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Moscow's needy receive a gift of kindness



Broadcast on Prime Time Russia (RT), 24/12/09 – click here for archive.

December 24, 2009 | 12:12 PM Comments  0 comments

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Olympic challenge for Sochi games

guardian.co.ukOfficially the Winter Olympics are non-politicised – but the reality is that wherever Russia goes, politics will follow.

Russia will be holding a national referendum to select its mascot for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Contenders include a dolphin on skis, a potential revival of the 1980 games’ popular beaming bear, and a giant-eared children’s character known as Cheburashka. With a cast like that, cynics might be reminded of the recent parliamentary elections.

No irony is lost in this faux-democratic gesture from Russia’s PR-obsessed political regime. State-controlled TV and close monitoring of the press give the government an effective monopoly on public opinion. The Sochi Games, a pet project of the prime minister, Vladimir Putin, will become an increasingly prominent weapon in the country's constant image battle with the west.

But the 2014 grand plan is not only fighting a war of words and perceptions.

Sochi is located on the scenic Black Sea coast, just 12 miles from the border with Abkhazia – a rebellious Georgian province Moscow recognises as an independent state. In August last year, Russian forces won a five-day war against Georgia over this disputed enclave and its fellow breakaway, South Ossetia. Nicaragua and Venezuela are so far the only countries to follow the Kremlin's recognition.

Abkhazia looks set to benefit from its proximity to the Olympic development. President Sergei Bagapsh expects at least $300m of investment in construction materials, while the Russian government says it will station 100,000 workers there due to cheaper living costs. As a fragile, war-torn semi-state, Abkhazia is working against the odds. Russia clearly believes it is the overlord, but increasing confidence and funds could see the Abkhaz elite try to take de facto independence one step further, effectively biting the hand that feeds it. Earlier this year, officials met with the Turkish prime minister and received a delegation from Tehran.

The Georgian government, which still regards both Abkhazia and South Ossetia as its sovereign territory, is working against Russian endeavours to foster autonomy. In September, news agencies reported the Georgian navy had intercepted more than 20 supply ships as it tried to assert authority over the renegade province. Meanwhile, American support for Georgia’s controversial president, Mikheil Saakashvili, has remained a sticking point amid the proffered "reset" in US-Russia relations.

Russia’s northern Caucasus is also rumbling uneasily. The conflict-ridden republics of Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan lie due east of Sochi. On Wednesday, Chechen rebels claimed responsibility for last week's bombing that took 26 lives on the busy train route between St Petersburg and Moscow. Security has become a major concern for the Olympic organisers. Despite Russian claims that the region is under control – Chechnya’s anti-terrorism operation was lifted in April – the current situation remains volatile.

And the worst-case scenario could yet materialise. In August 2008, White House foreign policy heavyweight Zbigniew Brzezinski used an article in TIME magazine to tell the west it should consider the option of an Olympic boycott. The 1980 summer games in Moscow suffered such a fate: when the US withdrew its team in protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, more than 60 other countries followed. Georgia is already lobbying for a repeat of this unqualified PR disaster.

Russia’s flawless domestic propaganda operation is well-documented; Putin's annual TV question time was a perfect example. The vast majority of citizens are happy to surrender democratic rights for the sake of national progress. Ambitious schemes like Sochi 2014 and a bid to host the football World Cup in 2018 or 2022 form a vital element of the country’s wider global publicity campaign. Sport has huge potential to make a nation look good.

Officially the Olympics are non-politicised – and rightly so – but the reality is that wherever Russia goes, politics will follow. Even with these issues aside, the International Olympic Committee has declared Sochi 2014 one of the most complex projects in the history of the Games. They picked a city nowhere near ready for such an event: Russia must construct some 80% of necessary infrastructure. Four years remain.

The IOC may have bitten off more than it can chew with the Sochi gamble. Many unanswered questions are still lurking in the shadows. There is a very realistic prospect that the Olympic brand, with its lofty values of “excellence, respect and friendship,” will be tarnished once again, irrespective of the boycott.

Suddenly, the choice of bear or dolphin seems the least of Putin’s worries. Anyone for Cheburashka?


Published @ guardian.co.uk, 5/12/09 - click here for original.


