Zulya Kamalova: "The term" World Music "is outdated

Singer Zul Kamalova came to Russia with concerts. Born in Sarapul, having learned at the University of Perm, in 1991 she left for Australia, where in 1997 she released the first album, a collection of songs of the peoples of the world. And then she began to compose songs in his native Tatar - the disc " Aloukie " (1999) was called the album of the year in Australia. Then she began to sing both in Russian and in English, and the next year she would present a monoscope on her own play. Zulu by habit is attributed to World Music , but despite the fact that in its compositions there are plenty of exotic percussion, there are enough jazz winds and bard interruptions in them and lullaby chime.

“You didn’t immediately get to Australia, but first went on student exchange in California?”

- Yes, I was there for a month. This was not related to music, more about tourism and ecology.

- Have you been interested in ecology?

- I was interested in the camping life and studied English. In general, I do not really like to advertise the details of emigration. I understand that this is interesting - how I met the Australian, how I left ... I have never been an economic emigrant. I was just a lover of adventure.

- And your musical taste was based on bard traditions?

- Not only. I loved rock and roll. I listened to the “Time Machine”, “Cinema”, “Aquarium”, “Nautilus”. And musical films, and the stage, and Soviet popes at first influenced me.

- Australia in terms of music struck you?

- Before that, I lived in Perm, we had a minimum musical life. And I arrived in the small city of Hobart. This is the capital of Tasmania. I already knew how to sing, but I did not know what to do with this. I tried to get a job as a singer, I did not succeed. Then I met the musicians who work in the direction of World Music , and decided to do it, opened a lot for myself. It seemed to me that this is my niche. After all, I was a foreigner. I didn’t have Tatar music in the first place, I did not know how important it was for me.

- You played on the street?

- Well, I arrived poorly, without money. And they told me - there is such a market, there you can try to sing, I went there several times. It was difficult. To sing for several hours ... And I didn’t really like it. As a result, I met a Russian girl with whom I am still friends, she helped me find a job.

- How did you get the first album of Journey of Voice ?

- I released the first two albums myself. They began to recognize me in the alternative environment of Hobart, they began to invite me to charitable concerts. And I decided to record a repertoire consisting of songs of different nations. I already had some money. Then I began to look for the opportunity to speak at festivals, began to leave Tasmania, I had more contacts. The first album noticed a radio producer with ABC radio, he made a program about unusual music, wrote a benevolent review. And then I began to look for my Tatar roots, on the basis of this, the album “Aloukie” appeared, which was even more noted.

Zul Kamalova - "I Don 'Love You Anymore"

- Not very well acquainted with the Australian scene, but it seems - you can go around all cities there in a couple of weeks. How does this affect the status of a musician?

- It depends on music. You can’t extinguish much with our music. The niche is not wide. Rock and Roots Music find a large audience, such groups can act even in small cities and ride a lot. In Russia, the problem with the tyranny of distances. True, there is more population, but the infrastructure is not favorable.

- Then you got a contract with the German label Wespark Music .

- I went to one of the first Womex fairs. I was then energetic and ambitious, I met everyone, met, and so found the label that reprinted “Aloukie” , “Elusive ” and now issues all my records. Then I met Sasha Cheparukhin, he was engaged in Inna desired, Huun-Khuur-Tu, and now I made a Womad festival in Pyatigorsk.

- Many say that Womad is a big party, this is a business. For all the authenticity of music. And you yourself still do not like the term World Music ?

- Of course not. Many no longer want to use this term. He is outdated. I myself somehow lost a connection with this party. There is no longer the strength to engage in promotion and Networking .

I could make a phonogram for myself - and I would have more opportunities to perform.

- At the beginning of the zero in Tatarstan, a few probably knew about you. And last year you were given the title of Honored Artist of Tatarstan.

- It all started by chance. There was such a writer Tufan Minnullin, he heard me somewhere. And his efforts arranged a concert by Congress Tatars. And since then I have been coming there sporadically. She performed, for example, at the festival "Creation of the world." The Finnish Tatar Denise Badretdin once arranged a festival of live Tatar music - my concert is still shown on the local channel. I myself am surprised at how well they know me there. I never really made efforts for this. Everything went spontaneously. President of the Republic Rustam Minnikhanov, to local Tatars, came to Australia. I sang at the meeting, he noticed me. And then he gave me this title.

