One of the masters of Russian pop music — Valery Meladze — turns 55. He tries not to notice, full of strength, energy, new ideas and glad to see at their concerts young fans. Take this opportunity to “W.” I talked to the artist about what he learned in the quarantine that are doing the works of the modern technology and what lives of the musician with the worldview of the scientist.
— Valery, what thoughts you have come to the anniversary? What you mean date?
— you Know I care about them, I never learned to celebrate birthdays and I don’t see anything terrible. Summing up — it’s always a little sad story, age, and I don’t feel and don’t want to feel age-related changes. Besides, when a big company, many do not know each other, people are divided on small groups. To make everyone happy on holiday, need a good master of ceremonies — that is another matter. (Laughs.)
— In the intervening years can be viewed in different ways, to observe the movement of creativity. What events during this time took a different turn and what remained unchanged?
— Our Bones (Konstantin Meladze. — Approx. ed.) the music, to the business remained the same. If we talk about General trends, I’m sorry that the number in music now quality wins. Perhaps, of course, good music and not fewer, but online it’s so much that it’s difficult to see the gems among the sand. It is connected with the development of technology, and here I would draw a parallel with journalism. Anyone today can start their own channel to speak all that he pleases, and sometimes it has no relationship to truth, to objective reality, does not carry any meaning. Such people are often just getting a HYIP or fooling around, attract attention, sometimes at the expense of not the most decent methods. Similarly, in show business: there’s a lot of things, substituted by clowning, eccentric bearings, which are called works, although for music they are irrelevant. What happens on the music channels, too, less to do with reality. TV lives his life, and the concert industry — the. Many artists actively perform and tour, but they are not on TV and in radiolocation because they “do not format”.
How important is the role of television, when all information the activity has migrated online?
— Perhaps we have already crossed the line beyond which it loses its effect, but I can’t say that the Internet has replaced it. There is an insane amount of accounts, bloggers, content that this thread can easily drown. By the way, often music that does not fall on the music channels, can have very high-line silhouettes.yn-ratings. Therefore, the evaluation criteria have also become very conventional, and this is all no integrity.
do I understand your point that today the creative professions — artist, journalist worthless?
Exactly. It happens all over because of modern technology and its form changed the content, and we are slowly but surely entering an era of chaos. When sitting in quarantine, I watched a few music channels, I rummaged through the Internet and suddenly realized that no matter what I can not concentrate; and such thoughts arise not just me. Some time ago it was discussed that the thinking becomes danceable, and modern people need to picture before his eyes was constantly changing. Now we think even clips, and comics, and the picture changes more often. Maybe we don’t need to, but new technologies put us in such conditions when we receive information not in the form of videos and comic books — private, rapidly changing images. At some point we can come to the conclusion that just stop to take it all. Moreover, now that I’m looking for exactly the information I needed, get a number of conflicting reports that can’t collect in my head the whole picture. To take the same theme of coronavirus. As an engineer by education, a man who not just when I was doing science, and looking at the world as a scientist, I wanted to understand this situation, but couldn’t do it because of the huge number of articles and facts that just contradict each other. Similarly, I don’t know where to move modern journalism and show business. Form seems to be still the same, but the content, depth and sometimes just not. Having a certain technology, anyone can now gather the arrangements, but that it became the song, still need the talent, the taste.
— Comes to mind the analogy that the devil too can create the body, but not able to animate…
— of Course, do not want to believe that what is happening now in our life is the victory of the devil, but the idea is very accurate. I often see now, as what passes for a song, the piece actually lacks substance and soul. And living becomes less and less a huge number of publications that we used to hold in hands, to save on memory, completely moved to the online format. Even when we look today, the old printed photos, then try coasting to increase their fingers like we have in the hands of the smartphone. Trying to build a cause-and-effect relationships, to understand what’s next, I get into a dead end. Some things I was frankly upset and scare. Evolution is a wonderful thing, but some values I would like to keep intact.
— What should we do artists and people in GeneralYam thinking, who are accustomed to analyze what is happening and they want to create, to develop, based on these eternal values?
— do Not try urgently to develop new technologies and to run after trends and fashions. What would now happen, modern music is in some way similar to that which was before, just in a more simplified way, and what is called modern journalism, is a parody of fundamental journalism. Sooner or later the present will still break out, otherwise we’re all just degraded. Of course, technology allows faster to make scientific discoveries, and similarly, they can help people in the creative process, speed it up, but at the heart of scientific discovery still is a non-trivial opinion of the scientist, and at the heart of this music — talent.
does you worldview of the scientist on the stage, where, on the contrary, sometimes the desired lightness, airiness? How do you manage to keep balance?
— Maybe this dualism and helps me not to get tired of art, from music. When I’m on stage, I feel like an artist, immersed in the special psychological and sometimes even physical condition, but before and after I do, of course, a techie. My friends, children and loved ones perceive me not as a musician, and rarely talking to me about music.
Continuing the conversation about the scene. You have a long-established role as a ladies ‘ man. Remember how, even at a concert on March 8, in the holiday ladies bringing you huge bouquets of flowers… You are comfortable in this way?
— let me Tell you a secret — I’ve dreamed about this probably my whole first half of my life, when I was a boy, a teenager, a student, but then it was not much excitement. Now it attention me, of course, gives extraordinary pleasure, but I have nothing to do with him. In addition, it is always very delicately. Before I even envied colleagues, for whom the rush of the crowd of girls. In my case the fans go crazy, and if they Express their feelings, very intelligent and calm. To me it was never a burden and certainly not made me suffer and to hide, to fend off someone. Maybe I’m being quite calm in unusual situations, and it smoothes the sharp corners.
