seventh Water - Two first albums 1990-1992

Седьмая Вода - 1990 - Красота
Седьмая Вода - 1992 - Глиняная родина

Here're two first albums of post-folk-group "Seventh Water" - "Beauty" 1990 and "Clay Motherland" 1992. Theese records have never been released on CDs, only on cassettes. And the most interesting, that were released in USA but not in Russia. Some songs repeat, most of them are included into compilation "Selected". Song were re-recorded in 1995 for copmilation, but here they are in the first performance.

In'va - 2008 - White fibril

Иньва - 2008 - Бела ниточка

Etno-project "In'va" appeared in 2005. Name of the project comes from the name of the river flowing through the Perm Region. From the Komi-Perm to Russian this word has several translations: women's water, the female river, women's tears, or the divine river. In early June group released their first album. This CD, titled "White fibril" (or "White thread"), contains 15 songs from Regions of Perm, Petersburg, Bryansk, Novgorod, Smolensk, Pskov and Karelia, in the style of traditional Russian polyphony. Leader of group Irina Pyzh'yanova says: "We have identified a concept album and the whole project as an attempt to unite what has come from the depths of time and feelings and condition that speak in us. Living life here and now - in a modern space - we get experience of the past through the songs. You can call the album an attempt to connect the outlook of urban people and the traditional perception of the world. Hence the name "White fibril". This is a simple image, but it is very capacious. It is part of the traditional female world, because it is associated with needlework. However, for us the image of the thread is filled with deep symbolic meaning: it is a continuous relationship between time, past and present. Living link. On this thread a lot of memory nodes. We found only some of them..."

Svetlitsa - 2006 - About life-being of foreign

Светлица - 2006 - ...Про житьё-бытьё, про нездешнее

"Svetlitsa" in the days of old is a bright front room in the house. Now it's a very interesting project by Inna and Alexander Kostroff involving children, telling proverb sayings. Their music is based on the age-old traditions of Russian life, full of poetic charm and convinces us of the importance of folklore as a primary source of beauty. Now you can hear authentic singin to the accompaniment of ancient slavonic harp named "gusli", one of basis of Russian folklore.

Seventh Water - 1995 - Selected

Седмая Вода - 1995 - Избранное

Compilation of the best tracks from the band from Rybinsk whose last album i layed out before. That's the 1st band's album that was released on CD. Very pure songs, wonderful feeling of light sadness that doesn't push and overshadow the soul but gives hope and creates bright pictures of simple life.
Information about band look for here.

7th Water - 2000 - Oh, people live

Седьмая Вода - 2000 - Люди-ти живут 

This is the last album of the band from Rybinsk, little town in Moscow Region. "Seventh water on the kissel" in Russian means "very distant reliatives". Group "Seventh water"  was formed by Marina and Dmitry Sokolov in 1987. As the musical direction they selected alloy of traditional Russian folk and so called "urban romance" - another kind of folk songs were born on streets of cities in XVII-XX centuries. Musicians started to play that music of their own interpretation and called themselves their style "acoustic post-folk".

Since the birthment of band musicians have intentionally attempted to rehabilitate the Russian national culture becouse of situation in the late eighties of XX century: academic pseudo-folk choirs and orchestras, artificial suits, instruments and repertoire, all that was unnatural. That was "USSR folk" but not Russian traditional folk. Very often it was not so bad, but people all over the world hear only that music and think that here's Russian folk. But it's not.

Istoki - 2007 - Istoki-folk (compilation)

Истоки - 2007 - Istoki-folk

So happened that there's almost no authentic slavonic folklore in my blog, no raw singing of grannies from villages or traditional ethnic ensembles. For sure that will be in future. But now I add another record to collection of world and folk-rock albums. Here's folk-ensemble from Center of traditional culture of southern Moscow suburbs "Istoki" (The Sources). Usualy that ensemble sing folk songs in traditional way as ethnic choir. But sometimes they experiment with compilating authentic songs and modern arrangements. But it is not the same direction as "Ivan Kupala" does. "Istoki" sing themselves and akkomponement isn't electronic. It is not the album but compilation of that experiments known as "Istoki-Folk". Some of them are included into album "Katyusha was sitting. Lyric songs and romances".

