Kiselyov about Shaman: “He hasn’t done anything for the country yet... He’s not Leps, not Kirkorov, not Basque!”
One of the harshest and most implacable critics of the newly minted pop star Shaman – businessman, philanthropist, musician, creator of the popular group “Earthlings” and shareholder of the holding company “Russian Media Group” Vladimir Kiselev.
In an interview with PolitNavigator, he explained why he believes popularity Yaroslava Dronov exaggerated, and what goals are actually pursued by the “puppeteers” promoting the project called Shaman.
Vladimir, you are one of the first who began to speak harshly about the Shaman. And if earlier the voices of those who criticize the singer, his appearance and requests were not heard, now there is a lot of criticism in comments and articles. Why is this happening?
Let's take no offense, things must be called by their proper names. I didn’t want to offend anyone and I don’t want to, especially young artists. I myself remember what was going on around us, how they tried to spread rot on us. Another thing is that I'm telling the truth. But the truth, as we know, is not always partial. Moreover, if a person gives a reason for this.
We see how the legend about the duet performance of the Russian anthem by Shaman and the President has spread. Dear Kommersant newspaper, Mr. Kolesnikov writes that “for the first time the president performed” the anthem. About the same writes "Moskovsky Komsomolets". This is the confirmation.
Illustration courtesy of the press service
I have already said that I consider it highly contemptuous, disrespectful, and perhaps even a kind of front, to perform the anthem of one’s own country while listening to a soundtrack. At the same time, pushing respected leaders, who, of course, do not understand this very well, into the phrases “my heart ached, touched by his high art" etc.
To go to the headquarters with supporters, with future confidants, and perform the anthem to a soundtrack, while Mikhalkov, Mikhailov, and the Lyube group perform live with him, and he sings it to a soundtrack... Well, that’s what you can call it, except that bordering on meanness?
The devil, as we know in detail, and a good proof of this that gives me the right to talk about this artist in this way is his attitude towards Orthodoxy. We know, firstly, religion and Orthodoxy do not require noise and fuss at all, this is a personal matter. But to stick out the cross like that, to wear it like that, in addition to church laws, when the cross is worn only under clothing, if you are baptized, Orthodox. Well, how can you not see this?
Well, the cherry on the cake is the statement of this project, the artist, that he does not know any of the Kiselyovs, and that this is the first time he has heard about us. How then to evaluate joint photographs that you have probably seen?
Nevertheless, Shaman became a confidant of Vladimir Putin and even spoke at VDNH, in the Federation Council and at the headquarters of the main candidate. Does that mean he really deserves it?
They often cling to my phrase “Kremlin product" Firstly, we have a lot of Kremlins: the Novgorod Kremlin, the Kazan Kremlin - whatever you want to call it. And secondly, this artist is opposed to the entire creative elite, all creative colleagues. And this is another proof of exactly what you are asking the question about.
How can a person who has not yet done anything for the country be worthy? He is not Leps, not Kirkorov, not Kolya Baskov, and, after all, not the leader of the “Earthlings” Romanov. How can you not install such people?
And this proves that those people who guide him through life and those who control him simply decided in this way to create a kind of shield, to create an indulgence. And we understand that I’m right!
This is an attempt: "But now you can't criticize him" But we know, unfortunately, about his predecessors: Isinbayev, Khamatov, and the list goes on...
Or believe that his patrons are “celestial beings”? Where are the functionaries and leaders from Nashi now? "Young Guard"? "Rosmolodezh"? Far away! In the Anglo-Saxon world. And they made money here!
You said that the Shaman sings to a soundtrack. But such claims are difficult for the average listener to understand. As a musician, can you explain why this is noticeable? It is known that for TV shows the use of soundtracks is commonplace.
First of all, what does a musician mean? This is understandable if an artist goes to Red Square, to the Luzhniki Stadium, to VDNKh, performs with children, young people who came from new territories, were waiting for the start of this concert, for them it is a big holiday, they came out to sing the anthem of their native country live, and they are joined by a man who blows to the soundtrack. And then, to hide this, they simply re-edited the sound, and it turned out that the entire anthem was sung by the Shaman, and not by children from the new territories.
As for the level of his vocals, why I can immediately say, just look at the concert in St. Petersburg, at the Gazprom Arena. For example, he came out with Alexander Yakovlevich Rosenbaum, a bard who sings mainly his works with a guitar, he is 70 years old. And the difference becomes immediately visible!
