The «Tribute to Ilkham Shakirov» album has been released in Kazan

Not a concert recording

In the early autumn, the Yummy Music Band, led by Yuri Fedorov, along with vocalists and the Chamber Choir under the direction of Milyausha Tamindarova, performed songs famous for Ilkham Shakirov's renditions in Gorky Park. The concert was attended by 12 thousand people. Meanwhile, while preparing for the concert, the album was being recorded. Those who want to listen to the concert version can refer to the live video.

«Ilkham Shakirov Tribute» is a slightly different story. While up to 40 people played and sang on stage at the same time, the songs on the record are presented in other versions, while maintaining the concert order. So the album opens with a more intimate rendition of the song «Ak Kalfak» by Ilgiz Mukhutdinov.

Perhaps this is the most suitable composition for the choir on the album: the «Tamindarovites» sing it in three compositions. Whatever they say, this is not only a Tatar song, but also definitely a Kryashen song, for whose culture polyphony is characteristic. Only towards the end do the drums come in, and the track seamlessly, depending on how your player is set up, transitions into «Kerfeklәreң sineң nige a kara».

Listening to music

In this seamlessness, one can see an imitation of the «Beatles» album «Sergeant», which begins with a similar doubling. Against this background, it is interesting to speculate on the topic of music.

Because the album is, of course, dedicated to Shakirov, but the vocalists do not sing in the style of the «Sarman nightingale». In this regard, Ilgiz Shaykhraziev, who performs six songs on the record, staying mostly in the role of a playful romantic hero, is quite far from his measured manner. So the vocalist here is part of a large band, not the leader in relation to the accompanying ensemble.

And so you want to listen to the music more. And here interesting connotations arise. Shakirov, as you know, had several periods in terms of arrangements. He performed many songs accompanied by a piano (and the composer Renat Enikeev played it), his trademark was an accompaniment of three bayan accordions, as well as an accordion. For about ten years, VIA «Idel», which started as a Beatles quartet and then grew into an эстрадный orchestra with brass instruments, was on stage with him. Shakirov also often sang accompanied by various orchestras. But in the 1980s he returned to the bayan trio.

It seems that if you take something from your own эстрада, Rimma Ibragimova could have recorded similar records during the perestroika — an active rhythm section, a funky guitar with an expressive solo, synthesizers. Or Renat Ibragimov.

At the same time, the bayan of Aydar Valiev plays an important role on the tribute. Ilyas Farkhullin plays the kurai and kobyz, and film director Ilshat Rakhimbay is unexpectedly responsible for the ethno soundscapes. At the most «pro-Western» moments, the album resembles jazzed-up pop, which every Soviet child listened to in Disney cartoons: listen to the saxophone in «Sineң hakta». This is the same sample of nostalgia, because no matter what the authors say about «modern» arrangements, it seems that this concept has left us forever with the advent of streaming platforms and postmodernism.

If we talk about Shakirov's own ensembles, then this is probably how «Idel» of the second convocation could have sounded. Provided by the press service of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan

Will there be instrumentals?

Shakirov performed, according to various estimates, up to 600 songs, and a small part of them is preserved in the funds. Some of these songs have other «authors» in terms of performance, and let's not forget that they also have poets and composers. So there is a wide field of activity here — for example, the album includes «Kyshky romans», which immediately evokes a memory of Fidana Gafarov. The same «Idel bue kaennary» was recorded in a completely different style by Alfiya Avzalova.

The key track of the album is «Adran Dingez», which divides it in half — it seems to be a rare new recording of Saydashev's music this year (Shakirov would have turned 90 in 2025, Salikh Saydashev — 125). Elmira Kalimullina is the soloist here, Rimsky-Korsakov is quoted. There is an initially exotic melody inspired by Albanian music and theatricality — it sounds in the play «True Love», where the heroine asks the sea for healing for the hero.

So Yuri Fedorov has much more reasons to go beyond the limits. And not so much in the field of pop-funk, for example, but even progressive rock — with brass instruments, a choir, and powerful crescendos.

In general, it would be interesting to get this album in an instrumental version. We should also note two prominent young composers who worked on the arrangements. The scores were done by Merdan Byashimov — he is from Turkmenistan, teaches at the composition department of the conservatory, and combines ethno and jazz. Milyausha Khairullina, the author of the opera «Kavi-Sarvar» and many other significant works, is also responsible for the choral arrangements and scores.

Yes, these songs were not only sung, they were written by poets (Naki Isanbet, Damir Garifullin, Akhmed Erikey, Tazi Gizzat, Nabi Dauli, Nazar Nadjmi, Akram Dautov) and composers: Valery Akhmetshin, Alexander Klyucharev, Salikh Saydashev, Vadim Usmanov, Rim Khasanov, Akram Dautov, Sayyar Khabibullin and, of course, Ilkham Shakirov himself. Thank you to them!