Vopli Vidopliassova's Tantsi (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781501363122)

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.

Author: Maria Sonevytsky
ISBN-10: 1501363123
ISBN-13: 9781501363122
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Language: English
Published: 06/15/2023
Pages: 192
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.69lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.50d