Reel:
"We are strange people..."
REEL - is a surprising group. Probably, it is the most "Russian" and "global" project at once of all our collectives playing world music. REEL appeared in 1998 as the creative union of already enough known Petrozavodsk musicians Alexander Leonov, Arkady Sokolov and Alexey Derevlev, and in 2000 the group was added up to a quintet (+ Sergey Sheljapin, + Olga Gajdamak). Karelia in general - and Petrozavodsk in particular - a musical land, home of lots of known folklore and rock groups.
Originality of REEL - in the special approach to creative process. That is musicians themselves write in the booklet to the first album "Strannye Lyudi" ("Strange people"): «In an extreme antiquity people wandered all over the world looking for the better lot. Their songs also wandered together with people. Taking roots in this or that part of the world, they enriched local song traditions. This idea of the certain spiritual wandering, interosculation of different musical cultures is a basis of an album». You will not tell more precisely. Music of REEL - the thin net twisted of:
a) authentic song material of the North of Russia;
b) entire collection of instruments, both classical and ethnic, from exotic lands of the Earth;
c) musical education that allows to vary easily styles, rhythms and harmonies, to improvise, breathe in a unison on a stage and in studio.
Having met on crossroads of time and space at the certain time and in the certain place, REEL mates create their own unheard traditions - on the basis of all cultural heritages, left to us by mankind. In an arsenal of the group there are four (!) High-grade voices, and Alexander Leonov uses also throat singing which he learned in Tuva at once and with suspicious easiness; cosmopolitan set of percussions - African, Latinas, Indian, European; numerous national instruments handmade by Alexander - various wooden wind instruments, the Karelian violin "Youkhikko" and even a saw; classics - guitars, violin, contrabass, flute; and there is some electronics. All of these points are wonderfully keeping in harmony with each other, and in an interlacing of sounds it is possible to find out both folk and funk, rock-and-roll and jazz, shaman conjuration and harmonies of classical music ... all of this is REEL. We know that great future is waiting for them. Now do get acquainted to them!
Press release from the label
Wa-Ta-Ga a.k.a REEL The Songs of Russian NorthWa-Ta-Ga is both a Russian and deeply World Music project. This group comes from Petrozavodsk, Karelia, the region where rich musical traditions of Finnish and Russian cultures have been preserved and interacted for centuries.
Wa-Ta-Ga’s music is a sublime network made of three basic components authentic songs of the Russian North, unlimited variety of instruments from classical violin etc. to exotic things from various corners of our planet, and proficiency that allows the Wa-Ta-Ga merge styles, rhythms and harmonies.
The group sings with four distinct voices. In particular Alexander Leonov uses Tuvan throatsinging technique which he learned from Tuvans. The group features cosmopolitan percussion that embraces Africa, Latin America, India, and Europe. Alexander Leonov is also a master craftsman there are wooden blown instruments, Karelian “youhikko” violin and musical saw that he made. Guitars, violin, acoustic bass, and flute contribute to the overall sound so that it becomes both genuine and easily accessible listening experience. There is an unpredictable harmony in this variety, while the musical architecture may be found to contain elements of folk, funk, rock’n’roll, jazz, Siberian shamans’ chant and classical music harmonies.
Wa-Ta-Ga musicians say "In the times of old, people traveled the world to find their luck. Songs traveled along with them. Sometimes these songs were able to find new soil for them to get rooted, and in this way they enriched local traditions. There is the idea of a spiritual journey, the interaction of various cultures".
Wa-Ta-Ga started in 1998 as a collaboration of experienced musicians of Petrozavodsk Leonov, Sokolov and Derevlev. At that time, they were called "Reel". In 2000, Shelyapin and Gaidamak enriched the group’s sound with bass and violin. In 2002, the group recorded their first album called "Strannie Ludi" (Strange People).
