BN/De Stem, 
4 May 2000 
Yuri Naumov

Performance of Russian bluesguitarist in Para Breda

Poison translated into feelings of fear

This Sunday afternoon the Russian 'one-man-band' Yuri Naumow will introduce himself at poppodium Para in Breda. This showcase is a prelude to the cd which will be released by the 39 year old guitarplayer with a recordlabel from Breda.

For a few months Breda has aquired a new alternative recordlabel: Baron Samedi Records. This label is looking for bands who master the art of making the listener feel the pureness and of their music. For this reason did the founders of the recordlabel, Bas Erlings and Mischa Verheijden, name their label after the album Baron Samedi Conducts The Onion Philharmonique of the Belgium formation of Zita Swoonmusician Tom Pintens, Flowers for Breakfast. According to the enthousiastic founders does that cd contain exactly those pure elements which they are looking for in music. The young labelowners have bold plans. Recently the EP Music for the Runaway Season by the talented singer/songwriter from Breda, Roy S. appeared. Later in this year in co-operation with Poporganisatie Breda (Poporganisation Breda) a compilation cd is planned, which will contain music from bands from Breda and surroundings which stand out due to the pureness of their sound. But the vision of Erlings and Verheijden reaches beyond the West-Brabant borders. For instance they have become acquainted through Dad Verheijden (Russiaphile and bluesaddict) and the internet with Yuri Naumov, with who they will release an almost completely instrumental bluesrecord on the western market. Naumov is originally from Novosibirsk, Siberia. He has been chased by the Russian authorities, who classified his music as imperialistic propaganda. After a long and difficult underground period he eventually left for Brooklyn, New York in 1990. From a very early age he knew that he wanted to be a rockguitarist. The tapes of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, which were smuggled in from the west made an indelible impression on the then 8 year old kid. And in the eighties he indeed did become one of the most famous rockstars of the former Sovjet Union. In his underground period he was forced to continue on his own, which inspired him to try to use his 9-string acoustic guitar to replace the rest of the band without losing the essence of the music. Anno 2000 he has switched to the blues. But his intense Russian blues clearly contains different elements than the here better know American blues.

Black Americans

Within the genre Naumov is actually the only representative. "In Russia the blues is in the air. My artistic task is to wring it out of the air and to translate it into music. It is about the same pain as that which the black Americans felt on the plantations and after their 'liberation' and which can be heard in their music" says Naumov. "My music deals with urban culture, grey walls, deadly electricity, planes high above your head and pollution. It is a poison in the air translated into feelings of fear." According to the American musicmagazine Guitar World the music of Naumov stands out because of its full sound; as if there are three guitars playing instead of one. This modern Nikkelen Nelis has the speed of a Spanisch flamenco, the rhythm of West-European rockmusic and the melodrama of the Russian folkmusic.

(Willem Jongeneelen)