— I Wonder what life brought you and Albina Dzhanabaeva, and your brother — with Vera Brezhneva, and they both sang VIA GRE. It just has a draft of brides. What is it — coincidence or fate?
— of Course, something fatal in this. And Albina, and Faith was in a group of seemingly random, but in fact, and in another case it resulted in a rather serious sequel. I usually analyze things after the fact: of course, no one planned in advance. That’s so interesting happened withfate. Actually, I’m not inclined to dive into the pool with his head and think about his actions, but still doing what I want, what to ask a soul.
if you Managed to follow her calling during a quarantine? How did you spend this time?
— I already had a situation when on the verge of change I thought, if they occur, I will reconsider your life, try to change something, but then, after the fracture, this wouldn’t have happened. So when at the beginning of the quarantine, many said that life will never be the same, I realized that it was all nonsense. We will remain what we are, and everything will return to normal. Oddly enough, this whole situation has adjusted my plans for the better. The anniversary concert had to be postponed, but the audience is mostly not handed over the tickets, and concerts will take place later. And I, and Constantine — the people active, we cannot long sit still. When we have not had the opportunity to work together in the Studio, we just worked separately, recorded some excellent new songs. One of them — “See the sun” — is now gaining momentum, the fans are very warm to her. In addition, I’ve always wanted to stop. 25 years I raced at breakneck speed, and workaholism over time began to resemble pathology. I didn’t know how to relax, forgotten how to live in a measured rhythm, and even when I had free time, it is still somewhere fled. Now my schedule has become more calm, and I enjoy it, although previously impossible. Anyway, I still immersed in the creative process, but became more exercise, pay more attention to their children. I like it, I hope they do too.
You communicated with fans online?
— Yes, we held several presentations for physicians, have recorded several programs, live broadcasts. But all this should not turn into psychosis. There are people who during the quarantine just settled on the Internet, spent a huge amount of effort in this chaos, in the crazy amount of information, and this energy is just transformed into heat, dissolving in space. I am advocating that everything should be in moderation, do not overload the audience with its society and its music. It is also to talk about quality and quantity.
— in Addition to the General chaos we now see another nasty trend. If before show business was out of politics, now musicians are forced to make a certain political choice, and this creates tension even in the artistic coterie…
— Remember, as Voland in Bulgakov’s novel: “Never ask for anything! Never and anything, especially those who are stronger than you.” All attempts of the artists in some way to join in the political process, to be closer to the authorities and maybe get her some bonuses will never be us��ishani and appreciated. Moreover, in my opinion, it’s pathetic and undignified. I believe that a real musician should be above politics, Economics, business and to be engaged in a noble cause. Politicians can make mistakes, businessmen go bankrupt, and the artist is free from this, because at any moment he can do something good, to give other people positive emotions. If you have a little to do with their music someone’s life and the person will plunge into pleasant thoughts and memories, so you’re already doing good. And as soon as the actor begins to meddle in politics, to engage in propaganda, he is not a politician, but at the same time immediately cease to be a musician. People don’t realize that one misstep and you could lose your profession.
As then to estimate a wave of protest rock that rose in the 80-ies?
— Protest and flirting are two totally different things. But now all the borders are erased, and the difference between plus and minus. It would seem that it sounds horrible in nature this can not be. But look: no one cares about the likes and dislikes on the Internet, all concerned with only the number of views and comments. If the comment is nasty — still good, nothing terrible, the main thing that you noticed. Probably, this is the first time in the history of mankind, when people didn’t care how they are treated, and every attention seems important. Unfortunately, a great number of musicians began to make it so cynically. The artist may lose because of some post or comments a good reputation and will be happy because it would be to write and speak. These people do not realize that it takes a few days or weeks — and they simply forget. Better to at least occasionally do something good. It will stay longer in memory.
We are not in a bubble, living in this country, in this world, we fall under the influence of processes that happen here. How serious do you feel it?
I’m partial, so of course feel. And I can’t just live happily day to day, I’m worried about the future. All I was talking about show business, journalism, and can repeat about politics. Everything that happens today, certainly will be continued tomorrow. If we draw a line between the past, present and future, again I don’t quite understand what awaits the whole world, our country and each of us in this tomorrow. Sometimes, supposedly solving some global issues, politicians stop to think about the personal issues, about the lives of ordinary people. And in the social structure, in this country, I, like every member of my family — an ordinary, simple man. No matter how we tried to work, to move forward, whatever plans we may have built our lives on�� not only from ourselves but also from economic-political system. We periodically get stuck in economic, in political crises, and on the life of each of us is affected in a certain way. It is impossible to remain indifferent to it.
Evil tongues gossiped that the reason you got Georgian citizenship, when Georgia abolished the visa regime with EU countries. Seriously, have you ever considered the possibility to move to another country?
— I want to be able to move around the world, but do not intend and do not want to relocate. We worry about the country in which you live, and it is important for us to here it was good. Although know now, maybe we take on too much: all have become a little bit political, a little economists, and lately more and virologists. Everyone still needs to do their job is the most important thing.
— Back to the creative theme of how the years change your audience? It is mostly loyal fans from the 90s that go for you? Or the audience is constantly being updated?
— a few years ago I noticed that, fortunately, the age of my audience does not change. Among them are not only my peers who are a minority, but younger listeners. The average age is 30+. I see that on the Internet I have a lot of young people among the subscribers, they’re always doing some funny memes. I am often invited to universities with motivational lectures: I talk with students, tell them stories, they ask questions. Now invited to be online for graduates of the Higher school of Economics. All this makes me very happy.
