Artist description This ensemble is among the most remarkable singing groups has ever been registered by the ethnomusicologists studying. Uncommonly harmonious ensemble of Khmelevoe village is among the most remarkable singing groups whose singing of original Russian traditional songs has ever been registered by the ethnomusicologists studying. The village is situated to the south of Voronege city, about 100 kilometers far, between the Potudan' river and the Tikhaya Sosna (Qiet Pine) river (right-bank tributaries of Don). It is the land of very peculiar peasant singing and choreography, the country of skillful folk needlework and handicraft. Some of these centuries-old traditions are not lost up to now.In Khmelevoe village we found women singing in the old way only at the century's setting – and in their declining years. We didn't happen to find them before. Every time we came to Khmelevoe and asked them to gather they came gladly. Having started singing, they didn't remember of their illnesses any more, their spiritual force transfigured them.The songs selected for the disc will acquaint you with some facets of the song repertoire. A very important part of the vast repertoire of the ensemble consists of standard music forms with changeable verbal component. Of particular importance are several archaic songs. Im walking across the town (3) is a song emblem of a small group of villages that used to be outposts founded on the south border of Moscow reign in the XVII cent. to defend the farmers of Dikoe Pole (Wild Field) nomads' raids. This local hymn tells us about peasants' permanent readiness for military service. It used to be sung only at a certain time in spring during the original procession called tanok (women-singers walking very slowly along the street, there and back, in two ranks facing each other in order to intensify sound concentration). If you will compare I(m walking across the town song (3) and Oh, my green pine-tree song (8) you will find some music elements common for two different genres: that of the main calendar ceremonial and that of the central wedding episodes. In the song about the pine-tree (pine-tree is one of the most ancient wedding symbols of kin) the standard melody is performed in the music form of pseudo-canon: the solo part of the singer, orphan-bride's lamentation, follows the main choir part repeating it, dropping behind or catching up with the main melody (8).The actualization of the ancient Slavonic ballad telling about the foreign invaders capturing people into captivity is conditioned by the local historical context (9).As a whole the traditional genre system is dominated by the styazhnaya ("stretched") songs (such as 4, 10, 13, 16) and the karagod songs (see 1, 2, 11). These genres form the important opposition. They express local song culture's psyche and it's corporal motor activity correspondingly.

Music Style Russian Traditional Music

Musical Influences Traditional music

Similar Artists Ensamble of Novoukolovo,Veretennikovo, Urakovo, Bogoslovka villages

Group Members þ.ë. êÍÉÐÅÁÞ, ë.ë. þÌÄÏÕÚÌÍÁÞ, ê.ò. êÍÉÐÅÁÞ, ð.ä. êÍÉÐÅÁÞ, þ.þ. éÍÊÍßÍÁÞ, å.å. éÍÊÍßÍÁÞ, ê.å. îÅÏÍÁÞ, ë.ÿ. âÅÏÌØÓ. ãÞÎÅÁÞ×Ð: þ.þ. éÍÊÍßÍÁÞ (1,2,4-8,11,13,15), ë.ÿ. âÅÏÌØÓ (3,4,10,12,14), ë.ë. þÌÄÏÕÚÌÍÁÞ (16). A.M. Lokteva, M.M. Andriyanova, L. Ph. Lokteva, T.D. Lokteva, A.A. Kolosova, E.E. Kolosova, L.E. Perova, M.S. Chernich. Leading vocal: A.A. Kolosova (1,2,4-8,11,13,15), M.S. Chernich (3,4,10,12,14), M. M. Andriyanova (16)

Instruments women vocals

Albums Folk songs form south of Russia Disks 1,2,3,4

Additional Info Produced by Youl'&Zeb, Scientific Adviser A. Ivanov, recorded during ethnographisc expeditions year 2000-2001

Location Belgorod, Village Khmelevoe - Russia

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