Zemfira: Russia rocknroller

[the_future_modernes]

Oh marina? Finally got around to Zemfira:D Got more to add?

земфира параноя zemfira Paranoia

Wikipedia

Zemfira, officially Zemfira Talgatovna Ramazanova (Russian: Земфира Талгатовна Рамазанова, Bashkir: Земфира Тәлгат кыҙы Рамазанова); born 26 August 1976 in Ufa, Bashkortostan) is a Russian rock artist of Bashkir descent. She has been performing since 1998 and has been immensely popular in Russia and other former Soviet republics.MORE

Zemfira-Blues

Zemfira, the hurricane of Russian rock

Zemfira is emmensely popular in Russia. The hype around her is enormous. The media now follows her every move. She is the first female rock songwriter in Russia and which is more important she self-designed her musical career. Her popurarity is explained by the fact that Zemfira's music and texts appeal to folk and so-called 'intelligence' at the same time; melodies are catchy and not too-pop at the same time. She has a scandalous image and charisma as well as some real talent: girl writes music, lyrics, sings and plays guitar and piano.

Zemfira's lyrics engage deeply with tabooed but ubiquitous social issues such as alienation, depression, (homo)sexuality and AIDS The popular magazine Ogonek calls hers "the breaking voice of a generation, and the Russian press likes to call her "Kurt Cobain in a dress.

Zemfira is notable for her departure from the traditional role of women in Russian music. She challenges aesthetically-obsessed studio rock of the 1990's with low-fi guitar melodies and a cracking voice. Zemfira's music marks a not only a return to the early history of Russia rock when music was based in dissent, but a new trajectory all her own. MORE

Zemfira - Pochemu

Zemfira - Skandal

Website

2002 Interview Part 1(In Russian)

Part 2 (In Russian)

Comments

[marina]

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OMFG GURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRL I AM DYING OVER HERE

it's like, seeing someone else fangirl Zemfira, all my squee is intensified by a billion

OK SO THINGS TO ADD:

1. She's been with Renata Letvinova for AGES and they live together in a swanky apartment in Moscow.

2. Zemfira's music marks a not only a return to the early history of Russia rock when music was based in dissent LOLOL ER, NO. On the contrary, Zemfira is part of a LONG, LONG tradition of indie rock music based in dissent but she AMAZING thing about her was that she was able to be taken seriously on that scene by writing her own songs and music and performing indie instead of trying to be mainstream and EVEN THEN she faced a lot of "yeah she's nice but whatever" from guys for "not being rock enough" or not being political enough or being too concerned with her looks or HOWEVER ELSE THEY WANTED TO CALL "BEING A GIRL" THAT DAY. And in fact while she IS the voice of a generation she was also adopted into the mainstream in a way that many other acts were not - probably one the VERY VERY FEW indie rock acts that got the "estrada" (Russian mainstream music industry, a closed arena with its own rules) attention that she did.

3. you managed to pick ALL THE SONGS OF HERS that were not particularly popular/not my favorites (except Pochemu which is ICONIC) ahahaha so I shall indulge in some linking (DW doesn't have video embedding in comments, right?)

* "AIDS" (Russian: "Spid") - from her first album, the song is basically well, about being with a partner who has AIDS and living with the disease/having fun/facing the possibility of them dying and/or you getting infected. The chorus is her yelling "BUT YOU'VE GOT AIDS, WHICH MEANS WE'RE GONNA DIE" in this sort of cheerful, resigned, subversive way over and over and we used to blast that shit SO HARD whenever it came on the radio in junior high. ICONIC, ICONIC SONG. Our parents always used to switch stations when it came on the radio.

* "London" - this is a song that's only been recorded live and that's the recording that went on the album, the lyrics are PAINFULLY BEAUTIFUL but since 90% of her stuff isn't translated (and would be hard to translate because she writes associative poetry basically) I think this song is still awesome for actually hearing what her voice sounds like live. IT IS AMAZING. (One of the main differences between indie and mainstream music in Russia is that the mainstream is a place where people rarely if ever sing live, whereas rockers refuse to do anything but. Actually being able to sing your songs is not a given and is definitely something that establishes your "cred" and sets you apart on the music scene.)

* "Ariveredci" - possibly her MOST FAMOUS AND ICONIC SONG EVER, her first hit that starts with the words "Woken up by Moscow crows/ wet matches killed my hopes" I think I still know all of it by heart. INCREDIBLY FUN TO SING ALONG TO.

* "Forgive Me My Love" - commonly abbreviated to FMML, the name of her second album. Also gorgeous, gorgeous song that was a huge hit (I'm so sad I can't share her lyrics with people, the beauty of her songs is often in the juxtaposition of the music and lyrics).

* More modern stuff, "A Walk" (Russian: "Progulka") - LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH *_*

* "Boy" (Russian: "Malchik") - song I once linked you to. This is a GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS love performance that even if you don't speak Russian and know nothing about her I think people will love. The music is just so intense and awesome. The lyrics are basically "that's right boy, go ahead, make your music, sell out, feel like a man, we'll see what's left of you" and in my head it's a kind of fuck you to all the assholes who ragged on her for not being indie enough while dying to have her kind of success (not that she, in popular perception at least, ever "sold out").

* Her singing a live cover version of "Creep" :) It's not really amazing but it's in English so IDK I figured I'd link.

ANYWAY, THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE SONGS SHE'S RECORDED/HAVE BEEN HUGE, GIANT HITS OVER THE YEARS.

[the_future_modernes]

Oh God! I spent at least 5 minutes LOLZing @ your first sentence! Yeah I tend to like the songs on the album that are out of the mainstream, so I'm glad you came along to add in the iconic stuff! And thanks for clarifying and shedding light on the Russian music scene! Are there any others like her out there?