Zoopark (band)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Defunct | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) , Russia (then Soviet Union) |
Key people | Mike Naumenko, Aleksandr Khrabunov |
| Products | Rock music albums |
Zoopark () was an influential rock ensemble that played a crucial role in initiating the golden period of rock music in Russia. Established in 1981, the band included vocalist and songwriter Mike Naumenko, guitarist Aleksandr Khrabunov, alongside other artists. Their debut album, All Brothers Are Sisters, was produced in 1978 near the Neva River in Leningrad (currently Saint Petersburg), collaborating with Boris Grebenshchikov and incorporating atypical percussion contributed by acquaintances.[1] Naumenko’s style emphasized electrified hard-core blues fused with Russian poetic lyrics, earning a loyal fanbase within the underground music community.[2] His musical inspirations encompassed artists such as Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, T. Rex, B.B. King, and Chuck Berry.[2]
Legacy
Naumenko’s untimely death in 1991[3] abruptly ended his artistic journey. He is honored as a trailblazer of Russian rock music, with his birth anniversary observed in various clubs across St. Petersburg and numerous commemorations including a novel published in 2009 and a "blues opera" that debuted in 2011.[4] A comprehensive compilation of Naumenko’s literary works—featuring his samizdat rendition of Richard Bach's Illusions—was slated for release in 2015.[4]
Discography
- 1981: Blues de Moscou
- 1983: Small Town Called N (Уездный город N)
- 1984: White Stripe (Белая полоса)
- 1985: Life in the Zoo (Жизнь в Зоопарке)
- 1987: W
- 1987: Illusions (Иллюзии)
- 1991: Soundtrack for the movie (Музыка для фильма)
External links
- ↑ Rybin A., Startsev A., eds. and authors, with A. Lipnitsky. Mike from Zoopark (in Russian). Tver: Lean, 1996. ISBN 5-85929-004-7.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Urban, Michael, with Andrei Evdokimov. Russia Gets the Blues: Music, Culture, and Community in Unsettled Times. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2004. pp. 32, 90, 93. ISBN 0-8014-4229-X
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmike-zoo.kiev.ua - ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chernov, Sergey (April 18, 2012). "Unexposed genius: Musicians will gather this week to remember the late Zoopark singer Mike Naumenko". The St. Petersburg Times.