December 5, 2009 | 9:12 AM Comments  0 comments

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Football’s red armies are growing stronger

Russia Beyond The HeadlinesOn any Premiership match day in pubs and homes around the UK, football fans of all creeds gather to drink, socialise and cheer on their favoured club. The majority of teams have a strictly local following, while others – generally the most successful sides like Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea – possess a nationwide army of devout supporters.

In recent years, these leading British teams, as well as equivalents from premier leagues across Europe, have transcended national boundaries, evolving into powerful and prominent global brands. Manchester United, Real Madrid and AC Milan, to give three potent examples, are more franchises than football clubs. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side is believed to have a staggering 300 million fans worldwide – that’s five percent of the earth’s population.

Russia is no exception to this rising trend. Walking into Moscow’s aptly-named Bobby Dazzler sports bar on Champions League semi-final night last season, one could be easily forgiven for thinking they’d just entered any of London or Manchester’s innumerable drinking dens. Irish pub food is on the menu, with a selection of beers including London Pride, Carling and Guinness. A large group of red-devilled shirts is clustered around a projector screen, chanting, shouting and applauding as their 11 heroes defeat rivals Arsenal 3-1. When the final whistle blows, the room erupts into song – the ‘Moscow Reds’ are celebrating in style.

According to Ilya Zubko, deputy sport editor of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta national newspaper, English football started getting popular in the early 1990s. “Russian TV stations were broadcasting league and cup matches, and fans got to experience a different kind of atmosphere, a different kind of football,” he explains. “Those people with money began to travel to the UK and see it for themselves, so our country’s supporter culture became slowly more influenced by English habits. In fact, they didn’t only visit the matches of popular teams, often choosing to watch smaller clubs to experience the real atmosphere for less money. Supporting an English club is a kind of fashion now.”

Lifelong Arsenal fan Alexander Krotov, who heads the club’s official Moscow supporters’ group, says he was drawn by pure quality of football: “I was about 10 when I started watching Premier League games on TV. It became much more interesting for me than Russian matches – I just loved the way Arsenal played. When I compared that to Russian teams, it was like they weren’t from the same planet.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger’s acquisition of playmaker Andrey Arshavin in January this year has increased interest in the club, although perhaps not to the same extent as the boom of Russian support for Chelsea after oligarch Roman Abramovich’s takeover in 2003. “More people come to watch Arsenal matches with us now,” says Krotov, “But once Arshavin is substituted, they all walk out.”

You won’t find any of this fickle mentality at the Bobby Dazzler, however, where the Moscow Reds wail out chants they have clearly spent some time rehearsing. And while the Arsenal supporters’ club is comprised mainly of 20-something students, Manchester United seem to have a wider variety of devotees. Nikolay Molok, head of the Stella Art Foundation and former editor of Art Chronika magazine, can be found at the bar almost without fail on match nights – often accompanied by his 15-year-old son. “My son Kolya is interested in football, and I wanted to be able to watch games with him in a nice, friendly setting,” Molok says. “I wouldn’t dream of taking him to Russian matches. When I go to the stadiums, I hear swear words I don’t even know. It’s not a great place for a young man to be.”

Fans at a Moscow derby
Ilya Zubko concurs, describing the brutal habit of rival fans organising fights with each other and posting videos on the internet to show who won. “At the first game of the current season, between Zenit St Petersburg and Spartak Moscow, one group of drunk hooligans started breaking down police barriers and hurling seats across to the other side,” he recollects. “However, fighting in stadiums is actually far less common than it once was; the police aren’t as aggressive these days. Fans are much more likely to meet somewhere in the forest and fight secretly there.”

As Western influence gradually pervades the vast expanse of the Russian Federation, opportunities to follow foreign clubs are multiplying. Sports bars are springing up, especially in larger cities, and young people are slowly gravitating towards European cultural norms. It’s an emerging market. Manchester United is well known for pouring resources into a far-reaching Asian commercial plan, including a recent pre-season tour of Malaysia, South Korea and China. Is Russia a feasible next step?


Published @ Russia Beyond The Headlines, 22/10/09 – click here for original.

