Revelations of Olga Podluzhnaya: “I don’t need a millionaire, but I don’t need a beggar either!” Olga Podluzhnaya Uutai: “Ukrainian blood flows in me, but my soul is Yakut”

Olga Podluzhnaya is a famous khomus player, laureate of many international festivals ethnic music, finalist of the Miss Virtual Yakutia 2010 competition.

Playing the khomus by Olga Podluzhnaya is something absolutely fantastic: the sounds of a small musical instrument awaken in your imagination the whole world: animals, people, nature, various actions and much more.

A girl with Ukrainian roots who became a real Yakut - how she managed to become strong and achieve success in her creativity, despite family troubles.

-What were you like as a child? Tell about your family?

As a child, I drew, sang, and danced a lot. I have always been drawn to creativity. I was born and raised in Yakutsk, so despite the fact that I am Ukrainian by blood, I consider Yakutia my Motherland and I am never going to leave it. My parents moved from Ukraine to Yakutia 30 years ago. My dad then worked as a signalman and was often sent on business trips. It so happened that everything worked out for him here at work and he was offered to stay, later my mother moved to Yakutsk and at the age of 40 she gave birth to me in Yakutsk. And there are four children in our family. Everyone lives in Ukraine, one brother lives in Kazakhstan.

— How did you connect your life with music?

One day, quite by accident, my mother heard on the radio about enrollment in the Higher School of Music, which was just opening that year. My mother and I went for an interview, which I successfully passed. I was 7 years old then. It is clear that at this age the child does not make decisions himself. But I am eternally grateful to my mother for this choice.

— How were your years studying at a Canadian school?

I studied in a piano class, additionally attended a khomus club, studied the Yakut language and the culture of the peoples of the North. I remember the first day of school. We were all crying, we were scared, we were all around strangers. But I quickly got used to it; on weekends I didn’t even want to go to my parents. I thought that I would be bored at home, because there was no one for me to play with. Mostly there were children from uluses and did not know Russian. I consider myself very lucky, because now Yakut is my native language. There were no difficulties. The language itself entered my head. For me, these years were happy, I was surrounded by your peers and everyone was interested in music, and we were never bored. The whole republic placed it on us big hopes. We studied in two shifts. From 9:00 a.m. until lunchtime we had music lessons. From 14:00 to 18:00 — general subjects. And after dinner we again engaged in self-preparation. Some managed to play instruments until late at night. We were raised like strong personalities and high-class musicians.

— It seems to me that this is a very tough regime for children

Maybe. But how else? Everything is achieved through work. You could say it was survival of the fittest. Some left in the first grade, others left in the fifth. It was difficult for some children to get used to it; their parents took them back home. To be honest, I also had a question about leaving, since I had serious problems with health. But I myself insisted on staying and continuing my studies at school. Overall, I had wonderful years of my life at the Canadian school. We lived as one big family. This school has given me a lot, for which I am eternally grateful.

All my life I had excellent student syndrome; all the time I was in school, I cried because of B grades.

All my life I had excellent student syndrome; all the time I was in school, I cried because of B grades. But still, I graduated with honors from a Canadian school, and after that I decided to play it safe and get a more vital life higher education. I entered the St. Petersburg University of Trade Unions at the department of social cultural activities, and after graduation also to the Academy of Management with a degree in public municipal management, also in St. Petersburg. But in the end, no matter how you look at it, I stayed with the music. Soon I was invited to Ayarkhaan, where I began to engage in creativity. I am grateful to Albina Degtyareva for teaching us a lot.

— With two higher educations! So why didn't you choose a more stable job?

Many work outside of their specialization. I tried to get a job public service, I was looking for a job in the field social culture, but didn’t find something suitable for myself. I worked in education and also worked in an office. IN to a greater extent higher education was my mother's whim. I received these diplomas, but in the end they still didn’t give me anything.

— Why did you choose khomus and not piano?

In 2006, during my second year, I underwent major surgery. They discovered a cyst in my head. After the surgery, it became difficult for me to remember tunes to play the piano. Then fate brought me together with Ayarkhaan. I realized that khomus is mine. I didn’t want to return to the ranks of pianists. Khomus opened up more opportunities for me. Probably because by playing the khomus you can show your individuality. I can play out absolutely any of my fantasies. Khomus changed my life. After all, it opened up a whole world for me.

— When did you make your debut on stage?

Of course, I consider the “Polar Star” competition, in which I participated in 1998, to be my debut on stage. I performed with khomus and a song about the Siberian Crane. She went on stage dressed as a crane crane and won first place. Since then they call me the girl with wings. I believe that that very performance brought me good luck in my work. After all, there is a Yakut belief: a person who sees the dance of Siberian Cranes at least once in his life will know true happiness. Also, in addition to this competition, when I was still in school, we traveled to other cities and countries to all the different festivals and competitions. At one of the largest international competitions I took third place in piano.

