Our editor-in-chief decided to meet together with the producer of the group "Tatu", Ivan Shapovalov, and speak to him about how the Russian popstars are made. But the sudden appearance of the soloist Yulia Volkova disrupted the male conversation.
E (Editor): So, how did this pathological story with the girls start?
I (Ivan): I simply was bored with the work in the sphere of advertisement. And I had a familiar/friend composer. We decided to try using our commercial union in a new way. And there was born an idea of an underage sex-project.
E: But it can end badly--mine and your own taste for the beautiful. Especially in such a conservative society as ours. Do you remember the story with the Catholic priests?
I: And with Catholic, and with Christian Orthodox ones--it can happen with any priest. Because it is a ban. And where is the ban, there is... The same as it is here.
E: Well, if it happens even with the priests, then it is easier for us to live with our flaw.
I: And do you excuse your actions in such a way?
E: Yes.
I: And I don't even excuse mine. (Laughing)
E: How did they appear, these two specific girls--Yulia and Lena?
I: Casting.
E: I envy you so greatly and I can directly imagine myself, how you were conducting this casting, what you were lifting up and where you were peeking. What did you pay attention to? At the length of the legs, the softness of the hands...?
I: I was looking for the voice.
E: Do you mean to say that they can sing themselves?
I: Are you kidding me right now? Or are you doing so on behalf of the readers of the magazine?
E: I simply knew a number of famous musical bands, where some girls were singing and the others were simply on the stage. It is normal for show business. So, don't become upset. Then, you were looking specifically for the voice. You wanted those, who are on the stage, also to sing.
I: I wanted to find it once so I could make money based on this activity for quite a while. It is possible to make money without the voice. But only for a short period of time. (Laughs.) And I wanted to do so for quite a while. You know, I am greedy.
E: How were you looking for the voice? What... all of them were singing?
I: They sang and they even brought some of their records. I, normally, do the casting very quickly. In 10 seconds. I ask: "What are you going to sing?". If she replies:" Whitney Houston", I tell her "goodbye" immediately.
E: And what was sung by Yulia and Lena?
I: Lena Katina performed a composition by Roxette. It is a direct voice. Not the singing by Whitney Houston, where anyone can hide their voice.
E: And how can you understand any of it? You were just filming the video clips and creating the commercials.
I: Thanks to God, I have a musical education and an absolute sense of hearing.
E: Fine. So, you found the direct voice?
I: Yes. In addition to this, it was coloured by a timbre. And we caught it. Started doing the song. Something was working out and something was not.
E: Could you tell to the readers (actually, they witnessed this disgrace themselves)--what is aggressive sex?
I: Aggressive sex? This is your definition, not mine. What is it--aggressive sex?
E: This is when TV propagates a cruel sexuality, which also bears a homosexual character. It is very aggressive.
I: I see. I think, that 99% of the non-aggressive pop culture simply does not correspond to our time. The present is too aggressive, cynical, the period of romantics, when one could use the word "love", is gone. For example, this theme was touched before "Tatu". 'Guests from the Future' (Gosti Iz Buduschego--the name of the musical band). But it was so disguised. And the modern communication demands a more blunt speech.
E: Doesn't this aggressive sex evoke less than good tendencies in society?
I: I don't think of it. It is none of my business.
E: When you are going to become 65-70 years old, then you will think of it.
I: Then--yes, but I don't have to now.
E: Why not? All of it is quite close you.
I: Well, someone does have to do it and not to think of it at the same time. There is a need of some vaccine. And if to think of it, there will be no vaccine.
E: You are a brave man.
I: Honestly speaking, I am periodically threatened via the Internet. They say, I made a contract with the devil for success. And I realized, that there are 666 in my passport, three of those in my American driver's license, in my technical passport...
E: And here, on the back of your head?
I: (Laughing.) A man could be easily frightened by such fact, right? A joke is a joke, but when I arrived in Los Angeles, an earthquake--4.5 on the Richter scale--started immediately. I merely had some rest in the hotel, and everything was shaking. Briefly speaking, the city met me with an earthquake.
E: It is better in comparison to the cases with explosions. But here it is--propaganda of homosexuality. This is a rather sharp stroke for a conservative country. Why is it so? Are you against heterosexuality?
I: In what?
E: In the relations.
I: How can one be against it? One may be against gay-relations.
E: Why? Gay-racism is presently very popular in America.
