Mitya Kuznetsov

MITYA KUZNETSOV took up music at 9, learning to play the accordion and singing in the choir in a music studio. He started his professional concerting career in his green years when, in 1987 as a “15-year-old son of the troop”, he took part in setting up the well-known folk group “Sedmaya Voda” (Seventh Water). His role in the group was immediately determined as a multi-instrumentalist, and he began mastering various folk instruments. In two years’ time (1989) the group went on a tour of Ireland, and a year later (1990) they had a concert tour of nine states of the USA, where the first album, “Jolly Good!”, was recorded. From 1992 till 1994 M. Kuznetsov works as a music editor of the Rybinsk Drama Theatre, at the same time creating his first instrumental album “Dancing Forest Fairies”, which sounded in Andrei Borisov’s radio program “Exotics” (Moscow) for the first time (1993). In 1994, Kuznetsov records his second, this time song album "Skaz Vremirya" (Time Soarer’s Tale) made to the verses of “silver age” poets. That same year MK becomes a producer and arranger of the album “Hug Me, Heaven” by Elena Romanova, a singing author. Together with the other participants of “Seventh Water” he takes part in the film “Earthen Homeland”. In 1995, a Belgian film director and music publisher Michel Drachoussoff produces the recording of the album “The Best of Sedmaya Voda”. In the course of the studio sessions, he pays attention to the creative abilities of the young musician and offers Kuznetsov to work for the Belgian label MDC as a composer and a multi-instrumentalist. Late in the year, after a tour in Germany, M.Kuznetsov leaves the group and in 1996 he goes to represent Russia at the world-known cultural Leipzig Fair with his project "Skaz Vremirya" (Time Soarer’s Tale). Later that year in Belgium MK records his first musical fairytale to A.S.Pushkin’s “Tale of the Dead Princess and Seven Warriors”, which is published by MDC for Russia. In 1997, he records another folk tale, “Princess-Frog” at the Brussels studio and takes a two-month break in the studio session for a trip to America where he goes on the invitation of his friends, a famous country musician Bill Clifton and his wife Tineke. During his stay in America Mitya learn from Bill about country traditions, and the musicians give joint concerts in the heart of country music, Carter Fold, VA. In Johnson City the Russian musician meets another well-known country group “Brother Boys” and perform with them. Meeting with another representative of American culture, a Native American flutist Carlos Nakai, helps Kuznetsov later in his work at the music to the film “West America”( directed by Michel Drachoussoff) about the culture and nature of Western America. The soundtrack was recorded at the MDC studio in Brussels in 1997. After two-year break up, the musicians of “Seventh Water” come together again for an anniversary concert. In 1999, Alexandre Samoilov (folk group “Last Chance”) organizes a concert tour of “Seventh Water” in Germany and Ausria. After the tour he invites M.Kuznetsov to go to Europe as a participant of his own group. In 2000,”Seventh Water” records the album “People – they live…” and after that Mitya leaves the group for good. In the same year 2000, the musicians of folk-rock group “Raznotravie” (Wild Flower Mix) invite him to work on their songs and act as the producer and arranger of their first studio album. Having made a preliminary recording of the musicians, “ethno-smithy prisoner” Kuznetsov sentences himself to half year creative labour in the mines, and in 2001 the album “Hard Labour” is released. Not limiting himself to the result, Mitya Kuznetsov starts a joint folk project with “Raznotravie”. He stages a theatrical show which was made into a film by the program “Archeology of Sound”(NTV channel) and shown worldwide. The album “Hard Labour” is recognized by the majority of Russian musician critics and journalists as one of the brightest Russian releases in contemporary folk music. During three years of joint work the project “Raznotravie and Mitya Kuznetsov” successfully makes its way to the Russian folk stage. The musicians give lots of concerts in Moscow and other cities of Russia. The project is invited to international festivals as a headliner: ”Suklegos-2002”(Kaunas,Lithuania), “Regioo-2003”(Tartu,Estonia),”Aisus-Kankleliai-2003”(Panevezhis,Lithuania). At the folk festival “NovaEra” – Skopje(Macedonia) where such performers as Givan Gasparyan, Ross Daly, De-Phazz, etc also take part, its organizer, the legendary Macedonian musician Goran Tanevski names “Raznotravie and Mitya Kuznetsov” the best participants. In 2003, the director of information centre of the UN in Moscow A.S. Gorelik invites personally Mitya Kuznetsov and Raznotravie to perform the celebration of World Day of the UN. The guests of the party – the workers of UN agencies, representatives of ministries, directorates, non-governmental organizations, scientific and cultural establishments of Russia – are unanimous in commenting on the high professional level and novel style of their performance. Alongside with that, MK does a lot of studio work, and in 2002 he records music to the documentary “The Roads” (directed by Marat Magambetov, POP TUTU Film production, supported by TV channel ARTE and MDM foundation, Germany). He produces the album “Morning of Resurrection” by a folk performer Galina Lupandina. In 2003, “Raznotravie” break up. Mitya Kuznetsov sums up his 9-year (1995-2004) work over the solo album “The Book of Dove” with little-known ancient Russian songs by recording the album in his own Ethno-Smithy. 2004 becomes a very fruitful year. “The Book of Dove” is released by the biggest Russian lable Concern “Group SOYUZ”. In the course of the year M.Kuznetsov records original music to a film about China (directed by Robert-Emile Canat, France) and releases the album “Chine, un voyage imaginaire” (“An Imagined Journey to CHINA”). He re-records the music to the film “West America” for its release as an independent album. In 2005, Mitya Kuznetsov is a producer of another Russian album, “Over the Seas” – joint with the psaltery (gusli) player Egor Strelnikov. The album of Russian spiritual and epic songs is released on his own label “Ethno-Smithy”, and according to journalists’ opinions it is one of the brightest releases of the past year in world music in Russia. In the end of the year M.Kuznetsov records original music to a film about Scotland “Ecosse, Dernier Paradis d’Europe” (directed by Luc Giard, France), releases the album “Ecosse, Poesie Celte” (“Scotland, Celtic Poetry”). He records a version of an African folk song “Kothbiro” (Ayub Ogada) to a film about Kenya by a French film and TV director Patrick Bernard, the founder of ANAKO.