My cheek is always bleeding, my fingers are cut from playing the khomus.

— How is the day of a creative person going?

When everything is on Friday normal people They begin to rest, and for us artists, work begins. And from Monday to Thursday it’s preparation. I prepare new costumes, write songs, go to the gym to keep in shape. In general, I’m preparing for work mentally and physically. Many people think that artists have an eternal holiday, but in fact, our work is also a lot of hard work. No one will ever buy me a new khomus or give me a stage costume. My cheek is always bleeding, my fingers are cut from playing the khomus. You could say I earn money with my blood and sweat. At performances, I give myself 100% to the audience, I give the listeners particles of my energy. When performing, you should always be sincerely happy, otherwise you won’t get a good performance. After three performances a day, I come home late at night exhausted. The work of an artist is a lot of mental work.

— Do you have a hobby besides khomus?

All my hobbies are creativity. Now I am starting to position myself as a singer. I sing songs not only in Yakut and Russian, but also in Ukrainian. I started writing my own songs. You should always try something new. Talented people a lot, there will always be someone more talented, prettier and bolder. An artist's popularity does not last forever. Therefore, you always need to create something new. I'm always looking for new sounds.

— How do you see yourself in 20 years?

In 20 years, like any woman, I want to be a beloved wife and caring mother. Sooner or later I will focus only on my family. In the future, as now, I wouldn’t want to run around taking orders and performing at corporate events when I’m over 40 years old. I am a creative person who has felt the taste of freedom, and I probably won’t be able to work in an office anymore. I would like to take up teaching in the future or open my own small business. But until I met that same person.

—You were already married, weren’t you?

Yes, I was married 2 times. I got married for the first time at 21. I started dating a man who was 8 years older than me. My parents didn’t allow me to live with this man; they told me only after the wedding. So we hurried, not getting to know each other well. And I’m young, stupid - I had my own assertive character, and ex-husband provided for me, I lived in his apartment, he always poked me with this and did not allow me to express my opinion. In the end it didn’t work out and we got divorced. We lived together for 1 year. After that, I no longer wanted to get married. But I now have a goal! I realized that I had to work to have my own apartment, my own car. I started working a lot and saving money. After some time, I bought an apartment with a mortgage, then a car on credit. But all by herself! I became independent and independent thanks to my first husband. Any mistakes provide good life experience.

- What about your second marriage, why did you get divorced?

The second time I stepped on the same rake... I hurried again. We got married on March 7, 2014, and broke up on May 2, 2014. We met him in August 2013 and started dating in November. He began to look after him beautifully, besides, he is also a musician and it seems like we found mutual language. Just 4 months later, he made me a beautiful marriage proposal. So I melted, I thought that I was already 28 years old, it was probably time to get married.

Sometimes he was annoyed that I made more money from performing than he did. All this gave him no rest, he began to spread rot on me and put a spoke in my wheels.

But this time everything turned out the other way around. Perhaps I felt overly confident with him. Firstly, I was 6 years older, and secondly, I already had my own apartment, a car, but he had nothing. Plus to all this - after the wedding he began to be jealous of everything. Sometimes he was annoyed that I made more money from performing than he did. All this gave him no rest, he began to spread rot on me and put a spoke in my wheels. In general, I also learned a lesson from this. We need to find the berries of our field. Perhaps I'm wrong again. I don’t need a millionaire, but I don’t need a beggar either!

- How do you see an ideal man?

Just recently I met a woman I didn’t know at the airport, we got into such a conversation that I told her about my fate. She told me that I have no luck with men because I myself don’t know who I would like to meet. But fate itself does not know, and you need to give it hints. And recently I sat and made a list of how I would like my ideal husband to be. I made a list of 100 points, thereby visualizing my ideal. I would like to meet a man who stands firmly on his feet, and who makes me feel like a gentle, calm woman next to me. I don't want to feel like the breadwinner in the family. Now I'm like a man! I do my own repairs, earn money, fix my car. I feel like I'm losing my feminine essence. Therefore, I really miss a confident man who could protect me.

Now I'm like a man! I do my own repairs, earn money, fix my car.

My parents are very upset. Now they are already 70 years old. Of course, they dream of grandchildren. It so happened that all my brothers and sister live in other cities. I wouldn't want to have a baby just for myself. I want a full-fledged family, I deserve it. I know that there is a person who will make me happy someday.

— If you were asked to describe yourself, what would you say?

Many people think that I am arrogant. Men are afraid to get to know me. I do not know why. I don't understand where this opinion came from. But I consider myself a good man. They may throw stones at me now, but it’s true. I am very economical and kind, I have no enemies. The only downside is that I don't have a hard one life position. Sometimes I get thrown from side to side. I don't have people who can tell me what to do right.

- What about friends?

