Group "Melnitsa" - a fairy tale next to you

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Which of us has not dreamed of escaping from the gray routine and getting into a fairy tale? Fortunately, the modern world provides many opportunities for this: a variety of films, fantasy literature, role-playing games, theaters, etc. And for the most sophisticated there is an amazing Russian folk group "Melnitsa"!

Group biography

The once popular team called "Til Ulenspiegel", which included the current soloist of the "Melnitsa" group, broke up in the fall of 1999. However, under the strict guidance of Natalia O'Shea (Helavis), the band was restored under a new name and successfully continued their musical career.

In 2005, the songs of the "Melnitsa" group hit the "Chart Dozen" hit parade, well known to fans of the "Our Radio" wave. From that moment on, their work not only gains popularity, but also becomes a frequent guest on the air.

In December 2005, part of the team broke away, organizing a little-known group "Sylphs". However, they were replaced by new musicians, including the second vocalist Alevtina Leontyeva, who is well known for the album “Call of Blood”. However, she also left the group two years later.

Group Toolkit

As already mentioned, the group "Melnitsa" is a very unusual team that plays in the style of folk-rock. It is worth noting that the musicians do not limit themselves to one direction and try to diversify their work not only with acoustic, but also with electronic music. Separately, one can single out non-traditional instruments that make the team unique:

• cello;
• poor;
• Irish harp;
• flute;
• visp;
• melodica;
• acoustic and electric guitar;
• drums;
• bass guitar;
• accordion.

Composition of the group

The "Melnitsa" group, like any other team, has changed its composition several times throughout its creative life. Some left the team, others came, bringing fresh ideas for creativity. If you look at today's line-up, it looks like this:

• Natalia O'Shea (Helavisa) - vocalist, author of music and most of the lyrics. Instruments: percussion, Irish harp, acoustic guitar.
• Alexey Orlov. Joined the team in December 2005. Instruments: electric and acoustic cello, mandolin.
• Alexey Kozhanov. He came to the group with his namesake. Instruments: bass guitar, acoustic guitar.
• Dmitry Frolov - drummer, also joined the band in December 2005.
• Sergey Vishnyakov - guitarist, solo, backing vocals, joined the band in 2010. Instruments: acoustic and electric guitar.
• DmitryKargin. He was one of the last to join the team and is responsible for the brass. Instruments: flute and others.

Helavisa

Vocalist and author of many songs of the group "Melnitsa" Natalia O'Shea, of course, is the leader of the group. At 39, she will give odds to many young performers in terms of positivity and activity.

An interesting story of the emergence of an unusual surname for a Russian girl. The fact is that Natalya has always had a weakness for Celtic culture and the Irish language. She graduated from the institute and graduate school, and also managed to work as an assistant in the Department of Irish and Celtic Philology in 1999-2004.

During an internship in Ireland, Natalia met James Cornelius O'Shea, whom she married on August 21, 2004. Since that time, Helavisa lives in Europe with her husband and two charming daughters, and visits Russia only during concerts.

Group discography

During their career, the folk-rock group "Melnitsa" has released many discs. Among them are 6 studio albums, 1 live album, 1 collection of the best songs, 2 mini-albums, 1 single and even 3 video clips.

The first full-length CD en titled "Road of Sleep" was released by the "Melnitsa" group in 2003. This is perhaps one of the most popular and fan-favorite albums. And in 2004, the team recorded the disc Master of the Mill, which left no one indifferent. True, it cannot be called a full-fledged album, since it containsonly 7 songs previously released in collections. This disc was especially valuable due to the fact that only 1,000 copies were released specifically for the concert at the Gorbunov House of Culture, so it was impossible to find it for sale.

In 2005, the songs of the group "Melnitsa" are gaining popularity, and another disc "Pass" is released, in which male vocals appear (A. Sapkov). Not everyone liked these changes, and the fans were divided into two camps. However, soon everyone got used to it and passions subsided.

2006 brought to the listeners "Call of Blood", along with the songs "Vorozhi" and "Dragon", popular to this day. In addition, this disc includes two bonus tracks - "Rapunzel" and "White Cat". Although they can only be found on the deluxe edition.

After a three-year break, Helavisa and her team once again delight their fans with a new album called "Wild Herbs". And again, many songs appear among the top lines of the charts on Nashe Radio.

Another limited edition of 2000 discs, released for the concert in 2011, is called "Christmas Songs". It is also not available for sale. This album contains songs that have never been released before.

One of the group's not the most successful albums was the disc "Angelophrenia" in 2012, which was later released also in the live version. However, the group quickly corrected itself and in 2015 pleased the listener with new songs from the Alchemy album, the official release of which took place on October 9 this year.