I came to Canada 15 years ago. It has been a while and I feel that I am completely Canadian now. Don’t get me wrong, I still feel that I am Russian too. I mean that I am not 50/50 but rather 100/100. In this post I will try to explain how it feels by using examples of great music coming from Russia and Canada. Russian music will be from the period when I was still there and Canadian content will be more contemporary.
News:
The Night Rock Contest had no winner. The answer was not so difficult to find though. It was Smokestack Lightnin’ by Howlin’ Wolf. It is clearly not the artist’s name but the composition itself that was my main inspiration. If you listen to both songs you will see what I mean. https://open.spotify.com/track/2HUZVffVPXvqnrml0gXggp
Smokestack Lightnin’ is on both Eternal Blues and Singing of the Soul playlists. True classic!
Music Picks (Russian content):
I begin my music picks with 3 examples of Russian rock music from the period 1989 - 1998. This period was a period of big changes in the country. The changes affected every aspect of life including music. Two words that characterize best what was going on are “freedom” and “chaos”. Like the chicken and the egg, they naturally come together.
Nautilus Pompilius (Chained Together): https://open.spotify.com/track/7oNmc0UeW1k06uXdWKYJjz
Masha I Medvedi (Without You): https://open.spotify.com/track/1ynQTOkwVAzQaBO2M71O3I
I Am Free by Kipelov [Aria band]: https://open.spotify.com/track/2sitH4VxwEvk3jBqxV3mFr
These songs distinguish themselves with great well-thought lyrics, awesome performance and outstanding production. Although the songs are in Russian, you will still be able to sense the atmosphere of the 90s in Russia and feel the poetic depth of the Russian soul.
Music Picks (Canadian content):
I must say that the province of Quebec today reminds me of those last years of the Soviet Union and first years of the new Russian Federation. It is a feeling that is shared by many people I know who saw what it was like then on the other side of the globe. In this everchanging world I may be the lucky one to live my adult life in almost the same place where I spent my happy childhood. You can say that I time traveled. Or at least this is how it feels. This is maybe why my picks of Canadian music content may have some distant resemblance to the Russian music that you just listened to.
I now continue with sharing two folk songs that will impress you with their raw energy paired with an original sound and a great performance.
Stranger by Ben Caplan: https://open.spotify.com/track/1LXYTGWcCFXHCMVpCgdSvw
Back to the Boonies by Jaron Freeman-Fox: https://open.spotify.com/track/6wb7Swvc4Vk3XSJK3VGGuA
This is a hard act to follow. But I think that the next two songs of Canadian rising rock stars are just as impressive:
Cliffhanger by Avalon Stone: https://open.spotify.com/track/7EIQxU4uTXaPWvLRDlKb1E
Bottles and Cans by Steve Creep and the Wildcards: https://open.spotify.com/track/4TNzTCDlVFAxrbOsDoYvi3
I’d like to finish my music picks by sharing a great rap song performed by a talented French Mohawk artist.
Revolution Music by Kross LePage: https://open.spotify.com/track/2WS7Viu8FM0IO8PYzEjQs9
Gorky Park band - From American Rock to Russian Pop:
Now I want to tell the story of two lead singers of Gorky Park rock band from the late 80s.
You can read more about the band here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorky_Park_(band)
They went on their 1st tour in the United States in 1990 and the band fell apart. The two singers eventually returned to Russia and both had success in pop music. Here they are with their songs:
Bang by Gorky Park (Nikolai Noskov): https://open.spotify.com/track/6QXf0IikgV6GDScKHEfvZr
Snow by Nikolai Noskov: https://open.spotify.com/track/4HxrISH2tIHLhUaHLvdNY9
Moscow Calling by Gorky Park (Aleksandr Marshal): https://open.spotify.com/track/3ATCwz1JzAOGbOlS2MX7QS
Downpour by Aleksandr Marshal: https://open.spotify.com/track/2JfYz9VunQCFMt1ZQMKMer
Final Thoughts:
It has been a lot of fun making music, creating my playlists and now writing this blog. I will be making a new post every two weeks. If you have ideas that you would like to share with me, you are more than welcome to suggest a topic for my future publications.