I don't have such friends. I'm an introvert by nature open man, but I don’t let people get close to me. I don't have friends with whom I could call up and chat about everything all day. I believe that no one is interested in my worries and problems. People love happy people, and I'm still unhappy. I always keep everything to myself. Of course, maybe this is wrong, and maybe that's why people think I'm arrogant. I don’t like drinking, parties, or any social parties. I do not need this. I am a home person, I like to sit in my cozy apartment.

— How do you feel about the fact that various popular ratings periodically call you the sexiest woman?

Mean different tops beautiful people Yakutia (laughs)? Of course it's nice. But honestly, it's kind of funny. We don't have show business. We have more pathos than action. Of course, like any girl, I am pleased if they write about me that I am beautiful. But I'm not a star. The stars are only in the sky, and I'm simple creative person. I never praise myself, I am grateful to heaven for giving me talent.

— And the last question: what are your plans for the future?

I'm flying to Lebanon this week for eye surgery. I have a thin cornea, unfortunately, in Yakutsk they told me they couldn’t do the surgery. At the same time, I’ll rest abroad and gain strength.

As soon as I land, I’ll get creative. In March I am planning my solo concert at the theater. I've never had one before solo concert in a large room. I also plan to release a video and my album. Later she should star in a film by a foreign film director who will fly to Yakutsk in the summer. Film in dramatic genre will talk about Yakutia and the fates of 9 women. Of course, I will also not forget about my personal life. On this moment my heart is free. But I will do everything in time, I will succeed!

IA SakhaNews. Playing the khomus Olga Podluzhnaya- this is something absolutely fantastic: the sounds of a small musical instrument awaken images as ancient as the world in your imagination, transport you to the distant past, to the very thick of the battle - and you clearly hear the ringing of batas, the whistling of arrows, battle cries booturov, the sound of the wind in the tall grasses, the neighing of horses - all the music of the cruel, dramatic age of “Kyrgys yete”! She also has lyrical compositions. This is what our heroine herself told a SakhaNews correspondent Olga Sergeeva.

– Before a performance, I think through each of my compositions with my eyes closed, because it is impossible to play the same sketch in the same way. There are points of support: the cries of birds and animals. And khomus is a continuation vocal cords, it becomes your voice, whatever your vocal abilities are, so are the sounds of the khomus.

Before playing “The Battle of Warriors,” I imagine heroes, a wild ride, the howl of a wolf, the trampling of hooves, and I select techniques for how to depict all this. The ringing of iron on a khomus is difficult to convey, so I hit the tongue of the khomus with a metal ring, and then the desired sound appears. You won't be able to write this down on notes.

– What are your lyrical compositions about?

– “Voices of Heaven” is a song about high blue sky, in which free birds circle, this is the capercaillie mating in the taiga, the cry of the Siberian Cranes - Slow music, performed on a high khomus. (Khomus has a different tonality, which depends on the structural features of the instrument. There is a khomus with a low, velvety sound and a high melodious khomus, which has a soft tongue that vibrates when the musician inhales. -SN.)

The composition “The Play of Water,” where I experiment with sound, exists only in audio recording; it is impossible to play this at a concert. I take some water into my mouth and play. It’s dangerous - you can choke, and it won’t look very good on stage. But the music is amazing...

– Which compositions do listeners like best?

– Compositions based on striking a clamped tongue (imitation of the clatter of hooves), melodies with a complex, rich rhythmic pattern, similar to the beating of drums, go “with a bang” at weddings and anniversaries.

– When did your passion for music begin, because you also play the piano?

– Once, when I was six years old, I helped my mother peel potatoes for Olivier dinner. New Year's table. May be, New Year's atmosphere influenced me, charm winter evening, but suddenly poems were born to me “ New Year in the sea", which featured mermaids, octopuses and others sea characters. I immediately read them to my mother. She decided that the child’s abilities needed to be developed, and at the age of seven I was accepted into the Higher School of Music of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the piano class.

Studying at GSOM was very interesting, it was a fun time and at the same time it was a test of strength, after all, for nine months a year you live in a boarding school, without your parents and brother. I learned from the village kids Yakut language, and I have them - Russian. Very strong teaching staff closed world schools give a lot, people with established character come out of its walls.

I am a professional pianist, but I am more attracted to khomus. Also because it is difficult for a pianist to find work; they are a dime a dozen in Yakutsk. I learned to play the khomus from a great master Albina Mikhailovna Degtyareva, to whom I am very grateful.

I recently recorded the album “Umai”. Umai in the mythology of the ancient Turks is a goddess personifying the feminine earthly principle and fertility. The patroness of warriors, she was considered the wife of Tengri (Heaven). The image of Umai is also genetically connected with the Iranian mythological bird Khumai, which, casting a shadow on a person, makes him happy.

– What does your pseudonym Uutai mean?

– To call yourself Umai would be somewhat arrogant and immodest. (Laughs). Translated from Yakut into Russian, uu means water, tai means guess, ay means create, it turns out Uutai.

