Soviet postage stamp depicting traditional musical instruments of Belarus

Belarus is an Eastern European country which has a rich tradition of unique folk and religious music. Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Religious music (also sacred music) is Music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence The country's folk music traditions can be traced back to the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje In the 20th century, the Soviet control of the country somewhat limited musical development because nationally oriented music was considered subversive and dangerous to the Soviet authority. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. The country's musical traditions spread with its people to countries like Russia, Canada, United States, Kazakhstan, Latvia and Ukraine [1]. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Latvia ( Latvija officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republika is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The people of Belarus were exposed mostly to Russian pop music during this period and also after independence in 1991. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. In 2002, however, Alexander Lukashenko has signed a decree requiring 50% of all FM broadcast music to be Belarusian in origin, and since January 1, 2005 the rule was made even stricter (75% of daily broadcast music must be Belarusian). See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko (Аляксандр Рыгоравіч Лукашэнка Aljaksandar Ryhoravič Lukašenka/Alyaksandar Ryhoravich Lukashenka; Александр Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Though it doesn't regulate songs language, so most of broadcast music is still in Russian.

Folk music

Documentation of its music stretches back to at least the 15th century. Prior to that, skomorokhs were the major profession for musicians. The skomorokhs (Sing скоморох in Russian, скоморохъ in Old East Slavic, скоморaхъ in Church Slavonic) were Medieval A neumatic chant, called znamenny, from the word 'znamia', meaning sign or neume, used until 16th century in Orthodox church music, followed by two hundreds of stylistic innovation that drew on the Renaissance and Protestant Reformation. Neumes are the basic elements of Western and Eastern systems of Musical notation prior to the invention of five-line staff notation Znamenny Chant (Знаменное пение знаменный распев is a singing tradition used in the Russian Orthodox Church. The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time In the 17th century, Partesnoe penie, part singing, became common for choruses, followed by private theaters established in cities like Minsk and Vitebsk. As a means of recording the passage of Time, the 17th Century was that Century which lasted from 1601 - 1700 in the Gregorian calendar Minsk (Мінск mʲinsk Минск mʲinsk is the Capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach and Niamiha rivers Vitebsk, also known as Vitsyebsk ( Belarusian: Ві́цебск 'vʲitsʲepsk Russian: Ви́тебск Vitebsk

Worth noting is Stary Olsa a modern folk band that revives the old melodies of the medieval Belarus (Grand Duchy of Lithuania). Stary Olsa (Стары Ольса is a Belarusian Medieval folk band The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lietuvos Didžioji Kunigaikštystė old literary Lithuanian Didi Kunigiste Letuvos, Ruthenian: Wialikaje Kniastwa Litowskaje The band uses authentic instruments that they made themselves based on the old designs from the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The folk-rock band Kriwi is another notable example of a contemporary band that creates music based on old Belarusian folklore music. KRIWI is a Belarusian folk and rock band The band name literally means "a person belonging to the ancient Belarusian tribe of Kryvians quot

20th century

In the 20th century, the first secondary education institute in Belarus was founded (1924) and the first operas (Mikhas Podgorny by E. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Australia See also Education Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto Tikotsky, In Virgin Forests of Polesie by A. Bogatryev and The Flower of Happiness by A. Turenkov) and ballets (The Nightingale by M Kroshner). Ballet as a Musical form is a musical composition intended for ballet performance.

Soviet period

Main article: Soviet music

Later in the century, American rock and roll became popular while the country was a part of the Soviet Union. Soviet music is the music composed and produced in the USSR. It varied in many genres and epochs Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Popular rock bands included Verasy, Siabry and Pesniary. Pesniary (also spelled Pesnyary) Belarusian: Песняры pʲesʲnʲa'rɨ is a legendary group from the Soviet Union born in the( Byelorussian SSR) Pesniary was probably the best known Belarusian band in the Soviet times and was very popular in USSR for several decades, specially in early 80's.

After independence

Belarus gained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union and new bands appeared, including N.R.M., ULIS, Little Blues Band, The Stoks, Tornado, Krama and Neurodubel. NRM ( Niezaležnaja Respublika Mroja) is a Rock band from Minsk, Belarus, founded in 1994. ULIS is a Belarusian rock band singing in Belarusian language Tornado ( Serbian Cyrillic: Торнадо is a Serbian metal band Krama (Крама is a Belarusian Rock band founded in 1991. Albums "Хворы на рок-н-рол" ( Sick for Modern pop stars are also well-known, including Boris Moiseev and Lyapis Trubetskoy (though they tend to orient themselves toward Russia and Russian speakers). Boris Mikhailovich Moiseev Борис Михайлович Моисеев (born March 4, 1954, Mogilev, Belarus) a Dancer Lyapis Trubetskoy (Ляпис Трубецкой is the most famous Belarusian Rock band. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending There are also electronic music performers like Autism, Energun 22, h. h. t. p. . Worth noting is Drum XTC performs live drum'n'bass. Around 2002 a new generation of electronic bands appeared, organized by Electrokids promo-group, including the groups like Randomajestiq, Stone People, Dreamlin, T-Trider, CherryVata and Koordinate of Wonders. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Electrokids - promo group that promoted electronic music in Minsk, Belarus. Randomajestiq is music project of musician Vladimir Hropov Vladimir was born in 1976 and is currently a sound designer composer and producer Dreamlin is an electronic music group from Belarus. Dreamlin hailing from Minsk, Belarus started when Denis «C4» Korabkov who used to play guitar Koordinate of Wonders is a two person Electronic music project from Minsk, Belarus.

