Otava Yo

Otava Yo (Russian: Отава Ё, ота́ва meaning "aftergrass"[1]) is a Russian folk rock band from Saint Petersburg, formed in 2003.[2]

Otava Yo
Background information
OriginSaint Petersburg, Russia
GenresFolk rock, world music
Years active2003–present
Labels
Associated actsReelroadъ
Websiteotava-yo.sbp.ru
MembersMembers

The band has performed in 30 countries,[3] including Mexico, France, Estonia, China, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, The Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Belgium, Norway, India, the United States, the UK, Italy, Denmark, Iran and Japan.[4]

History

Alexey Belkin, Alexey Skosyrev, Dmitriy Shikhardin, and Peter Sergeev worked together as buskers on the streets of St. Petersburg for about 3 years. The positive feedback from the listeners inspired them to officially form a band in 2003. Of the initial members, only Dmitriy had formal musical education; the rest were self-taught.[1] Initially the band was called Reelroadъ and they played The Pogues-styled Celtic punk, but later changed their name to Otava Yo and turned to Russian traditional music.[5]

In 2005 they released their first studio album “Pod Aptekoj”,[6] named after their favourite street performance spot by a homeopathic pharmacy on Nevsky Prospect.[5] Four years later, in 2009, Otava Yo released their second studio album "Zhyli-byli", continuing into a musical direction they called "Russian beat".[6]

The next Otava Yo's album “Rozhdestvo” of traditional Christmas songs released in 2011, marked a deviation from their characteristic musical direction, that they ultimately returned to on their 2013 album "Chto za pesni".[6]

The band's breakthrough came with the video for the song “Sumetskaya”, featuring Russian fist fighters.[5] In 2015 “Sumetskaya” reached the No. 1 position on World Music Network’s February Video Chart and had been viewed for more than 36 million times on YouTube,[4] a number that reached 14 million in 2018, setting the record as the most watched music video by a Russian folk band.[3]

In october 2018 Otava Yo released their album "Lyubish li ty?" had entered the mixing and mastering stage.[7] On September 30, 2018 the band released a video for the song "Kak na gorke, na gore" (Once Upon a Time on a High Hill) filmed at the Podporozhsky District in June from the upcoming album.[8]

Members

Current Members

  • Alexey Belkin – vocals, bagpipes, gusli, zhaleika
  • Alexey Skosyrev – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Dmitriy Shikhardin – vocals, fiddle
  • Yulia Usova – vocals, violin (2011–present)
  • Lina Kolesnik – vocals, violin (2019–2021; substituting for Yulia Usova on maternity leave)[9]
  • Petr Sergeev – bass drum, darabouka
  • Vasiliy Telegin – bass guitar (ca. 2019–present)[10][11]
  • Denis Nikiforov – drums (ca. 2019–present)[10]

Past Members

  • Svetlana Kondesyuk - bagpipe, flute (2003-2009)
  • Natalya Vysokikh – violin (2003–2010)
  • Timur Sigidin – bass guitar (2009–ca. 2019)[12]

Discography
Title Translation in English Album details[13]
Под аптекой
(Pod aptekoj)		 By the Pharmacy
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: None
  • Format: CD
Жили-были
(Zhyli-byli)		 Once Upon a Time
  • Released: 2009
  • Label: None
  • Format: CD
Рождество
(Rozhdestvo)		 Christmas
  • Released: 2011
  • Label: None
  • Format: CD
Что за песни
(Chto za pesni)		 What Songs
  • Released: 2013
  • Label: None
  • Format: CD
Лучшие песни 2006—2015
(Luchshie pesni 2006—2015)		 Best Songs 2006–2015
  • Released: 2015
  • Label: None
  • Format: CD/DVD
Дайте маленькое времечко весёлому побыть!
(Dayte malenkoe vremechko vesyolomu pobyt!)		 Give just a little time to be merry!
  • Released: 2015
  • Label: None
  • Format: CD/DVD
Любишь ли ты?
(Lyubish li ty?)		 Do You Love?
  • Released: 2018
  • Label: None
  • Format: CD

Videography

Awards and nominations
Year Song Award Category Result
2017 Oh, Dusya, my Marusya NYC Indie Film Award[14] Best Music Video Won
Maykop International Film Festival Best Music Video Won
Russian World Music Awards[15] Best Music Video Won
2018 BELIFF London International Film Festival[16] Best Music Video Won
Once Upon a Time on a High Hill Los Angeles Film Awards[17] Best Music Video Won
2019 California Music Video Awards[18] Best Foreign Language Video Won

References
  1. Peleckis, Mindaugas (January 31, 2019). "OTAVA YO: True Russian folk music, not just another balalaika orchestra (interview)". Radikaliai. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  2. "Otava Yo". Womex. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  3. Vinogradov, Sergey (May 26, 2018). "Otava Yo: Svirels and gusli win the world". Russkiy Mir Foundation. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  4. "Otava Yo RUS". Suklegos. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  5. Mukhin, Zakhar (May 22, 2017). ""Otava Yo": There is no musical confrontation between St. Petersburg and Moscow" (in Russian). Kulturomania. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  6. "Otava Yo". Earthbeat. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  7. "Otava Yo tells about the new album "Lyubish li ty?"" (in Russian). Kulturomania. August 3, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  8. "Otava Yo released a new videoclip for "Kak na gorke, na gore"" (in Russian). Musecube. October 5, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  9. "Отава Ё - Всероссийский утренник (Otava Yo - concert for children)". Otava Yo. May 10, 2020.
  10. "Corvus Corax & Otava Yo, Zelyonka, Зелёнка". Зелёнка / Zelyonka / Отава Ё / Otava Yo. April 12, 2019.
  11. "About us". Otava Yo. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  12. "About us". Otava Yo. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  13. "Audio". Otava Yo. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  14. "Winners - June 2017:". NYC Indie Film Awards. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  15. Antipova, Daryana (December 5, 2017). "Winners of The 2nd Annual Russian World Music Awards Announced". World Music Central. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  16. "The BELIFFestival Winners". BELIFF London International Film Festival. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  17. "LAFA WINNERS October 2018". Los Angeles Film Awards. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  18. "2nd Annual California MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS Winners Announced". TasteTV. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
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