A mixture of Soviet prison-ballads to Parisian love-songs, Russian chanson music does it all - and, with the launch of Kyiv's own Radio Chanson station, it's bigger than ever.
sian,” to “It represents the height of passion and romance,” to “It’s a nasty bit of kitsch that lurks in the underworld.” The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in the middle.
But a natural place to start the search for the meaning of chanson is at Kyiv radio station FM 106 Radio Chanson. On the air since last August, it’s quickly becoming one of the capital’s most popular stations – attracting a wealth of advertisers and a virtual army of followers. Police officers and ex‑cons appear to be particularly fond of the Radio Chanson sound. Step into a casino or lounge or corner tavern – or hop into nearly any taxi – and there’s a good chance you’ll be treated (or mistreated, depending on your point of view) to a dose of chanson.
One cabbie, 46‑year‑old Oleksandr, explained why he’s a member of the chanson faithful.
“I’m bored with the foreign music on all the radio stations and on TV. I don’t understand what they’re singing about – and Russian pop is simply stupid,” he said. “But Russian chanson is something else – I love certain songs by Mikhail Shufutinsky and, most of all, I love Vladimir Vysotsky – they’re close to my soul.”
Ah, the Slavic soul – now that’s a complex subject for study. But Oleksandr also raised several points that add to the mystery and lure of chanson. Since the Russian version of the French ballad style of singing emerged during Soviet times with blatnye songs (named for the highest‑ranking or “kingpin” inmates), it is most closely associated with the biggest inheritor of the Soviet legacy: Russia. And while Ukraine certainly contributes to chanson culture, Ukrainian chanson singers, such as Garik Krichevsky, tend to sing in Russian and – like many of their fellow artists – are based in the musical Mecca of the former Soviet Union: Moscow.
But like many fans of Radio Chanson, Oleksandr said he is turned off not only by Western imports but also by Russian bands that emulate Western style – boy bands like Na Na, girl bands like Strelky, and their ilk. And while chanson, by its very name is also an import, it is not viewed as some Johnny‑come‑lately post‑Soviet invader.
“Chanson is a French word and simply means ‘song’ – nothing more and nothing less,” explained Radio Chanson program director and DJ Olha Larina. “But people who listen to our station are hearing songs that are romantic, but the songs are also about problems that everyone has and that make sense to them.”
That sounds a little bit like Country & Western music, but Chanson has also added credibility in borrowing from the glory of the past with legendary bards like Vysotsky and Bulat Okudzhava. Vysotsky and Okudzhava penned their own compositions and usually sang them accompanied by only their own guitars, but many modern chanson singers take a page from the pop industry by hiring writers to come up with hits and rounding out the sound with a backing band and back‑up singers.
Larina argues that only adds to the diversity of chanson and its widening appeal. Some of those taxi drivers are young, too.
“We’re trying to focus on an adult audience, but our ratings also indicate that younger people are tuning in, too,” she said. “I think that’s because we play a mix of both Russian and foreign chanson – and not only songs about life in prison.”
By jailhouse themes, Larina was referring to such numbers as “Crime’s Destiny” by Ivan Kuchin.
“What can I say now, but that the doors will open and I’ll come to you – just call to me,” the song goes. “He who’s never been to prison cannot love – he doesn’t know the price of true love.”
So, listeners are presented with a darker version of the kind of tragic love theme Frenchwoman Edith Piaf made famous through songs like “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.” She may not have regretted anything about love while Kuchin’s protagonist evidently didn’t regret going to the slammer.
But as Larina pointed out, there has been a growing diversity in the chanson sound. Singers Mikhail Krug, Mikhail Shufutinsky and Gennady Zharov are among the most popular artists not only at Radio Chanson but at other stations, too. And while they also sing classic Russian prison songs, the hits they produce have a more modern feel. Also produced on the cheap, Mikhail Krug’s “Vladimirsky Tsentral” is both catchy and popular.
A recent concert by Lyubov Uspenskaya at chanson‑friendly Red & Black nightclub also proved that, as with pop so, too, in chanson do cars and girls go together. The latest hit and concert tour by the Kyiv‑born, Moscow‑based singer – who occasionally dons Liza Minelli’s “Cabaret”‑style tights and top hat – is called “I’ll Sit in My Cabriolet.” Uspenskaya delivered her program dressed in a casual black outfit and in an almost pop‑style way supported by guitar, keyboards, percussion and singers. And while the audience drove up in some pricey‑looking chariots, they also opted for casually elegant in the clothing department and received Uspenskaya with sincere but restrained enthusiasm – and not much hint of the underworld roots of chanson were detected.
Looking to conduct your own search for chanson? There are plenty of opportunities in Kyiv these days, with an increasing number of live performances – including the April 18 “Songs of Our Century” chanson‑style festival. But, of course, the good thing about chanson is that even if you’re not looking to discover it, it’s bound to find you.
