Anempadystau: "Art doesn't provide answers. It raises questions"
The European Radio for Belarus interviews artist and poet Mikhal Anempadystau on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Narodny Album (People's Album).
Masha Yarr, ERB: What is Narodny Album for Mr Anempadystau? Does the "good wine" rule works for it?
Mikhal Anempadystau: It is a very professional question. It is easy to answer. Yes, it works! To put it plain, the concerts are useful to musicians in the first turn. They seem to have stopped rehearsing. Naturally, they gain more experience and confidence with every concert. Therefore, they get some space for improvisations and jokes. From my point of view as a MC, it is becoming more and more difficult to comment on the same thing over and over again.
ERB: What is Narodny Album for you?
M.A.: With your permission, I will not answer this question... I fear those tricky questions from journalists. Frankly, I don't know what to say.
ERB: In your opinion, what is the best song in this album? What is Mr. Anempadystau's favorite track?
M.A.: "Simple Words" is no doubt the best and the most favorite song. Nothing to add.
ERB: Would you like to change anything in the Narodny Album? Perhaps, you would like to invite someone to sing or remove or add someone?
M. A: Liavon Volski who has done a lot for this album and has been the main character on the scene believes that nothing should be added. I think he has a point. Narodny Album is a totally complete product. But various improvisations are possible at every different concert. And we never know what will happen. That's the best part of it!
ERB: Given that the public has received the album warmly after 10 years, the question is: is it possible to make a tribute to these legendary songs in the future?
M.A.: I always like the idea of tributes, even if we are not talking about Narodny Album. I think that tribute is rather a cultural and creative thing than simply music. It allows to link different people, different styles and different generations. Tributes are absolutely necessary for culture, in general, and music, in particular, to exist. As for the Narodny Album, I would only welcome this idea!
ERB: Could you name the musicians you would feel interested in working on the tribute with?
M.A: I could, but I won't, because I must sit down and think first. Otherwise, I would simply name the people who are presently in my head. However, the first name that comes to my mind is Rusya because I have recently talked to her. Varashkevich (KRAMA) because he came to support us all at the Fortuna Club. IQ48, because I write texts for them. At any case, they would be the people I know. However, I am confident that there are many more worthy people whom I don't know unfortunately.
ERB: You write the texts for a wide range of singers from Kasya Kamotskaya to IQ48. Do you have your favorite music styles?
M.A.: I'm not a slave to certain styles. It is good if you have a style, because it shows that you have a taste and understanding of what you do. Lately, I have not listened much to the agressive music, because I have enough negative emotions, anyway. Actually, I like the music whereby texts are important. It is hard to say what music I am listening to. Sometimes, I listen to my daughter's music, because she saves her music on my computer. It can really be fun sometimes!
ERB: Just imagine a situation: you are told that the Belarusian culture is nothing but a fusion of the Polish, Jewish and Russian cultures... What is your opinion about this statement?
M.A.: Actually, I would agree, but I would add right away that any culture is a synthetic thing. There is no culture in the world that was shaped without an influence from other cultures. All the neighboring cultures to Belarus were shaped under the influence of the others. That's the fact.
ERB: If a foreign citizen asked Mr Anempadystau who he was, what would you answer?
M.A: I would just try to joke away. It is a rhetorical question. One can wait for the answer to this question all the life through.
ERB: Art does not give answers. It raises questions. This is a common European tradition.
Masha Yarr, ERB: What is Narodny Album for Mr Anempadystau? Does the "good wine" rule works for it?
Mikhal Anempadystau: It is a very professional question. It is easy to answer. Yes, it works! To put it plain, the concerts are useful to musicians in the first turn. They seem to have stopped rehearsing. Naturally, they gain more experience and confidence with every concert. Therefore, they get some space for improvisations and jokes. From my point of view as a MC, it is becoming more and more difficult to comment on the same thing over and over again.
"Simple Words"
ERB: What is Narodny Album for you?
M.A.: With your permission, I will not answer this question... I fear those tricky questions from journalists. Frankly, I don't know what to say.
ERB: In your opinion, what is the best song in this album? What is Mr. Anempadystau's favorite track?
M.A.: "Simple Words" is no doubt the best and the most favorite song. Nothing to add.
ERB: Would you like to change anything in the Narodny Album? Perhaps, you would like to invite someone to sing or remove or add someone?
M. A: Liavon Volski who has done a lot for this album and has been the main character on the scene believes that nothing should be added. I think he has a point. Narodny Album is a totally complete product. But various improvisations are possible at every different concert. And we never know what will happen. That's the best part of it!
There will be a tribute to Narodny Album!!!
ERB: Given that the public has received the album warmly after 10 years, the question is: is it possible to make a tribute to these legendary songs in the future?
M.A.: I always like the idea of tributes, even if we are not talking about Narodny Album. I think that tribute is rather a cultural and creative thing than simply music. It allows to link different people, different styles and different generations. Tributes are absolutely necessary for culture, in general, and music, in particular, to exist. As for the Narodny Album, I would only welcome this idea!
ERB: Could you name the musicians you would feel interested in working on the tribute with?
M.A: I could, but I won't, because I must sit down and think first. Otherwise, I would simply name the people who are presently in my head. However, the first name that comes to my mind is Rusya because I have recently talked to her. Varashkevich (KRAMA) because he came to support us all at the Fortuna Club. IQ48, because I write texts for them. At any case, they would be the people I know. However, I am confident that there are many more worthy people whom I don't know unfortunately.
ERB: You write the texts for a wide range of singers from Kasya Kamotskaya to IQ48. Do you have your favorite music styles?
M.A.: I'm not a slave to certain styles. It is good if you have a style, because it shows that you have a taste and understanding of what you do. Lately, I have not listened much to the agressive music, because I have enough negative emotions, anyway. Actually, I like the music whereby texts are important. It is hard to say what music I am listening to. Sometimes, I listen to my daughter's music, because she saves her music on my computer. It can really be fun sometimes!
“Art doesn't provide answers. It raises questions…”
ERB: Just imagine a situation: you are told that the Belarusian culture is nothing but a fusion of the Polish, Jewish and Russian cultures... What is your opinion about this statement?
M.A.: Actually, I would agree, but I would add right away that any culture is a synthetic thing. There is no culture in the world that was shaped without an influence from other cultures. All the neighboring cultures to Belarus were shaped under the influence of the others. That's the fact.
ERB: If a foreign citizen asked Mr Anempadystau who he was, what would you answer?
M.A: I would just try to joke away. It is a rhetorical question. One can wait for the answer to this question all the life through.
ERB: Art does not give answers. It raises questions. This is a common European tradition.
