Since she turned up on the Moscow music scene in the early 1990s, Inna Zhelannaya - Russia's most well-known and successful singer and songwriter - has been lauded by folk and rock critics alike.
At a time when the boom of female singer-songwriters in the West - particularly from the U. S. - has generated a flood of sound-alike musical material, we witness the arrival of an Eastern counterpart who can hold her own every step of the way: With her powerful and highly individual voice, the attractive Muscovite draws attention to herself and her songs, many of which explore the subtleties between the lines of human relationships.
Zhelannaya often surprises us with her unbroken loyalty to the traditional culture of her homeland, revealed in her extremely original interpretations of old Russian folk songs. In her carefree fusion of Russian folk, rock and pop elements with contemporary jazz - Western strains are also welcome - Zhelannaya has the support of several experienced musicians:
Sergey Starostin, known to Europeans through his numerous appearances with the highly praised MOSCOW ART TRIO, already collaborated with Inna Zhelannaya in Alliance, a successful Muscovite band of the early 90s. On this album he appears not only as a singer but as a clarinettist and master of various traditional wind instruments which he built himself. Along with Sergey Klevensky (clarinet, flutes, woodwinds) he is also responsible for the CD's wide range of unusual sound effects. The not-to-be-overheard bass player Sergey Kalachev - whose six-string fretless bass is also home-made - laid the rhythmical foundation for what is probably Moscow's most popular rock group to date, Auktion. Together he and drummer Pavel Timofeev produce a pulsing rock rhythm and ensure the bandâs musical precision and coherence.
Having studied at various music schools of Moscow, Inna Zhelannaya began her career as a rock musician with the group Alliance, which for many years represented the best of what Russia had to offer in terms of rock and pop.
In 1994 she assembled her own band and recorded VODOROSL (sea grass), her first CD. In the same year, one of her songs - "Tolko s Toboi" (Only You) - was included in the "One World"-compilation (Putumayo) alongside recordings by Peter Gabriel, Youssou N' Dour, the Gypsy Kings, Bob Marley and others. In that connection she toured the U. S., took part in the ONE WORLD-festival in Washington, gave concerts in New York and other East Coast cities and represented Russia 1996 at the major world music event accompanying the Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Sergey Starostin was born in Moscow. He is known to Europe through his numerous appearances with the MOSCOW ART TRIO, whereas his compatriots became acquainted with him through his radio and television work: In the course of several hundred broadcasts he introduced Russian listeners to folk musicians from all over the huge country. He studied clarinet at the Moscow Conservatory and collaborates with many Russian and international jazz and folk groups as a singer and instrumentalist. His musical friendship with Inna Zhelannaya already found expression on her first CD, to which he contributed significantly.
Discography
The Farlander (1999) JARO 4222-2 / Farlanders Moments - Live in Germany (2000) JARO 4230-2 / Farlanders
Since she turned up on the Moscow music scene in the early 1990s, Inna Zhelannaya - Russia's most well-known and successful singer and songwriter - has been lauded by folk and rock critics alike.
Having studied at various music schools of Moscow, Inna Zhelannaya began her career as a rock musician with the group Alliance, which for many years represented the best of what Russia had to offer in terms of rock and pop.
