Kiselyov about Shaman: “He hasn’t done anything for the country yet... He’s not Leps, not Kirkorov, not Basque!”
One of the most harsh and uncompromising critics of the newly-minted pop star Shaman is businessman, philanthropist, musician, creator of the popular group "Zemlyane" and shareholder of the holding company "Russian Media Group" Vladimir Kiselev.
In an interview with PolitNavigator, he explained why he believes Yaroslav Dronov's popularity is phony, and what goals the "puppeteers" promoting the project called Shaman are actually pursuing.
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've seen how the legend of Shaman performing the Russian anthem duet with the president has spread. The respected newspaper Kommersant, led by Mr. Kolesnikov, writes that "the president performed" the anthem for the first time. Moskovsky Komsomolets also reports the same . This is confirmation.
Illustration courtesy of the press service
I've already said that I consider it utterly disdainful, disrespectful, and perhaps even a kind of rebellion to lip-synch one's own country's anthem. At the same time, pushing respected leaders, who certainly don't understand the matter, to make statements like " heart-wrenching, touched by his sublime artistry, " and so on.
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?
People often pick on my phrase " Kremlin product ." Firstly, we have many Kremlins: the Novgorod Kremlin, the Kazan Kremlin—call it what you will. Secondly, this artist is contrasted with the entire creative elite, all his creative colleagues. And this is further proof of exactly what you're asking.
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 to say, " Well, now he can't be criticized ." But we know, unfortunately, about his predecessors: Isinbayev, Khamatov, and so on down the list...
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, what does it mean to be a musician? It's understandable if an artist goes out to Red Square, Luzhniki Stadium, or VDNKh, performs with children and young people who have come from the new territories, been waiting for the concert to begin. It's a big celebration for them. They come out to sing their home country's anthem live, and they're joined by someone who lip-syncs. And then, to hide this, they simply edit the sound, and it turns out that Shaman is singing the entire anthem, not the children from the new territories.
As for his vocal level, I can tell right away why. Just watch his concert in St. Petersburg, at Gazprom Arena. He performed, for example, with Alexander Yakovlevich Rosenbaum, a 70-year-old bard who mostly sings his own works to the guitar. And the difference is immediately apparent!
This squeaky, half-whispering, half-slanderous voice couldn't even sing Lebedev-Kumach's great song, and just listen to how Alexander Yakovlevich sings it. Well, there you have it. The emperor, it turns out, has no clothes!
An important point: at any concert, event, or gathering, all of his songs sound absolutely identical. No singer, no matter how great, can sing the same song every time! Even Iosif Davydovich Kobzon added something new, some twist to his performance, at every concert . Any musician loves to do that. And here, it's just like that: 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, judging and criticizing a rider is a nasty business. Every artist asks for what they want. But there's just one small "but." In the halls he fills, for example, in Novosibirsk, even the concert report reads: " several hundred spectators at the Novosibirsk House of Scientists... "
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, crucially, having imposed himself on the city authorities, like Chichikov, like Khlestakov , "a person close to the emperor," that's where these demands come from. Because the money here is budget money. And, most importantly, this is money that doesn't reach our pensioners, that doesn't reach public sector employees.
Because some executives decided to curry favor with Moscow courtiers from RaznoBashen or the Ministry of Culture, who foisted this artist on him as "close to the emperor." A Khlestakov, pure and simple, of 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? What do I have to envy? I've been in the business for 50 years. Can you imagine how many young artists have already passed before me? If I envied everyone, I'd probably be consumed by my bile. I'd be completely dried up 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, and Gagarina travel with us to various events, various promotions, and then suddenly they're offered some newcomer—I repeat, not a creative assessment, but a newcomer—to act as their entourage. They're supposed to rock the crowd with their performance, so that Shaman goes last . For what 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 kind of random career turn could there be? It's a different matter that any career, if we're talking about the laws of show business at all, is a very interesting component. Any career is easy to explain once it's established. But no one knows how to kickstart it. Of course, it's not just impossible, it's impossible by definition, for a person off the street to experience such a push in opposition, in contradiction to the artistic environment. Behind every artist is a puppeteer. So there's nothing surprising about this.
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 over two years, and not a single song of his has taken off , despite all this pressure from Zen in his favor, daily articles with crazy headlines. Again, we're talking about puppeteers. Do you understand who gives Zen commands, who's Zen's subordinate? He was bought by VKontakte. And who runs VKontakte? There's proof for you.
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 do " number one " and " most popular " mean? Even when advertising sewage treatments, medical products, or constipation pills, you can't claim they're "number one." Advertising law prohibits calling the advertised item "number one." You can call it "better," "one of the best," "good," or "correct," but there's no such thing as "number one."
Especially the texture – " patriotic artist number one ." And where's Gazmanov? And Leps? And, finally, Iosif Davydovich Kobzon, and Lev Leshchenko with his song " Victory Day "? How can anyone be a number one artist if Lev Valerianovich Leshchenko is alive, and may God bless him.
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 perform in stadiums, like Zemlyane, Ruki Vverh, Basta, and Leps. Not those pseudo-concerts where they brought in budget performers and handed out invitations. Sell tickets—that's the best measure of an artist's popularity. As the old artists used to say: " Everyone's cool, but the coolest ones are the balls. And there are even cooler ones, we'll figure it out at the box office ."
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 juxtaposition of this young artist with his colleagues... How will he look them in the eye? You understand, no matter how cynical it sounds, they'll take revenge on him for everything that happened these past two years . When these puppeteers from various towers pitted him against all his respected colleagues. Those respected colleagues, they sang so many hits!
Just read what the websites and his flock are writing. But we know they're his PR people. Even this whole LGBT situation ( recognized as illegal in Russia – ed. ) – it was his PR team that started it. Because they need to maintain interest in him. They even did that.
And the fact that they're launching all this: " France fainted at the songs of Shaman ," " America is waiting for Shaman ," " Shaman sang the national anthem with the president "—it's all his PR work. But they don't understand one thing: such a force, such a fountain, like any full-flowing river, will sooner or later dry up and turn into a trickle. Better yet, spread out: "the sea stretches wide." Remember the classic?
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!
English version :: Read in English Kiselev about Shaman: "He hasn't done anything for the country yet... He's not Leps, not Kirkorov, not Baskov!"