- A childhood experience poetry remained the first?

– I still write, the result of participation in the competition on the Internet was the publication of my poems in the international almanac “Golden Stanza - 2009”. I also really like to draw and do, let’s say, home design. I restore old furniture, painted the walls in the toilet before throwing it away old thing, I'll think about it a hundred times, I'll give it to her new life, I will make it a decoration for the house.

– What plans do you have for the near future?

– I want to publish collections of poetry and get a driver’s license. Driving a car is an absolute necessity, because you have to carry costumes to concerts. Art and creativity occupy most my life, so I don’t plan anything else for now. Although I dream, and hope that this dream will come true, about marriage and children. But the time for this has not yet come.

– What do you wish to young readers of SN?

– I wish to live every day and hour in such a way as not to regret later about wasted time. There is no need to set boundaries or limits on your creativity, hurry up to live and love, think positively, and then everything will work out. When I participated in the Miss Virtual Yakutia 2010 competition, I did not have enough points to qualify for the finals. And then I called Chief Editor newspapers "Ona+" Lyudmila Nikolaevna Levina: despite the lack of points, I was chosen “Miss She+”! Lyudmila Nikolaevna became a kind genius for me. If this is not a confirmation of the universal law of attraction of good, then what is?

Photo from the personal archive of O. Podluzhnaya.

Reference

Graduated Higher School music of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in 2004. Student of the correspondence department of the Yakut branch of the St. Petersburg Academy of Management and Economics.

Works as a methodologist at the Yakut branch of the St. Petersburg Academy of Management and Economics.

Laureate of numerous republican, all-Russian and international competitions and festivals of live ethnic music, both in solo performances and while working as part of the trio of khomus players “Ayarkhaan”.

She started with victories in the republican television competition “Polar Star” in 1997-1998. The highest award in solo performance was the award of the Grand Prix of the talent competition in Syktyvkar (Komi Republic, 2002).

Laureate republican competitions performing arts (in the piano category), laureate international competition pianists in Vorzel (Ukraine, 2004)

Poems by Olga Podluzhnaya from the almanac “Golden Stanza-2009”

My khomus

Lives in your magical sounds.

Sing, khomus, open the door for me,

To a world where we don’t know about torment...

You sing in the night with moonlight,

Play on the strings of wild grass,

The river sounds like a noisy stream.

And even if the whole world is wrong now...

I'll take you in my palms,

I'll put it on your hot lips

And with a light breath the world of harmonies

I'll wake you up in a second...

Show me the color of spring,

Draw me the heat of summer,

And a riot of colors on an autumn day,

And the wonderful shine of snow in winter...

Sing, my khomus, you know

What is going on there, in my soul!

Blizzard, blizzard...Do you understand?

Oh give me wings! I'm a bird!

And we will fly with you into the sky,

And we will boldly drown in the brilliance of the stars!

Where can I find peace now?

I flew too high...

Window

A tired janitor scrapes the dirt on the street.

And outside the window everything is gray and nondescript.

Yes, I was not mistaken: spring is coming

And the sky is wrapped in a transparent veil.

Passers-by are running somewhere to nowhere,

On the sidewalks, trampling your problems into the mud,

And I'm sitting alone by the cloudy window,

I write ridiculous poems without meaning and without theme.

And today I dreamed of you

In a delirious unreal dream

And this day was illuminated with that feeling,

Which then I gave to you.

But everything will pass and dissolve

In the humid fog outside the window.

I don't want to fall in love again

And get burned again by your fire.

Look, I'm writing to you again,

And you won't remember my name.

I will give spring to myself,

Love non-existent in the name.

Losses

I'm in the bustle of treacherous days

I didn’t find any pleasure -

Gusts of wind and shadows

I was misled.

And meeting your cold gaze,

Permeated with deaf peace,

The soul went into a minor mode,

Having experienced autumn binges:

I wasted away by yellow leaves

And she died in bright colors.

Circled quietly above the earth,

Like a poet's strange dream.

I was dried up by the languid wind

And she cried with the rain of loss.

And not singers, and not poets

Don't sing about my extravaganzas.

I write words... Rhyming feelings,

I was saturated with alienation.

I knit poems not for art,

And for earthly pleasure.

But in the bustle of treacherous days

Such thoughts are inappropriate.

Gusts of wind and shadows

They won't leave me a place in life.

Sky

I wish I could fly straight into this sky,

Like a river of Japanese frescoes.

Forget that you were not with me,

And there is no place for pain.

But again my heart is in pieces

Not for the first time, but for the last time.

Enough! I've reached the point -

I'm in this sky, and now!

Today our guest at "Notebook of Yakutsk" is the artist Olga Podluzhnaya Uutai. This girl captivated the whole world with her performance on the khomus; the video of her performance at the concert in Aldan received millions of views in social network Facebook and became a hit on Youtube.