October 22, 2009 | 8:10 AM Comments  0 comments

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Hot New Jazz CDs from the UK

Led Bib – Sensible Shoes
 Sensible Shoes
Drummer and leader Mark Holub believes Sensible Shoes represents a “coming of age” for the band Led Bib. They’ve certainly succeeded in producing a disc which captures the inimitable firepower and charisma that frequently draws a small army of followers to gigs around the capital. It’s a very natural statement, made in a language that maintains accessibility while occasionally bordering on the extreme—not an easy thing to do without sounding forced or awkward.

If London’s “maverick avant-jazz skronkers” were a politician, they’d put John McCain to shame. But it’s not just skronkadelic mania and wall-to-wall noise: this twin-sax-led quintet presents a thorough exercise in structured collective improvisation, which traverses mood and dynamic with a delicacy that belies the fierce, free energy that so often possesses them.

A prime example is “2.4:1 (Still Equals None),” which features a gentle introduction from the saxes and spinning random keyboard sounds, before bass and drums come in with their own cautious, careful ideas. You wonder what’s going to happen next—will the tune suddenly take off into a stratospheric, gut-wrenching blast of hysteria? No. Situated as it is, perfectly midway through the 9-track CD, this is a welcome and admirable respite demonstrating commendable restraint from a group which clearly loves to play loud.



Seb Pipe’s Life Experience – Shoot For The Stars
 Shoot For The Stars
Altoist Seb Pipe’s new release on 33Jazz has a sparkling effervescence that keeps you riveted. His rich, cultured, talkative tone guides the listener through 11 original compositions, including fresh arrangements of Romanian and Brazilian melodies—the classic “Tico-Tico” is instantly recognisable.

The CD opens with “Yonetsu (Residual Energy).” A sweeping sax line soars over drummer George Hart’s crisp, brisk backdrop, which then segues into “Yo Tico!,” Pipe’s adaptation of the famous tune written by Zequinha de Abreu in 1917. From there we have the more melancholy “Fortran,” a lyrical nine-minute offering that calms things down before “Balance and Contrast,” a breakneck semi-acoustic-fusion tune which almost seems to be a slower piece played back at double speed. A brief duel between Hart and pianist Arthur Lea is topped off by an unexpected injection of scat from Pipe.

The saxophonist is clearly well versed in his trade, with a wide palette of influences and knowledge. Indeed, the album title itself references a quote by the Chinese philosopher Confucius. Pipe comes across as a profoundly positive composer and player, with a lively mind and strong musical instincts—certainly a deserving recipient of the Arts Council England “Jazz Services” recording and touring grant which made this fine release possible.



Phronesis – Green Delay
 Green Delay
Avishai Cohen has heralded Jasper Høiby as a name to watch. It’s easy to see why: these two versatile instrumentalists share a penchant for bass-driven acoustic grooves and syncopated, staccato rhythmic motifs.

“Abraham’s New Gift,” the first track on Green Delay, will find Cohen fans in familiar territory, but subtle differences become ever more apparent as the record goes on. The Phronesis group atmosphere seems a little more open, less tied down; they relax and stretch out, taking a break from rigid charts and settling into their own thing.

Høiby and fellow Dane Anton Eger on drums form a cohesive foundation. The bassist always finds a simple way to anchor the music, not overcrowding his bandmates with too many notes and giving both considerable liberty. Pianist Ivo Neame is able to flow freely when the time comes, reaching impressively understated heights with his canny improvisations. He doesn’t slam, he doesn’t smash, but a clear stream of ideas is detectable through every solo.

“Phronesis” is the Greek intellectual virtue of moral thought, “the ability to think well about the nature of the world.” Prudence. So it’s a fitting name for Høiby’s band, as its three members communicate musically using precisely this kind of mentality. No one jumps to the front. It’s an extended dialogue between equal partners, the outcome of which is pleasurable for any jazz listener.



Kairos 4tet – Kairos Moment
 Kairos Moment
These days in London, it’s not a surprise when a completely unknown name turns up with an accomplished CD. Saxophonist/leader Adam Waldmann does just that with his Kairos 4tet and their debut album—you could be easily forgiven for thinking it was the product of a much longer musical relationship than a group formed only in spring last year.