- Have you ever tried to become a significant artist at the local level? Still, the Tatar estrite is a small but serious business

- Well, what could I do? I could make a phonogram for myself - and I would have more opportunities to perform. I could ride more often, to be imposed on everyone. At the very beginning of this story, I wanted to release an album on a local label, but something did not grow together, it seems that I was not arranged by the conditions. The Tatar stage has its own specifics. I once performed in Kazan on the Tatar "song of the year." One single sang with a living ensemble. I still do not know who I am for the singers there. I cannot compete with them. Maybe I seem to be some strange external unsafe influence on their cozy worlds. But I did not have to deal with the negative.

- Do you give concerts in three languages?

- Yes. But in Tatarstan we are focusing on Tatar.

- How do you write texts in different languages?

- I work with the concept. Let's say I'm going to make an album in Russian. And then I don’t bother with English texts. If the idea came in English, then I already develop it in English. However, for example, on the last album “Tales of Subliming” I have a song “A Tale of Love and Death” , it is in English, although there is a Russian option, and it seems to me that it sounds better in this option.

- Once I talked with Anchevskaya Rada. And she said that in your Russian songs all the magic is lost. From the singer, who you do not understand, you turn into a Russian singer. Have you met such resistance from the audience? After all, you had Tatar songs at first, and then suddenly the Russians went, the whole album “ The Waltz of Emptiness (and Other Songs on Russian Themes)” and English.

- In Russia, I felt that. It was strange for many to hear me in another language. I had the same with my beloved singer Lhasa de Sely . At first she sang in French and Spanish, and then she began in English. And I did not accept her new one right away. In Australia, I have recently had a Russian audience. They want songs only in Russian. Maximum-one or two in other languages. Because they want to understand texts. And Rada, as a musician, apparently, the magic of music is more interesting.

- Tell me about your current projects.

- My guys and I began to make new songs. But when it comes to the album ... Then I started a project with a guy Ildar Shaimardanov, who plays at the Hanges, is a light acoustic one with a Tatar slope. With Herman Popov, known as Omfo , we make tracks under the Sample Starship Z. Seven things are already ready. I am his big fan, once I just wrote a letter, offered to work. And Herman is very interested in Asian music, he even learned to play the Kurai in Bashkortostan. Although his albums are more and more Balkan. On the Web you can find our dabacted experiments. New things will be experimental. Herman believes that this is Dark-Were. I am not very, however, I agree with this. Pretty calm music. So far, I can’t imagine how it will sound alive. But I just decided to make such a project so that it could be a minimum composition. Once I came with these songs to the World Congress of Tatars in Kazan. But it was practically singing under the phonogram. Soon we will release the album, Herman even wants it to be published in Tatarstan.

Starship Z

“Why don't you move to Germany?”

- I really want. I even lived there for three months. But then the situation in Europe worsened. And it’s scary to go with the child. So it would be without question. We decided to wait for better times. The label complains that everything is bad, that he barely survives. And I have not seen money from him lately ...

- You did not talk about the play.

- Yes, for sure, it is based on a cycle of new songs. I myself did not do arrangements for them, the arranger was engaged in this. The sound will be chamber - cello, violin, pipe, piano. The play is about a violation of the balance of female essence on the example of three heroines. One is Inessa Armand. The other is the bride on the Internet. The third is a shaman. I play all three. For a long time the play was written, I had to study historical material, be distracted by other matters. I received a grant for production. The premiere will take place in February, for two weeks we will play. Before that, I had experience in participating in the play "4 Accordonist of the Apocalypse . "

- As I understand it, you didn’t just come from Australia for the next tour, but you want to live a little in Kazan.

- Yes. First, we will rest with additional musicians for concerts. After a tour, there will be six free time for weeks. I was invited to conduct a program on the Tatar channel "Musical Ring". Zifa will go to third school, in the center, they have a class with extracurricular activities there, I want it to talk with her peers. Already met the class teacher. And I want to play with local musicians. I usually come for a couple of days, I do not have time. And I want to communicate and walk around the theaters.

Zulya Kamalova performs on September 28 at the Erarta Museum (St. Petersburg), on September 29-in the Gogol club (Moscow).