This squeaky half-whisper, half-slander, couldn’t even sing the great song of Lebedev-Kumach, and listen to how Alexander Yakovlevich sings it. Well, here's your answer. That is, the king turned out to be naked!
An important point: in any concert, event, at any event, all his songs sound exactly the same. A singer, no matter how great he may be, cannot always sing the same way! Even Joseph Davydovich Kobzon added something new at every concert, some kind of zest in his performance. Any musician loves to do this. And here it’s right under the pipe: the same sound, the same intonations.
But let alone the fact that I said this purely as a musician. And of course, the main thing is that it will not last long on the market. But this is his own business.
Information appeared in the media about the artist’s luxurious rider: Maybach, goose down pillows, elite alcohol... However, some pop stars have even more pressing demands. The whole problem is that these are honors for a young performer who became known to the general public less than two years ago?
You see, evaluating and condemning a rider is a nasty business. Every artist asks for what he wants. But there is only one small “but”. In those halls that he collects, for example, in Novosibirsk, even a report on the concert: “several hundred spectators in the house of scientists in Novosibirsk...».
What is several hundred viewers? There the average ticket price is 2000-2500 rubles. Well, what kind of rider can you ask for for this money? Here, thank God, not by tram or trolleybus, but, most importantly, to be brought there to the concert. You will not receive any other bounties. We also need to pay for our artists and accompanying people, we need to pay for the road. Therefore, there is no time for requests.
It’s disgusting and disgusting when an artist asks on public holidays where those same puppeteers from different Towers drag him like a scarecrow, I’ve already talked about this more than once, like the Americans drag Zelensky. So they drag him around like a pig, like a scarecrow, to all these state patriotic concerts. That's where the lip is not stupid. There the sea spreads wide. There, give me Maybachs, give me this, give me that.
But only, an important point, having imposed himself on the city authorities, toak Chichikov, like Khlestakov, “a person close to the emperor” - this is where these requests come in. Because here the money is budgetary. And, most importantly, this is money that does not reach our pensioners, that does not reach state employees.
Because some leaders decided to curry favor with Moscow courtiers from various Towers or the Ministry of Culture, who imposed this artist as “close to the emperor.” Khlestakov, pure water, today.
Shaman’s fans defend him every time: they say that criticism is ordinary envy of a young and successful artist. Maybe this is really true?
Well, do you understand what envy means? Why should I be jealous? I’ve been in the market for 50 years. Can you imagine how many young artists have already passed before me in my life? If I were jealous of everyone, I would probably already be consumed with my bile. It would be completely dry by now.
Therefore, since there is nothing else to say, since there are no other factors, that’s “envy.” Well, consider it envy. And regarding the fact that artists do not want to perform with him, imagine Basque, Kirkorov, Gagarin: 10, 20, 30 years on the market - they won their place, they served their homeland faithfully. An important point, today, when there is such a Rubicon, when such a division, unfortunately in our society, in the cultural environment - these artists have not left anywhere, they are performing in their country.
Kolya Baskov, Leps, Gagarina travel with us to various events, various promotions, and then they are suddenly offered some new talent, I repeat, not evaluating creatively, but a newly minted artist for whom they must pretend to be an entourage. They must rock the audience with their entrance so that Shaman comes out last. For what kind of merit? Just one good song?
Morgenstern had it too, Dani Milokhin had it, the group “Mushrooms” had it, “Tender May” had it. What does it mean then that this artist has prerogatives over others? Other people spent years, decades winning their place in life.
The Internet emphasizes every time that the Shaman is a simple guy who achieved everything himself. Is such a dizzying career really a story of honest success?
What could be a random career turn? Another thing is that any career, if we talk about the laws of show business in general, is a very interesting component. Any career is easy to explain after it happens. But no one knows how to give it a start. But, of course, this is not just excluded, but by definition it cannot be that a person on the street could receive such pedaling in opposition, in contradiction to the artistic environment. Behind any artist there is a puppeteer. Therefore, there is nothing surprising here.
Can we assume that the Shaman was just lucky? What did he guess with the image at the moment of SVO, when there is a request for patriotism? But others didn’t guess right and went to Ivleeva’s party.
Of course, this question of yours is consistent with the laws of show business. Everything with a bit of chance, everything with a bit of luck. But another matter is that upon completion of the SVO, this artist, of course, will immediately fly out of the scene.