Waldmann possesses a fluid, commanding compositional voice, asserted boldly on this set of a dozen originals. Singer Emilia Martensson joins the quartet for “Unresolved,” adding her ebullient, airy vocals to an ambient sonic mixture. It’s Jasper Høiby on bass again, with pianist Rob Barron and Jon Scott on drums.

Rippling beats and solid riffs are mixed with Waldmann’s intriguingly differentiating saxes—dreamy tenor; sharp, piercing soprano—and catchy, accessible tunes, delivered with a good degree of wit and guile. There is a contemplative, thoughtful aesthetic and a latent sense the musicians are playing happily within themselves, comfortable and at ease with each other and the material.


Published @ jazz.com, 16/7/09 - click here for original.

July 16, 2009 | 11:07 AM Comments  0 comments

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A Cappella Group Jukebox Make Good on Own

Like all popular music groups, the Jukebox Trio has its own successful formula. Presenting a rich mix of classic covers and original material in an open, friendly, accessible style – with two singers and a human beatbox – it’s hard not to enjoy the experience of seeing them play.

“I don’t know any other a cappella bands with only three people,” says lead singer Vladimir Ivanov. “Usually they have six, but we cut it down to the main things: bass, rhythm and melody. And actually, that’s all you really need in music.” Clever live sampling techniques are also often used to create layered, harmonised soundscapes that give the impression of more voices.

The group formed in 2004, when brothers Vladimir and Ilya Ivanov met Kirill Sharafutdinov at a vocal studio where they learned jazz and funk fundamentals. “We had mutual interests, we were listening to a lot of the same music – Bobby McFerrin, Take 6, Queen, The Beatles. It’s different music but we like it all,” explains Vladimir.

At live shows, this diversity is evident. Re-worked Elvis Presley hits, silky Bossa Nova ballads and sermonising soulful serenades are all on the agenda. The penultimate track on the Trio’s debut album, Acappellipsis, features a list of influential artists: names as varied as Ozzy Ozbourne, John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix and the Chemical Brothers are recited in comically exaggerated Russian accents.

However, copies of the CD are somewhat hard to come by. “We decided not to sell the album in shops, it’s only available at our concerts,” says Vladimir. Why? “It’s a big problem to make a good production with Russian record labels. They are really down now.” He also cites the mercenary nature of the country’s music industry as something the group wants to avoid. “Radio stations and TV channels play everything just for money, apart from maybe Western musicians – mainstream stuff. If you want to be big in Russia, you have to pay.

“The most important thing with Jukebox Trio is that, at first, it wasn’t for money – simply for pleasure. When we started to earn money with the music, it was a bonus. And that’s still the order of priorities.”

The fickle nature of the scene in their home city, Kazan, was another obstacle the group strove to overcome. “The funny thing about Kazan is that, as it’s the capital of Tatarstan, the Tatar public tend to like mostly Tatar singers. We were like some kind of circus for them. Breaking onto Moscow stages in 2006 was a really big step for us – people started to say we were musicians and not just a circus, we were getting real respect,” says Vladimir.

A subsequent string of gigs around Russia earned Jukebox many fine reviews, as well as a prize from pop heroine Alla Pugacheva and the chance to open Elton John’s show in Rostov-on-Don. They are already writing for a third CD, which will come after an album comprising cover versions of well-known Russian rock songs.

Ilya Ivanov, the Trio’s rhythmic engine, is optimistic about future prospects. “We’re hoping to collaborate with a suitable record label, which can help us produce great albums.” And in the long term, he makes no secret of lofty ambitions: “We want to become famous and be like rock stars all over the world – at least like The Beatles! I want to travel and perform in many different countries. And I think it is really possible, because I believe in the power of music.”

The Jukebox Trio take music down to its basic elements, focusing on the purity and versatility of the human voice – no instruments required. An online video for their song ‘So… Let Me Know’ emphatically illustrates this concept, as the group are shown smashing guitars into splinters at the tune’s climax. Don’t expect that to happen at every show, but, as Vladimir says, “you’ll be put in a good mood”.


Published in The Moscow Times, 9/6/09 - click here for original.

June 9, 2009 | 6:06 AM Comments  0 comments

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