The Red Poppies group is one of the most famous Soviet musical groups. The songs of this vocal and instrumental ensemble have long become all-union and all-Russian hits, loved by many listeners. During its existence, the team has repeatedly proved its professionalism, a serious approach to creative activity, as well as an incredibly deep understanding of music and romantic atmosphere.
Team Foundation
The vocal and instrumental group “Red Poppies” was created on February 20, 1974 in the city of Makeevka by several musicians who worked at a factory near Donetsk. Soon the potential of the young group, rehearsing after a shift, was noticed by the leadership, and the Red Poppies turned into a full-fledged creative team. The musicians received the official status of “creative unit” and were relieved of work at the factory. A year later, Arkady Khaslavsky came to the group, who became its artistic director and arranger. Under his strict guidance, the collective records eight songs in the Komi language and several Russian ballads.
In 1976, the group receives permission to participate in the Sochi-76 All-Union Competition, where it takes pride of place.
The beginning of creative activity
Since 1978, many famous and experienced musicians have come to the Maki group: Alexander Losev, Ilya Bensman and Vitaliy Kretov, due to the arrangements of which the collective gains popularity.
The collective actively collaborates with songwriters, recording works by David Tukhmanov, Mikhail Tanich and Robert Rozhdestvensky. The ensemble begins active creative work, releasing mini-albums at the Melody studio, touring the country and taking part in recording music for popular films.
Critics noted the brilliance and lyricism of the ensemble’s compositions, a responsible approach to the textual component of the works, and full compliance of the prevailing ideology collective. The Maki group really promoted the ideal image of Soviet man in his works, showing socialist reality in a bright and bright world of possibilities.
All-Union popularity
Since 1979, the Maki group has come under the scrutiny of Soviet masters, such as Vyacheslav Dobrynin, Leonid Derbenev, Mikhail Plyatskovsky. This leads to a long and fruitful collaboration of the team with famous performers.
In 1980, the leadership of the recording studio “Melody” instructed “Makam”, as the leading collective of the USSR, to prepare the first full-fledged debut album for export abroad, as well as for the official presentation of Soviet VIA music at the Olympics-80. A few months later, the album of the group, entitled “Spin Disks”, went on sale, receiving rave reviews from music critics and becoming the sales leader in the USSR.
Late period
In the late eighties, the name of the group changed. Now it is pronounced as “Maki Group”. A year later, the new team was presented on central television, where he performed the new song “It happened”.
In 1987, the group recorded a number of compositions in collaboration with domestic songwriters, and also released its second full-length album, Odessa, in which the famous composer Igor Nikolaev took part.
In the early nineties, the team temporarily disintegrated, but in 1996 it reunited, releasing a collection of the best songs “Golden Hits” and announcing a large concert tour.