I: I don't know. Why homosexual love? It is a continuation of the relationship. I simply develop it to its final stage. And that's it. In order to create an image. There is such a term in English language--exe... (Ivan cannot recollect the word)--exaggeration, speaking strictly. In other words, there is a law of the creation of the image--to go to the very end. If there are some relations between us…
E: Then, these relations should be provoked and developed. And what is it going to be in the end?
I: Homosexual love.
E: Why homosexual? Why is it restricted for girls to sing about their love for a boy? For example, what if they love the same boy?
I: But it is more weak.
E: Why?
I: Because if in the screen there are two girls, and the story encircles two of them, then it is strong... I don't understand, why, but we may discuss it. Let's say, there is a duet, and their sexuality is directed towards each other--that's is: it separates the audience. And the sexual signal of the artist on the stage, which is caught completely by the partner, leads to the creation of difficulties in the relationship of the duet. The only successful projects are when he writes and she sings. Or, in the opposite manner. As soon as the members of the duet are equal to each other, then there is equal relationship--they don't need anybody else. They have found each other, and they don't have the audience.
E: Listen, but with these girls it turns out horribly. You relate to them as some kind of Adolph Hitler. What is going to happen to their future? You demonstrated the history of their romantic relations to the common public, so that every reporter probably asks them:"Are you lesbians?" It may traumatize. If not know, then afterwards.
I: All of life is a trauma.
E: So, you are attempting to accelerate everything, saying, that it has to be led to the stage of the climax. And what is in the end? Chaos?
I: Exe… exaggeration. This is the word. I have read a lot of literature on how to make the comedies, how to make the tragedies. There is only one rule: in order for the image to be expressive to the maximum, some of its traits have to be exaggerated. And, so, if something occurred between them...
E: I understood this.
I: If I didn't base it on the assumption that something did take place between them, I would gain the attention of the audience, when, due to its age, almost among all girls something of such kind happens. This is why there is such a wild success.
E: Yes, I know, many girls accidentally find themselves in the bed with their female friends.
I: And they interpret this friendship in terms of love.
E: But you made a pop product out of it. You placed it in a rather visible field. The girls may have a tragedy.
I: Why tragedy? If, sometimes, the friendship between the girls becomes equal to "love", then why not to show it?
E: But they are constantly asked: are you lesbians, or not lesbians, do you touch that place, or not? Imagine, that you are a little girl, and you are attacked by such questions all the time.
I: But the meaning of the word "lesbian" was lost quite a while ago. It stopped being horrifying.
E: For the Russian people, for the Orthodox Christianity, it remains to be the same.
(Yulia approaches us. With the new haircut.)
I: Yulia you look more mature with this hair cut. And you, this is...
Y(Yulia): In fact, I wanted to take all of the hair off, in order to look as a pumpkin.
I: You are being recorded.
Y: Really? Don't record anything.
E: What question are you asked on the most frequent basis?
Y: "Is it true, that you are a lesbian?" "Do you sleep in the same bed?"
I: I thought, she would have the haircut and have a younger look instead.
Y: I did tell you that I was going to have a haircut. I wouldn't do it without your permission.
E: How old are you?
Y: Now, 17 years old, will be 18 soon.
E: And what will take place later on?
Y: I am not going to be a little girl anymore.
E: And what should be done? So, you are going to be 18, 19... What are you going to do with your age?
Y: There is nothing that can be done to me--whether you colour me, or not.
I: Please! You were at the photo shoot yesterday--you looked 5 years younger, or so.
Y: Well, nobody is going to think of me as 10 years old.
E: Then you will have to perform songs of Pugacheva's style. The woman, who sings...
(Leonia enters. Evidently, the director.)
L(Leonia): Yesterday, when she was showered by water, it was the same Yulia. And now it is simply… It looks as if an electrical current ran through her.
I: How quickly is it (the hair) going to grow back?
L: 1.5 - 2 months. Well, let her be in such state. Now is summer. It is hot.
Y: I like it. It is comfortable.
L: Vanya, during the next day there is an enormous amount of television. Additionally, there is one photo session. And also a live broadcast.
I: I don't understand how the photo session is going to be done with such a haircut.
L: And in the morning, we shall depart. Let them rest a little, and then we will leave.
I: We are going to lose Poland with such haircut.
L: No-o.
Y: First you say to have a haircut - for me to look younger. Now, damn, you are telling me that I look as a grown-up. I am going to shave all of my hair off now!
L: Vanya, so do I give the sign?
I: And will Beata (co-producer of "Tatu") go?
