Alla Pugacheva / Алла Пугачева

The challenges of media distribution and physical geography can be enormous for young musicians. Not surprisingly, these problems lead to high levels of daydreaming and thoughts of what might have been...

Non Cadenza are a jazz-funk ensemble from St. Petersburg; Sevara Nazarkhan is an Uzbek chanteuse with success in the Russian crossover market. For all involved, though, the role of tradition remains vital.

Leningrad and Rockerjoker (Minsk) have both published new albums. Across these recordings we find a desire to celebrate various small-scale, familial values - at a time of civic failure. Some of those values come in traditional liquid form

In 1964, a young and handsome singer by the name of Iosif Kobzon released a composition with the title "A u nas vo dvore" ("And In Our Courtyard..."). It tells of his unexpected interest in a young girl who lives or plays in the courtyard of his urban apartment building. Although nothing special...

A new songstress has appeared amid the organizers of the delightful Progonim pesniu project.  This new endeavor is known simply by the last name of its performer, (Evgeniia) Lepokurova.  The handful of songs uploaded so far are listed, somewhat strangely, under the tags of "Dub/Healing and Eas...

Tina Karol' has just republished her very successful children's book, all about a caterpillar called Pauntinka who dreams of becoming a butterfly.  The story is clearly autobiographical and narrates, in the simplest manner possible, the gradual metamorphosis of a provincial singer into a major...

For the handful of people who don't know who Alla Pugacheva is, we should note quickly her prior status as the Soviet Union's most popular singer - and current ranking in the (somewhat vague) marketing category of "200-500 Million Albums Sold." By way of comparison and context, that places her a...