It’s as if the wild one lives inside the performer, pristine nature Yakutia, and her soul seems to pour out on stage, turning either into a wolf or into a wild horse. It's amazing that one person can do all this. This is probably what the ancient Udagans were like. "Notebook Yakutsk" decided to introduce its readers to the talented artist better.

The video of your performance playing the khomus in Aldan has received millions of views. What do you think is the reason for success?

It’s difficult to say what exactly is the reason for the success and so many video views on the world wide web. I can only imagine a few possibilities: firstly, there is the ever-growing interest in jew's harp music around the world. It is known that almost all peoples on the entire planet have a harp, it just looks and is called differently, but without losing its main essence. For the Germans it is a maultrommel, for the Americans it is a harp, for the Japanese it is a mukkuri, for the ancient Slavs it is a harp, and so on, not to mention Turkic peoples.

Today, more than ever, ethnic music, both in its original authentic form and in its modern presentation, evokes in people strong interest. Perhaps, due to the oversaturation of the music market with all sorts of genres, experiments, and sometimes indigestible formats of music, which led to a thirst for something truly ancient, primordial and unshakable. And here Jew's harp music is that fresh breath of natural sound in a great variety of synthetic electronic styles. Nowadays, for many, jew's harp music appears as exotic, new, something out of the ordinary, but in fact, “everything new is well forgotten old.” The jew's harp is the voice of the ancestors; people did not yet know how to speak, but perhaps even then they “pulled chips on the stump”, producing sounds similar to the harp.

How did the Aldan public receive you? Do you often go to uluses for concerts?

The Aldan public received me very warmly, cordially and hospitably. I often visit the Aldan region to give performances; I really love visiting Aldan residents. This is a special people, kind, sympathetic, attentive, caring. Touring there, performing for the Aldan public is a pleasure. In general, I don’t often go on tours within the republic; as a rule, these are not very remote settlements, since, due to a spinal injury, I can’t stand the long shaking along our legendary roads very well, or I fly to distant uluses by plane.

How much preparation time does it take to perform one such number?

Preparation and honing of skills last a lifetime. Each performance opens new facet, gives new ideas, improves old skills. In general, in music, I believe there is no limit to perfection; you cannot stop and say: “Well, that’s it, I’ve reached the top, now I’m a super-khomus player.” If a person thinks so, it means he has stopped evolving in his business, and therefore, he begins to degrade. Only moving forward and eternal search gives the opportunity to improve oneself, grow, and enjoy new things.

In which country, in which city do you get the most feedback from the public?

It is impossible to grade the emotional response of the public by geographic location. Everywhere, all over the world, the jew's harp touches the most subtle and ancient strings of a person's soul, awakens a certain gene code in him, the music of the harp is understandable to everyone, it has no restrictions on language, race, gender or religion. Khomus is a world instrument that sings in all languages, in the language of Nature itself - our mother.

Playing the khomus often shocks uninitiated people and makes them experience a variety of emotions... Have you ever had such cases?

There is no arguing about tastes, and there will always be those people for whom jew's harp's ethnic music is not to their liking or simply too tough for them. To read, you need to learn letters, and to perceive such music, you need to be close to nature. Or you can always find an approach to any listener, since the jew's harp is combined with almost all directions and genres of music, from symphony orchestra, through jazz and western, to electronic trance treatments. Everyone can find something to their liking and as they understand, there is a desire, as they say. I met different reactions to the sound of khomus, and laughter, and tears, and applause, and deathly silence... But it was always sincere, from the very depths of the soul, and always with reverent respect for this magical, so small, but so powerful instrument.

Yakutia is still thought of stereotypically even in central Russia. The residents of the republic love their culture so much and emphasize it everywhere that they sometimes think of us as if we drink kumiss every day and wear national clothes. At the same time, the republic is becoming economically developed, in terms of IT technologies and openness... What do you think, how should Yakutia be known in the world?

Yes, despite the fact that our Yakutia is such a huge, rich and economically important region of Russia, unfortunately, not everyone in Russia itself knows about it, or knows, but somehow distortedly. People still think that we live side by side with bears and deer and kick diamonds. And this is doubly offensive in the age of the Internet and Google. First of all, it is a duty and honor for every Yakut citizen to carry with dignity the proud name of his republic to the whole world, to tell and show what kind of magical land, I quote the words from my song “the world of magical flowers and endless snow...”, glorify with your behavior and your culture ancient land Sakha. Only if we ourselves love our homeland, protect, appreciate, develop, only then will the whole world know about it and love it.

The Yakut people respect and love you very much, they recognize you as one of their own, because you master the Sakha rear and perform native Yakut music. Some even say that you belong more to the Sakha people than the Russian-speaking Yakuts; they condemn those who cannot speak native language. And then it arises difficult question about self-identification. Who do you think you are? And how do you feel about such criticism?

