Eles
I love you Frunze - with a song by the group Eles
I was looking some photos of Frunze, (as Bishkek used to be called), when I came across a clip on the video sharing site Bilive – a sort of Kyrgyz youtube, with some photos set to the song “Frunze” by by Kuban Turdukulov and performed by the Kyrgyz pop group Eles.
The photos were indeed quite appealing and evocative of different times – a gentler world gone forever and the music fittingly attractively, soft and gentle … instilliong a sense of nostalgia.
This was reflected in some of the comments under the player – which showed an element of “looking back through ‘rose coloured spectables’”: “What a beautiful, clean and bright city it was”, “the people were dobriy (kind) … “, “before you could proudly call it a capital … it was possible to live on a student grant … of course there were minuses, but the pluses were much greater”, ”how beautiful it was, it’s a pity we’re not thriving”, “I am glad that I was born in 1994 and managed to see what it is to live in kindness and care”, “in those days the moral foundations were much higher among urban children as well as in ayylskih (villagers)”.
On the other hand, one person remarked, “I know that Bishkek was green, and now skyscrapers have appeared in the city and cultural institutions of different sort, and it is really dirty, but it’s a matter of time. Enough whining like old men, already, ”it used to be so, and now …” Here we go.” Another added, “Who said that the Union did not have interethnic problems, they are mistaken. This often occurred … the Kyrgyz people began to forget their language, especially in the cities. In another 20-30 years they would have grown a generation of mankurts, (a term of ‘insult’ used to describe people who have forgotten their origins and become assimilated in a different culture and forgotten that of their origins)”
Interesting though the comments were … I was intrigued by another point … Who were Eles? … I had heard the name before but didn’t really know anything about them. So, I did a little research and it’s an interesting story.
The name means “Dream” but with a hint of reminiscence, remembering and recall … so it was quite appropriate for this particular clip.
The group was founded in 1985 by ayoung musician, Alisher Ishimova who, inspired by a number of successful groups that were appearing in the Soviet Union, but there were none based in Frunze and he wanted to create one.
Alisher talked to some people including Oleg Zubkov, who had already been been part of the Frunze Rock and Roll scene but was at that time working as an art director in the State Institute of Cinematography. Although they had known each other for several years, Zubkov says that when Alisher first suggested, in a discussion at the studios, creating a new group that he was so impressive and convincing that the idea took off – and he quite his job to devote all his energy to the new venture.
At it was venture … a commercial venture. They weren’t going into it as interested amateurs. They knew that they needed instruments and there were none to be had in Frunze … at least not the sort that they wanted: brand names and synthesizers.
So, they took a flight to Moscow - where Alisher’s brother was studying in at the Military Academy, who was persuaded to put up the cash to purchase the equipment. Technically speaking, branded equipment was not available in the Soviet Union, but they found an “underground store” where EVERYTHING was available, (… so some things haven’t changed!). They purchased a synthesizer and guitars, speakers and things like spare strings and brought them back to Frunze.
Incidentally, the brother continued his military career and eventually rose to the rank of General.
An old school friend built an amplifier and they ordered a computer to act as a controller.
Alisher was kept busy registering the group and a room in the basement of one of the Universities so that they rehearse.
They started the search for musicians to play in the group and gathered together a talented crew. Some brought their own instruments – such as a Fender guitar and a Saxophone … and most already had experience playing in other groups, (playing a variety of genres such as Jazz or dance music, having appeared for example at dances in Fujika Park, in Bishkek), as well as talent.
Apparently, in those days, (1985), when the group was starting out, there were no discos or night clubs – everyone went instead to open air concerts at Park Druzhba, (Friendship Park), where the group managed to get a spot playing live music, (without miming or lip synching), six nights a week and drawing crowd of up to four thousand people on some nights. This continued throughout the summer, until the cold weather set in and it was too cold to play out of doors.
They went and performed in the Voice of Asia Festival in Almaty in 1998… and later went to Moscow where they tried to get a record company interested in signing a contract. It was, by all accounts, a difficult time and arguments started about whether to stay and persevere or simply return to Bishkek – as Frunze had been renamed.
Apparently, they returned and released an album here instead. It proved to be popular and “flew of the shelves” but, (as is the way here), was quickly pirated.
Sadly, in May, 2001, one of the leading members of the group – and said to have been the driving force behind its success – died after a period of serious illness. Although the rest of the group tried to continue their success – and actually released two more albums – but a year later the media announced the eventual break up.
In the 20 years, or so, since the group was established, the line has changed considerably and they have featured somewhere between 20 and 30 musicians – many of them moving on to become successfully creative musicians in their later careers. Each brought with them experience and the group moved easily between genres … for example, at one time into what one account calls “black music” – Soul, Rhythm and Blues … each time gaining in popularity.
Eles were, according to some accounts, probably the most successful of the domestic, homegrown, groups.
For the record: here’s the clip:
.
.c
About the song, Turdubekov tells how it was written when he was in the ninth grade at school, (which means he was probably aged about 16). The Beatles were the musical giants at this time and every almost every boy had memorized their songs and would sit on a bench in the evenings, strumming a guitar and singing them.
His apartment on Dzerzhinksy, (now called Prospect Erkindik), was being renovated and all the furniture had been removed – his room was empty … but had good acoustics and he took up his guitar. In the evening, when the sun had set and the street lights below on Dzerzhinksy came on, he went out onto the balcony and was so taken with the beauty of the sight that he parked himself on a pile of building materials and penned the first lines … strumming a few notes and writing some more … and just over half an hour, it was done.
He went down into the bouvelard below and played it to the assembled crowd of amateur musicians and it became an instant success. It’s still popular and cover versions are often played by musicians in restaurants … locals may join in as one of their number spontaneously starts singing.
Bishkek