N. R. M. is probably the best-known rock band of the late 90's and 00's.

In 2003, Belarus took part in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Junior Eurovision Song Contest ( sometimes known as Junior Eurovision or JESC is an international song contest which has been organised by the European Broadcasting Union Their participant, Volha Satsiuk, came in 4th place. Volha Satsiuk (Вольга Сацюк born on August 2, 1993 in Kobrin, Belarus) is a Belarusian child singer In 2004 Belarus made it to the semifinals of the regular Eurovision Song Contest. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The country was represented by a duo Alaksandra i Kanstantsin, who failed to reach the final. Nevertheless, they won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2005 the following year, with Ksenia Sitnik's song, 'My Vmeste'. The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the third Junior Eurovision Song Contest for young Singers aged 8 to 15 Ksenia Sitnik (Ксения Ситник sometimes also transliterated as Kseniya Sitnik or Xenia Sitnik born on 15 May 1995 in Mozyr

Overall, Belarusian rock musicians and fans find life in Belarus today no less difficult than in the USSR era, many of the bands can never get to FM or any state-sponsored event, they can't rent music halls for their concerts. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Belarusian authorities continue to dislike rock music, preferring to promote folk or "Slavic" music at the country's top musical event -- the state-sponsored Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, an annual pop and folk music festival in Vitebsk. The International Festival of Arts "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" (Международный фестиваль искусств «Славянский базар в Витебске» Vitebsk, also known as Vitsyebsk ( Belarusian: Ві́цебск 'vʲitsʲepsk Russian: Ви́тебск Vitebsk Instead, the biggest and most famous festival of Belarusian rock music takes place outside of Belarus, in Gródek (Belarusian: Haradok, Гарадок), northeastern Poland, a small town some 40 kilometers east of Białystok -- the center of Podlasie Voivodship, which is inhabited by a 200,000-strong Belarusian minority. Gródek may refer to the following places Gródek Lower Silesian Voivodeship (south-west Poland Gródek Podlachian Voivodeship (north-east The Belarusian language, or Belorussian,(беларуская мова BGN/PCGN: byelaruskaya mova, Scientific: belaruskaja mova Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Białystok Lublin Voivodeship Białystok (also known by alternative names) is the largest City in northeastern Poland. The festival, held in July every year since 1990, is organized by the Belarusian Union of Students (BAS) in Poland. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The official name of the event is the Music Festival of Young Belarus or Basovišča ("BASS" + suffix "-ovishcha", alt. Basóvišča (ba'sovʲiʂtʂa Music Festival of Young Belarus — the festival of Belarusian alternative and rock music which is annually conducted by Belarusian Association spelling Basovishcha, Basoviszcza). Some rock music fans dubbed it "Belarusian Woodstock. "

Belarusian rap

Belarusian rap dates back to the early - mid 90's and has produced three waves of Belarusian rappers. Having evolved around a most influential rap crew of the mid 90's Udar Bandy (Удар банды, The Gang Strikes) and their associates Ё. Б. Т. В. О. Ю. М. А. Т. Ь. (S. C. R. E. W. Y. A. M. O. T. H. E. R. ), the first wave was a movement of the most numerous, committed and impassioned rappers in Belarus (born in the late 70's - early 80's). Originating from the city of Lepel, Udar Bandy recorded two amateur highly acclaimed tape albums that were recopied, changed hands massively and produced a great effect on the youth trapped in a disorienting crime and poverty striken environment. In 1997, after recording a controversial studio album Uroki Rasslableniya (Уроки расслабления, Chill Out Lessons) Udar Bandy disappeared from the scene to reemerge in 2007 as the core of a creative alliance called Da Joint with the debut album Vikhod (Выход, A Way Out).

Among other influential rap artists of the mid 90's are Teoria Tmy (Теория тьмы, Darkness Theory), Kat, Ghetto Mentalitet (Гетто менталитет, Ghetto Mentality), Miatezhniky (Мятежники, Rebels), Lisy Dil (Лысый Дил, Baldie Dil) and many more.

The most prominent events of this period include underground hip-hop parties carried out at the Rezervatsya (Резервация, Reservation) club in Minsk and Krapiva-98, a hip-hop festival that drew the entire movement to its apogee.

However, a great start was followed by a détente, after which most of the old school rappers went underground.

The second wave was led in Minsk by Oleg Litvinuk, a person who tried to turn hip-hop into a business and provided an incentive for an array of mostly ephemerous rappers and rap crews. The rap creativity substantially decreased. However, this wave still managed to produced a number of prominent rappers reminiscent of the old school era. By 2005, most of the old school and second wave rappers disappeared. Among the rappes who emerged during the second wave are Nestandartny Variant (Нестандартный вариант, Irregular Variant), who later became a most acclaimed Belarusian pop-rap crew.

The third wave has developed around a Belarusian rap source bratinfo. com and is represented by young (born in the late 80's - early 90's) rappers. Some of the new artists are as charismatic and committed as the old school pioneers, others are more into diss and bling-bling rap.

See also

• Belarusian rock
• Soviet music

External links

• Belarusian Music Links
• Basoviszcza Rock Fest — the Belarusian Woodstock