Image for Vopli Vidopliassova’s Tantsi

Vopli Vidopliassova’s Tantsi

Part of the 33 1/3 Europe series
See all formats and editions

Rock ‘n’ roll may not have toppled the USSR, but it definitely rumbled through its foundations.

Unlike the often-saccharine pop music sanctioned by the Soviet state, Ukrainian punk musicians of the 1980s Kyiv underground adapted ideologies of rock to roast the absurdities of late Soviet life, to articulate new ways of being Ukrainian, and to celebrate the cathartic pleasures of collective gatherings organized around musical performances. This book tells the story of Tantsi (Dances) a 1989 semi-official cassette release by the now-legendary Ukrainian punk band Vopli Vidopliassova, known to fans simply as VV (pronounced “Ve-Ve”).

Their disruptive musical sounds, ironic lyrics, use of language, and propulsive performances toyed with the distinctions between official and unofficial Soviet culture.

VV's Tantsi exemplifies how Soviet musical cultures existed within an ecosystem of contradictions as entrenched state infrastructures collided with emergent youth subcultures on the quicksand of late Soviet life.

Today, Tantsi continues to invite us to dance while we laugh (or cry) at the absurdities of everyday life.

Read More
Available
£13.59 Save 20.00%
RRP £16.99
Add Line Customisation
4 in stock Need More ?
Add to List
Product Details
Bloomsbury Academic USA
1501363115 / 9781501363115
Paperback / softback
15/06/2023
United States
English
192 pages : illustrations (black and white).