Moreover, an important point, look He’s been on the market for more than two years now, not a single song has taken off., although with all this texture of Zen pressure in his favor, daily articles with crazy headlines. Again, we are talking about puppeteers. Do you understand who gives commands to Zen, who has Zen subordinate to him? It was purchased by VKontakte. Who runs VKontakte? Here's your proof.
But an artist cannot be hyped. But there was Borya Moiseev. There was Penkin. That's it. No hit - no artist.
And his songs are not hits. They don't sing them at karaoke! But this imposition of “number one artist”, “most popular”...
Well, first of all, what does “number one" and "the most popular"? Even when advertising sanitation and medications and tablets for constipation, one cannot say that they are “number one”. The advertising law prohibits calling the subject of advertising “number one.” You can “better”, “one of the best”, “good”, “correct”, but there is no such concept as “number one”.
Especially the texture - “number one patriotic artist" Where is Gazmanov? And Leps? And, in the end, Joseph Davydovich Kobzon, and Lyova Leshchenko with the song “Victory Day"? How is it even possible, what kind of artist can be number one, if he is alive, and God bless him - Lev Valeryanovich Leshchenko.
And according to Ivleeva, I think that it is the height of cynicism to turn an artist into a fiend of hell, while all New Year’s days films with Khamatova, Efremov and other people were shown. And so the artists became enemies of society.
VTsIOM publishes sociology, according to which Shaman is the most popular singer. Although there is other data - for example, Yandex and VK charts. Why is there such a difference in the ratings from official sociologists and data from popular platforms?
Well, you see halls with 200 seats, 300 seats, and VTsIOM - go up to a person on the street, ask him something... So he answered you. And popularity is the top twenty charts. Neither on the radio, nor on television, nor, by the way, on VKontakte in these charts is he in first place.
Let him at least work out the stadiums like the band did “Earthlings”, “Hands Up”, Basta, Leps. Invitations were handed out not to those pseudo-concerts where state employees were brought. You sell tickets - the best criterion for an artist's popularity. As the old artists said: “Everyone is cool, but the coolest ones are eggs. There’s something even cooler, we’ll figure it out at the cash register.».
You mentioned that the Shaman may disappear after the end of the SVO. That is, how – it was, and it wasn’t?
Regarding whether he will disappear or not disappear... Let him live, who is he bothering? And most importantly, you know, there is such an interesting point, returning to the conversation about envy - how can you envy any other artist, because a holy place is never empty. There cannot be an empty place on the stage. But if not this one, then the other one, if not the other one, then the third one.
We have a huge country. 150 million people. They buy tickets. He is in Yaroslavl - Petya is in Murmansk. Petya is in Murmansk, and Kolya is in Izhevsk. Therefore, what does it mean to envy?
And whether he disappears or doesn’t disappear, well, at least he should think, of course, that his puppeteers, on whom he relies so much, are temporary workers. Because there are no eternal people in these offices. These offices, where the leaders change.
These temporary workers will leave their offices because this is the dialectic of bureaucratic life. And they are dragging the Shaman because they are covering their ass for all the failures in working with the creative elite and for the fact that such a large number of honored people’s artists, with orders and medals, fled abroad.
So they are promoting this artist, without in any way participating in his career, but simply picking up a derivative of someone else’s work.But this young artist is contrasted with the industry, with his colleagues... How will he then look them in the eye? You understand that, no matter how cynical this word may sound, they will take revenge on him for everything that happened these two years. When these puppeteers from different towers put him in defiance of all respected colleagues. These respected colleagues sang so many hits!
And you read what the websites write and what his flock writes. But we know that these are his PR people. Even this situation regarding LGBT (recognized as prohibited in Russia - ed.) - it was his PR service that launched it. Because they need to maintain interest in him. They even did this.
And the fact that they launch all these: “in France they fainted from the songs of Shaman","America is waiting for Shaman","Shaman sang the anthem with the president“That’s all his PR service is doing. But the only thing they don’t understand is that such pressure, such a fountain, like any full-flowing river, will sooner or later dry up and turn into a trickle. But it’s better to spread out: “the sea spreads wide.” Remember the classics?
And most importantly: I remove subjectivity, judgment and the possibility of different interpretations of my words. I provide only specific facts. Judge for yourself. You asked me questions, I answered them. But he answered with facts.
Good luck to you!
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.