It is the right and freedom of every person to choose which language to speak. I believe that we should not judge people who do not speak their native language, we don’t know true reasons of this, we do not know their circumstances, the reasons for this ignorance, the main thing is that they are happy and healthy. To paraphrase Goethe: “The number of languages a person knows is the number of times he is a person.” I am a person 4.5 times (smiles): I know Russian, Yakut, Ukrainian, English, and I myself am studying Italian at the moment. I consider myself a “baahynai”, a half-breed, or, correctly speaking, a “half-hearted”, so to speak (smiles). Pure Ukrainian blood flows in my veins from the very depths of Ukraine, but my soul is purely Yakut, my homeland is Yakutia, I was born and raised here, I am imbued with the spirit of this land, nature. The soul was given to me here.

What do you like most about the culture of the Sakha people?

It is impossible to single out one thing as a whole great culture Sakha. This is the same as asking a person what he likes most about being a person. I adore my culture from A to Z. Language, music, dance, mentality, color, patterns, nature, everything that is connected in one way or another with living culture in its most diverse, multifaceted manifestations. The deep, original philosophy of Sakha culture will always remain an ancient mystery that is never fully explored, exciting the minds and hearts of all people.

Do you remember your first acquaintance with khomus?

The first acquaintance with the sound of khomus took place on the radio waves of the republican radio, when they played recordings of the great Petra Ogotoeva. Then, at the age of 6, I listened to these magical sounds from the radio as if spellbound and dreamed of khomus. My dad brought me khomus from a business trip to the uluses, and I haven’t let it out of my hands for 24 years now. Then fate itself introduced me to the most talented and experienced craftsmen khomus, performers from whom I greedily absorbed all the knowledge, forming my own individual style over the years and searching for my own musical path.

Musicians are very careful when choosing an instrument. Guitarists, for example, can talk for hours about the pros and cons of a particular guitar. How do khomus players determine the best instrument for themselves?

Every khomus player, in search of his master and his instrument, should try the Jew's harp "to the teeth", perhaps in this search you will play on a hundred khomuses until you find yours. Your khomus itself will choose you, like Magic wand in "Harry Potter". It is impossible to make a strict recommendation, or rely on a brand, only “he who seeks shall find it.”

How did you come up with the idea of combining khomus playing with electronic motifs?

The vibrations of the khomus, its sound sometimes resembles the sound electronic guitar, its cosmic sound is very harmonious and in tune with modern electronic music, it was just a matter of time when these two principles - the arch-ancient and the ultra-modern - would merge in one stream, once again proving the eternal relevance and “omnivorous” versatility and aesthetic plasticity of the jew's harp.

What are you listening to? free time, besides jew's harp music?

I give greater preference to mantras performed Dev Premal. This is a singer German origin, who had so absorbed the culture of India and the philosophy of Buddhism that she even outwardly began to look like an Indian. Music changes a person so much! Even externally. As in my case, over the years everything more people they tell me that I have become like a Sakhalar woman, many are sure that the blood of Sakha flows in my veins, to which I answer that I have the spirit of Sakha in my body, which is even cooler (laughs). This kind of imprint can be left on you by what you do with special passion and devotion, and even change your appearance.

What do you do when you get tired of music? Do you have any hobby?

I don’t get tired of music, you can’t get tired of it, it’s everywhere, it’s in everything, I hear music not only in nature, the sound of wind and water, birdsong, but also in the urban city, in the sounds of cars, construction, wires, and even dripping faucet and refrigerator (smiles). Sometimes I even sing to a vacuum cleaner, each vacuum cleaner has its own one humming note, and so I take it as a basis, like counterpoint, and apply motives and melodies to this hum. Even cleaning is a joy, I recommend it to everyone (laughs). You just need to not only hear, but also listen. I have a lot of hobbies; if I have free time, I go to the gym (and then to the music), embroider, draw, write poetry, dance, assemble huge mosaics.

Do you have a favorite khomus player that you look up to?

Honestly, I don’t look up to anyone, and I even try not to listen to other performers, so as not to involuntarily adopt something of their originality from them, thus preserving the uniqueness of my style. IN ethnic music, I believe there cannot be strict rules and laws, that’s why she folk music that from soul goes, it is always improvisational in nature, individual, not subject to frameworks and cliches.

What are your future plans?

The less they know about your plans, the greater the chances of success. And, to be honest, I don’t really like planning. We believe, and God has it, why make the heavens laugh with our fragile human “plans”... Everything will be as it should be. I will work further, more, perform, do concerts, write albums, shoot videos, look for new things.