L: She is resisting. I am telling her: "Beata! I am not going to take you to Yamalo-Nenetskiy district, but to Poland, Warsaw!"
Y: Some photo sessions, an interview... I don't understand their use. Ugh... Again the same old things. Nothing new.
E: Does it irritate you?
Y: It does horribly. They either can't come up with different questions, or these people don't have any brains. In every city, the same thing.
E: All of it is thanks to Vanya.
Y: In every town: "Is it true, that you are lesbians?" What? Is it the most important question? Are you interested in our music, our songs?
E: But in your songs there are such words that a common man wants to ask the questions of such nature.
Y: "And can you kiss each other?" It just kills me.
E: So, do you see now, Ivan, what you've done? And this is only the beginning.
I: There is nothing frightening about it.
Y: (Laughs.) I am fond of Vanya's way of answering the questions.
I: I don't see anything dramatic about it. What? Would it be better for you if you weren't a part of the project now? All the questions are the payment for your presence in such project. What would you choose: to be in this project and listen to these questions, or to spend time with some male buddies from Voikovskaya St.?
E: Vanya, you are acting as a true devil. Are you from Voikovskaya St.?
Y: No, simply that some of my friends live there.
I: So, what do you choose?
Y: Certainly, the project. Because I want to sing. And that is it. I mean to say, I don't want. I don't want to sing any longer. I want to be a producer. I like show business.
E: Are you using Vanya as an example? Since it is a very dirty job
Y: Dirty job. But I am tired of singing, I am tired of the tours. I simply want to be a producer... I want to create my own musical band.
E: And what type of group would it be? In what fashion would it perform?
Y: I shall think about it. But not like "Demo", or "Ruki vverh". This is what I am not going to do.
E: But what would it be then, approximately?
Y: Perhaps, some type of rock music, maybe something else. But not pop music.
E: And how did your friends react to your participation in this project? What about the lesbian theme?
Y: When I came home with the video tape of the first clip "Ya soshla s uma", my mother and grandmother were there. We watched it together. Mama said: "Oy, and all of Russia is going to watch it?" I said: "Yes." "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" And my grandmother said: "Yulia! For God's sake! My God! Who invented it?" I said: "My producer." No, there was no scandal. In fact, my father buys all the magazines with the presence of "Tatu", and he already has an enormous album in which are inserted all the magazine covers, collected all the interviews...
E: They are so happy that you don't spend nights in the
streets, but, instead, sing the songs. Even if you were dancing completely naked...
Y: And these are my problems. Not theirs. I have with my parents such a relationship that what I am going to do is of my business. Even if I participated in a film of pornography--this is my problem, this is what I want.
E: And would your father collect the pornographic tapes?
Y: Of course, he would. Because he is my father.
E: Listen, you have some really pathological parents. My mother would be horrified.
Y: No, for my mother it would be rather comical. And even when I told her that I like the girls, she was simply laughing at me. She said, that it is a foolishness and it will go away soon.
E: Do you know what libido is?
Y: Vanya knows. He always says some smart things.
E: And when you were 14 years old, what was your first thought when you saw Vanya for the first time?
Y: That he is a homosexual.
E: Did the answer turn out to be "no"?
Y: It simply came to my mind. And when I saw him for the second time, I simply understood that he was a normal good person.
I: (Laughing.) And is homosexual - abnormal?
Y: Many people ask me: "Is it true that your producer is homosexual?" I reply: "Of course..." (Laughs.)
I: Actually, I don't believe in the existence of pure lesbians, which are not interested in men at all.
Y: Yes, hearing that from you, when you, yourself, created this type of group...
E: Well, stop it. Have you ever been to the gay-parade in Keln, or Los Angeles?
I: No.
E: There are such lesbians, that I feel like dying. It is obvious, that are not attracted to men on any level. In fact, men are afraid of approaching them.
I: I don't believe in such lesbians.
E: And there are such gays, who can't sleep with women.
I: Gays--yes.
E: And women--no? You behave yourself right now as a sexual chauvinist.
Y: I know some girls, who've lived together for 5 years, or so. They simply don't know what a man is. And never want to know.
I: And, so, our story is, certainly, the story of not real lesbians.
Y: I and Lenka are real lesbians.
I: You are not lesbians, but a joke! This story is not a story of real lesbians. This is a friendship, which is transformed into love.
Translation by Poganka.
Source: http://www.russiantatu.netfirms.com/int10.html |