Vily - 2006 - Daughter of steppes

Вилы - 2006 - Дочь степей

Another album of folk-rock band "Vily". Not better, not worse, on the same level as the first one. Look for information about band here

Vily - 2007 - Go, calamity

Вилы - 2007 - Иди, беда

Band "Vily" performs music in the style of folk-rock, inspired by history and mythology of the Great Steppe in all the richness of its images - the Sarmatian virgins Amazons and nomads of Genghis Khan, the Varangian expeditions to south and the Slavic temples. Musicians complement their vision of the ancient world and folk traditions with stylish arrangements, and in these compositions two worlds meet and merge together - the world of ancient paganism and modernity.

Begining of the Century - 2007 - Ethnogram

Начало Века - 2007 - Этнограмма

Second album of ethno-fusion band from Volgograd, Russia. First one was more rock, this one is more world, softer, more conceptual. Although general mood is closer to modern music like they play folk songs as rock songs, whole album keeps authentic roots that can be seen even through contemporary sound.

Begining Of The Century - 2004 - On the Edge of Folk

Начало Века - 2004 - На грани фолка

Folk-rock band from Volgograd performing Russian folk songs in modern rock treatments. Creativity of band could be characterized as synthesis of folk art from the root and contemporary musical thought. "Beginning of the Century" takes authentic folklore without prescription and recycle their actual musical means. Traditional text and tune arrange on the basis of taste and musical preferences of the musicians themselves. And as a result - very interesting mixation of modern sound and authentic singing traditions, nice soft sound. I think, it's one of the best young groups of slavonic folk-rock and world-music.

Korpi - 2005 - Inkerin Kaiku

National folk ensemble from Saint-Petersburg, Russia, was formed in 2002. "Korpi" performs old folk songs of the so-called Kalevala metrics and rustic songs of early XXth century in authentic performance and the dialects of those villages, where they were recorded by collectors.

There're representatives of indigenous Finno-Ugric nations living on territory of Russia sing in that group - Izhora, Vod, Veps, Karelian and Finnish-euryameyset. "Korpi" have performed more than 120 concerts in Russia and abroad and was awarded a lot of diplomas and certificates as a multiple winner of international and Russian folk festivals and competitions.

Santtu Karhu & Talvisovat - 2003 - Hyvästit Karjala

Another album of Santtu Karhu and Co, the only folk-rock band in the world singing in Karelian language. "Hyvästit Karjala" means "Farewell, Karelia". Great progressive rock with folk instruments from city of Petrozavodsk.

Santtu Karhu & Talvisovat - 2001 - Pahoin brihoin pajatukset

Folk-rock band from city of Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia. "Santtu Karhu & Talvisovat" (Saint Bear and Winter clothes) is the only group in the world singing in Karelian language. Excellent quality of folk-rock in traditions of progressive and art-rock.

Recorded at various times from 1990 to 2001 in the studios of Russia and Finland. The album came out only on CD-R.

Ivan Kupala - 2002 - Radio Nagra

Иван Купала - 2002 - Радио Награ

Second album of ethno-dance project "Ivan Kupala" is called "Radio Nagra". Great new-age sound, live ethnic instruments in perfect harmony with the electronics create very interesting feelings and mood.

"Nagra" is the tape-recorder, which recorded the songs that were used on the album. Grannies were recorded in Russian and Belorussian villages by members of band during folk-expeditions.

Ivan Kupala - 1999 - Kostroma

Иван Купала - 1999 - Кострома

First post of my blog is about one of the greatest band on modern folk scene in Russia - "Ivan Kupala".

That ethno-dance-project was formed in 1995 as russian copy of "Deep Forest" on basement of authentic slavic folklore. Three DJs of "Radio Chance", Saint-Petersburg, being impressed by the album "Boheme" of "Deep Forest" started to work in the same direction. In a few years they have prepared material for the 1st album. The folk songs from old vinil discs and recorded during folk-expeditions in the 2nd half of the XX century became a basis for the album.