Our immediate plans are to continue working together with my wonderful colleague, friend, mentor, honored artist of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), extremely talented beautiful Saina. We began our work in tandem with a tour of the Mirny district, which was very successful. We are currently working on our brand and first big concert in Yakutsk “Northern Muses”, which will take place on April 30 at the Palace of Culture named after. Kulakovsky, within the framework of which we will give residents and guests of the capital not only many new solo and joint creative discoveries and surprises, but also the premiere of our first music video for Republic Day for my original song “My Yakutia”. Despite our busy concert tour schedule, Saina is now in Moscow, and I’m in Almaty, filming at the studio Natalia Lopatina CamVideo is in full swing. All communities of the republic are involved, from Evens and Yukaghirs, Ukrainians and Cossacks, to Armenians and Tajiks.

Our multinational Yakutia is, first of all, rich in people who live in it, preserve their traditions, and revere the culture of Sakha. “We are all children of the same land” - these are the words of the chorus of our song, which precisely define our kinship, love and mutual respect.

Would you like to receive support from the Government of Yakutia to further promote Sakha culture?

Of course, I would like to enlist the support of our government agencies in such a good cause as propaganda and acquaintance of the whole world with our wonderful republic, with our Yakutia. Of course, personal initiative, dedication native culture, patriotism and love for one’s Motherland is very good and deserves respect, but it is also worthy and deserves help and support. Let's hope for joint cooperation, exchange of ideas and opportunities in the name of the brightest goals, because for some reason we were given this life, in fact so fleeting, and leaving our good mark on it for future generations, preserving and increasing it is the purpose of every person .

Today our guest at "Notebook of Yakutsk" is the artist Olga Podluzhnaya Uutai. This girl captivated the whole world with her khomus playing; the video of her performance at the concert in Aldan received millions of views on the social network Facebook and became a hit on Youtube.

The wild, pristine nature of Yakutia seems to live within the performer, and her soul seems to pour out on stage, turning either into a wolf or into a wild horse. It's amazing that one person can do all this. This is probably what the ancient Udagans were like. "Notebook Yakutsk" decided to introduce its readers to the talented artist better.

The video of your performance playing the khomus in Aldan has received millions of views. What do you think is the reason for success?

Today, more than ever, ethnic music, both in its original authentic form and in its modern presentation, arouses strong interest among people. Perhaps, due to the oversaturation of the music market with all sorts of genres, experiments, and sometimes indigestible formats of music, which led to a thirst for something truly ancient, primordial and unshakable. And here Jew's harp music is that fresh breath of natural sound in a great variety of synthetic electronic styles. Nowadays, for many, jew's harp music appears as exotic, new, something out of the ordinary, but in fact, “everything new is well forgotten old.” The jew's harp is the voice of the ancestors; people did not yet know how to speak, but perhaps even then they “pulled chips on the stump”, producing sounds similar to the harp.

How did the Aldan public receive you? Do you often go to uluses for concerts?

How much preparation time does it take to perform one such number?

Preparation and honing of skills last a lifetime. Each performance opens up a new facet, gives new ideas, improves old skills. In general, in music, I believe there is no limit to perfection; you cannot stop and say: “Well, that’s it, I’ve reached the top, now I’m a super-khomus player.” If a person thinks so, it means he has stopped evolving in his business, and therefore, he begins to degrade. Only moving forward and eternal search gives the opportunity to improve oneself, grow, and enjoy new things.

In which country, in which city do you get the most feedback from the public?

Playing the khomus often shocks uninitiated people and makes them experience a variety of emotions... Have you ever had such cases?

There is no arguing about tastes, and there will always be those people for whom jew's harp's ethnic music is not to their liking or simply too tough for them. To read, you need to learn letters, and to perceive such music, you need to be close to nature. Or you can always find an approach to any listener, since the Jew's harp is combined with almost all directions and genres of music, from a symphony orchestra, through jazz and western, to electronic trance arrangements. Everyone can find something to their liking and as they understand, there is a desire, as they say. I met different reactions to the sound of khomus, and laughter, and tears, and applause, and deathly silence... But it was always sincere, from the very depths of the soul, and always with reverent respect for this magical, so small, but so powerful instrument.

Yes, despite the fact that our Yakutia is such a huge, rich and economically important region of Russia, unfortunately, not everyone in Russia itself knows about it, or knows, but somehow distortedly. People still think that we live side by side with bears and deer and kick diamonds. And this is doubly offensive in the age of the Internet and Google. First of all, it is the duty and honor for every Yakutian to carry with dignity the proud name of his republic to the whole world, to tell and show what a magical land there is on earth, I quote the words from my song “the world of magical flowers and endless snows...”, by his behavior and glorify the ancient land of Sakha with their culture. Only if we ourselves love our homeland, protect, appreciate, develop, only then will the whole world know about it and love it.

The Yakut people respect and love you very much, they recognize you as one of their own, because you master the Sakha rear and perform native Yakut music. Some even say that you belong more to the Sakha people than the Russian-speaking Yakuts; they condemn those who cannot speak their native language. And here the difficult question of self-identification arises. Who do you think you are? And how do you feel about such criticism?

