About Me
Kola Beldy, the first professional folk song singer of the North nations, was Nanai. The history of this people was dramatic and full of secrets. Archaeologists would have to answer many questions about history of Gold empire and Bohai kingdom in the Far East, where Nanai ancestors Jurchin lived. They made metals and cultivated and soil, they were travellers, sellers and soldiers, had schools and towns. Academician A.Okladnikov, the historian and archaeologist expressed a high opinion of culture of the native nations and compared it with ancient Greek and Roman culture.
About 780 yers ago Mongolian soldiers destroyed Jurchin state in older to begin war against Russia. Those who stayed alive, hid near rivers and lakes, in taiga and mountains of the Far East. They called themselves Nanai, Udeghei, Orochi...
But traditional songs, legends and musical instruments stayed in far off national villages. Such isolation from European and Asian culture helped the native nations of the North and the Far East to keep up their own ancient culture.
The creative group had make the folk songs more clear for listeners. The most beautiful girl from the North in her traditional clothes would look strange among Europeans, so as the folk song. That's why it has changed some of its features, but it is lasy, has simple humor and something savage as before. It's exotic character we can notice owing to the real antique musical instruments, unique melodies and rhythms. The unique hand-made musical instruments have been never heard by listeners before. Let's meet some of them.
Duen'te ( that's a Nanai word and Ulchis name it "Udyadyapu") is an antique ritual percussion instrument, emitting sounds of different pitch. It's made of a dry log of fir (2-3 m length) by hollowing out gaps. Duen'te was used for "talks" with a spirit of bear, called the master of taiga, so it was decorated by carved bear's head. It sounded during all national holidays. Kun'kai is made of bones, bamboo or metal, it emits vibrating and howling sounds. An-other people call such kind of musical instruments "Homus" or "Vargan". Yang'pa is a ritual shaman's belt with jingling metal brackets, their sounds drive evil spirits away.
Unch'kchu is shaman tamburine or drum. An experienced musician can make it to hiss like a snake or to sound like a silver gong, to soothe the ear or to frighten.
Kola Beldy took part in finding and arrangement of folk songs of the native nations. He tried to show specific national colour of melodies and mode, treated to folk songs very tactfully, kept their peculiarity and his fine voice made them better. Such musicians as A.Lavrov, E.Babkin, Y.Arsenov, V.Bondarenko helped him. The songs were translated into Russian by L.Polin and M.Vladimov. The creative group would not be satisfied it only Ulchi and Chukchi liked the songs.
Kola Beldy's concert programme was a success in 46 countries. The folk songs of the Norh became variety items owing to his talented singing, and many folk dance groups use them during their concerts. We hope that the folk songs of the native nations of the North will be interesting for listeners. Kola Beldy once sang the songs with group of M.Vodopyanov in Paris during a concert, organized by "Umanite", in which artists from many countries took part. Of course, they hoped to be a success, but they were very surprised, when the public stand up. A festive Yukagir song "The Ocean" was taken for Anthem ! Young people danced to the Ulchi song "Greeting" and asked to give the Saami song "White Island" as an encore. They had understood shaman's prayer about... love without any translation.
G.Garanyan, a composer from Moscow, listened elements of swing music and a musician A.Lavrov found features of rock. V.Bondarenko, a composer From Khabarovsk, popular musician from the Far East, have made a conclusion that rhythms and mode of the folk songs are unique.
Undoubtedly, this music will attract attention of composers, musiciats, ethnographists, anthropologists and researchers of culture of the native nations of the North.
Olga Beldy
