Volodymyr Katsan is a Kyivan who grew up in an urban, Russian-speaking environment, but his inspiring story about his Ukrainian music projects was a pleasant surprise. So far he has released 30 CDs under the general title of “The Golden Collection,” including recordings by Pavlo Muravsky, Nina Matviyenko, “Lullabies,” “Ukrainian Tango,” “Smerichka,” and “Ukrainian Vocal Solos.”. The Day has featured articles about these recordings that can be bought only in the capital. Katsan is the head of Astra Records, a leading operator of licensed audio and video products in Ukraine; he is also the founder of “The Golden Collection” project.
How did you develop a fascination with music?
V.K. I think I inherited it from my parents. All 12 of my father’s sisters sang. I heard their songs when I was a little boy, but I wasn’t interested. Now I can sense energy in Ukrainian songs, their roots. I’m striving to reach and grab hold of them. Being a person with a certain taste, I am not satisfied with the general aesthetics that are often imposed on us. In “The Golden Collection” I am trying to show that there is a different culture of which we can be proud.
What led you to work on the unique CD called “Ukrainian Tango”?
V.K.: It was summer. I was waiting for my wife after work in Taras Shevchenko Park. A young couple was sitting on a nearby bench. It was apparently one of their first dates. I overheard their conversation. They were talking about vulgar things and their vocabulary was full of cursing. I thought, “If you communicate this way on your first date, what kind of life do you expect?” They were so young. I found myself wanting our young people to get to know the best creations of our culture, our vocal traditions. For example, I did a children’s project entitled “Kolysanok.” By the way, the CD cover design was done by the painter Halyna Poliakova. When I looked at earlier versions, I found them lacking in depth and energy. I had to start from square one. Over a hundred tracks were redone for the disk (both traditional and authentic material is included). I wanted to ensure that once children hear authentic recordings, when they grow up they will recall what they once heard. Thirty music projects are ready and I have now understood that the most valuable aspect of these recordings is their authenticity.
Did you discover anything new in your work on Ukrainian music?
V.K.: Yes, the Cossack Songs. For me this was an ideological revolution. I remember the way folklore was presented under the Soviets, as primitive, sentimental sharovarshchyna. But folklore has such depth! This must have been the greatest discovery for me. One has to learn to listen to the text, ponder the meaning of the words. We try to keep away from the sharovarshchyna tradition in all our projects.
We were working on the project “Ukrainian Folk Songs.” One day an editor asked, “Do you know Muravsky, the conductor who is known all over the world but almost unknown here?” I heard a recording and realized that this precious material must be brought to the public’s attention. I met and talked with Pavlo Muravsky and showed him the program. He said, “You have Kozlovsky’s ‘Evening Bells,’ but I want the song ‘A Little Well in the Field.’” Muravsky told us where to find the recording. It turns out that it was made in 1965. Muravsky is over 90 years old, but his memory is fantastic. Thanks to him we included the song on the album. You know, the Ukrainian Radio archives have some real treasures. This was my second discovery. For example, in the project “Ukrainian Duets” we have recordings, some of which date to 1955.
There are several ways to create music projects. The first is when we proceed from a commercial stand and the second is when we work with an editor on a project and then suddenly hit upon an interesting idea. For example, we may be listening to Ukrainian folk songs and come across some duets. That was how the project “Ukrainian Duets” was born. It includes “The Duet of Odarka and Karas” (1950) starring our famous singers Maria Lytvynenko-Volhemut and Ivan Patorzhynsky, and the duet of Oksana and Andriy performed by Zoa Haidai and Ivan Kozlovsky (1955).
Unfortunately, a lot of tapes have been demagnetized and are lost forever. When we were working on the project “Ukrainian Solos,” we heard 15 recorded versions of the song “Dyvlius ya na nebo” (I’m Looking at the Sky). It was hard to discard some versions, but we prefer performances that are charged with positive energy, where the singer puts his heart into the song. We hear 30 recordings and choose 5, maybe 10 that restore masterpieces from the past. Today some top-notch specialists are working in radio, among them Mykola Amosov, head of the audio collection, who has put together an excellent professional team. I hold them in the highest esteem. I hear every recording after it is restored to make sure that our listeners are getting a quality album.
Biggest chunk of “The Golden Collection”: “Hits of the 1950s-1980s”
V.K.: This is a tribute to my parents. It includes unique recordings of songs that became hits a long time ago. We want to adapt the series to the Russian market because the Ukrainian recordings that are heard in Russia today are a kind of musical mishmash along the lines of “Hey, hey!” By the way, the project “A Merry Party” is only a small portion of those lighthearted songs that are often sung when friends get together. There is other music, like “Red Rue,” “Marichka,” “My Native Land” — the list is very long. We hope that our partners will eventually take an interest in the entire series. Maybe Muravsky will never reach the big market, but the popular series definitely will. But this takes time. Right now we often work on the basis of enthusiasm.