It is the right and freedom of every person to choose which language to speak. I believe that we cannot condemn people who do not speak their native language, we do not know the true reasons for this, we do not know their circumstances, the reasons for this ignorance, the main thing is that they are happy and healthy. To paraphrase Goethe: “The number of languages a man knows, the more times he is a man.” I am a person 4.5 times (smiles): I know Russian, Yakut, Ukrainian, English, and I myself am studying Italian at the moment. I consider myself a “baahynai”, a half-breed, or, correctly speaking, a “half-hearted”, so to speak (smiles). Pure Ukrainian blood flows in my veins from the very depths of Ukraine, but my soul is purely Yakut, my homeland is Yakutia, I was born and raised here, I am imbued with the spirit of this land, nature. The soul was given to me here.

What do you like most about the culture of the Sakha people?

It is impossible to single out one thing in the whole great culture of Sakha. This is the same as asking a person what he likes most about being a person. I adore my culture from A to Z. Language, music, dance, mentality, color, patterns, nature, everything that is connected in one way or another with living culture in its most diverse, multifaceted manifestations. The deep, original philosophy of Sakha culture will always remain an ancient mystery that is never fully explored, exciting the minds and hearts of all people.

Do you remember your first acquaintance with khomus?

The first acquaintance with the sound of khomus took place on the radio waves of the republican radio, when they played recordings of the great Petra Ogotoeva. Then, at the age of 6, I listened to these magical sounds from the radio as if spellbound and dreamed of khomus. My dad brought me khomus from a business trip to the uluses, and I haven’t let it out of my hands for 24 years now. Then fate itself introduced me to the most talented and experienced khomus masters, performers from whom I greedily absorbed all the knowledge, forming my own individual style over the years and searching for my own musical path.

Every khomus player, in search of his master and his instrument, should try the Jew's harp "to the teeth", perhaps in this search you will play on a hundred khomuses until you find yours. Your khomus will choose you on its own, like the magic wand in Harry Potter. It is impossible to make a strict recommendation, or rely on a brand, only “he who seeks shall find it.”

How did you come up with the idea of combining khomus playing with electronic motifs?

The vibrations of the khomus, its sound sometimes resembles the sound of an electronic guitar, its cosmic sound is very harmonious and in tune with modern electronic music, it was just a matter of time when these two principles - the arch-ancient and the ultra-modern - will merge in one stream, once again proving the eternal relevance and “omnivorous » the versatility and aesthetic plasticity of the jew's harp.

What do you listen to in your free time, besides jew's harp music?

I give greater preference to mantras performed Dev Premal. This is a singer of German origin, who has so absorbed the culture of India and the philosophy of Buddhism that she even looks like an Indian. Music changes a person so much! Even externally. As in my case, over the years more and more people tell me that I have become like Sakhalyarka, many are sure that the blood of Sakha flows in my veins, to which I answer that the spirit of Sakha is in my body, which is even cooler (laughs ). This kind of imprint can be left on you by what you do with special passion and devotion, and even change your appearance.

What do you do when you get tired of music? Do you have any hobby?

Do you have a favorite khomus player that you look up to?

Honestly, I don’t look up to anyone, and I even try not to listen to other performers, so as not to involuntarily adopt something of their originality from them, thus preserving the uniqueness of my style. In ethnic music, I believe, there cannot be strict rules and laws, that’s why it is folk music, it comes from the heart, it is always improvisational in nature, individual, not subject to boundaries and cliches.

What are your future plans?

My immediate plans are to continue working together with my wonderful colleague, friend, mentor, Honored Artist of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), an extremely talented and beautiful Saina. We began our work in tandem with a tour of the Mirny district, which was very successful. Now we are working on our brand and the first big concert in Yakutsk “Northern Muses”, which will take place on April 30 at the Palace of Culture. Kulakovsky, within the framework of which we will give residents and guests of the capital not only many new solo and joint creative discoveries and surprises, but also the premiere of our first music video for Republic Day for my original song “My Yakutia”. Despite our busy concert tour schedule, Saina is now in Moscow, and I am in Almaty, filming by Natalia Lopatina’s CamVideo studio is in full swing. All communities of the republic are involved, from Evens and Yukaghirs, Ukrainians and Cossacks, to Armenians and Tajiks.

Would you like to receive support from the Government of Yakutia to further promote Sakha culture?

Of course, I would like to enlist the support of our government agencies in such a good cause as propaganda and acquaintance of the whole world with our wonderful republic, with our Yakutia. Of course, personal initiative, devotion to one’s native culture, patriotism and love for one’s Motherland are very good and deserve respect, but this is also worthy and deserves help and support. Let's hope for joint cooperation, exchange of ideas and opportunities in the name of the brightest goals, because for some reason we were given this life, in fact so fleeting, and leaving our good mark on it for future generations, preserving and increasing it is the purpose of every person .