Thieves song is a special genre akin to Russian folklore. Currently, a rather vulgar term has been replaced by a more modern and veiled one - chanson. But the essence is the same - these are songs on the criminal theme or a little beyond the prison life, but with a characteristic melody and style of melody. Let's remember the best performers of thieves songs.
Thieves, as a reflection of folk life
The thieves song originated in the 19th century. It was especially popular in Soviet times, when anyone could be behind bars. Initially, the genre praised the hard life of criminals, romanticizing life in custody and, in one way or another, justifying the criminal way of life. And when intelligent people disagree with the authorities began to plant, the theme of the songs became much more diverse, but the similarity of melodies, style of narration and use of pure prison jargon - the so-called feny - remained.
People quickly fell in love with this simple and intimate genre. If you look closely, many people who had nothing to do with prison and the underworld prefer to listen to such songs. Such popularity has led to the emergence of a large number of thieves.
Advent of chanson
In the 90s, when the Russian Federation appeared on the maps, people started talking about such a term as show business. Artists began to adapt to certain formats in order to tour and get into rotation on radio and television. Then the genre of "Russian chanson" arose. Actually the same thug, but a little softer and with a greater share of romance, lyrics. In this form, it is better sold, so the commercialization of the genre was inevitable. Performers of thieves songs quickly rebuilt to new standards. And among them, real stars appeared. The following is a list of thieves.
Michael Krug
Almost everyone is familiar with his work. No wonder he is called the king of chanson and is considered one of the most famous and sincere performers of thieves' songs. His tracks about The Golden Domes and Vladimir Central know half the country by heart. He was distinguished from his colleagues by a beautiful voice, poetic texts and modern arrangements. But alas, in 2002, Mikhail was shot dead in his own house. Many versions of what happened were voiced: from contract killings and ending with just a failed robbery. The investigation did not come to specific conclusions.
Irina Krug
Once Irina worked as a waitress, where her future husband Mikhail Krug noticed her. First, he offered her a dresser job, and then they began an affair, and they got married. A joint child was born, but happiness was short-lived. After the murder of her husband, the woman decided to write several songs in memory of her husband, which suddenly became real hits. In addition, during his lifetime, Mikhail wanted to release a joint track with his wife. They even recorded a demo, but the song was released after the death of the singer. Irina for some time exploited the image of a grieving widow, and over time, the audience fell in love with her so much that she was able to realize herself outside the trail of Mikhail’s popularity.
Butyrka
The name of this group alone speaks more about it than their entire repertoire. After all, Butyrka is the slang term for the largest prison in the Russian capital. Their incorruptibles “Smelling in spring” and “For Rostov Brotherhood” sound daily in karaoke and minibuses, which does not particularly please passengers. The group was formed in 2001 in Voronezh and still exists, although its composition has changed a couple of times.
"Thieves"
"Hop, garbage, do not shine my time" - these lines are known to almost every Russian. The song of the group "Thieves" became a hit overnight. They were rarely shown on TV and turned on the radio, since the work of this girls band was as close as possible to the original thieves. The team still exists and is actively touring.
Zheka
In 1995, the song "A Glass of Vodka" came out from under his pen, which Grigory Leps soon took to his repertoire . Zheka, perhaps, has the softest texts, but the theme and melody are preserved according to the canon. The 51-year-old artist currently continues to create and collects full concert halls, should he go on a tour.
Katya Ogonyok
The album "White Taiga" of this performer made her a real star of the thieves song in the late 90s. Kristina - that was the name of the artist - was born and raised on the Black Sea coast. From childhood she was fond of vocals and when the opportunity arose to become famous, she agreed to try on the image of a chansonnier. She was read the title of Queen of the Thieves' Scene, but she died at the age of 30 from acute liver cirrhosis.
Currently, there are a huge number of unknown performers of thieves' songs. But their work still resonates in the hearts of people. Moreover, in the age of the Internet, nothing is impossible.