{{Short description|Russian folk rock band}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Otava Yo | image = Otava Yo folk group.jpg | image_size = 250px | alt = | origin = Saint Petersburg, Russia | genre = {{flatlist| * Folk rock * world music }} | label = {{flatlist| * Navigator * ARC Music * CPL }} | years_active = 2003–present | associated_acts = Reelroadъ | website = [https://otava-yo.spb.ru/ otava-yo.sbp.ru] | current_members = Members }} '''Otava Yo''' ({{langx|ru|Отава Ё}}, ота́ва meaning "aftergrass"<ref name="Peleckis">{{Cite web |last=Peleckis |first=Mindaugas |url=http://www.radikaliai.lt/garsas-sound/4435-otava-yo-true-russian-folk-music-not-just-another-balalaika-orchestra-interview |title=OTAVA YO: True Russian folk music, not just another balalaika orchestra (interview) |date=January 31, 2019 |publisher=Radikaliai |access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref>) is a Russian folk rock band from Saint Petersburg, formed in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.womex.com/virtual/otava_yo |title=Otava Yo |publisher=Womex |access-date=September 3, 2018}}</ref>
The band has performed in 30 countries,<ref name="Vinogradov">{{Cite web |last=Vinogradov |first=Sergey |url=https://russkiymir.ru/en/publications/241947/ |title=Otava Yo: Svirels and gusli win the world |date=May 26, 2018 |publisher=Russkiy Mir Foundation |access-date=September 3, 2018}}</ref> including Mexico, France, Estonia, China, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, The Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Belgium, Norway, India, the United States, the UK, Italy, Denmark, Iran and Japan.<ref name="Suklegos">{{Cite web |url=https://suklegos.lt/en/performers/otava-yo-rus/ |title=Otava Yo RUS |publisher=Suklegos |access-date=September 3, 2018}}</ref>
== History ==
Alexey Belkin, Alexey Skosyrev, Dmitriy Shikhardin, and Peter Sergeev worked together as buskers on the streets of St. Petersburg for about three years. The positive feedback from the listeners inspired them to officially form a band in 2003. Of the initial members, only Shikhardin had formal musical education; the rest were self-taught.<ref name="Peleckis"/> Initially the band was called Reelroadъ and they played The Pogues-styled Celtic punk, but later changed their name to Otava Yo and turned to Russian traditional music.<ref name="Mukhin">{{Cite web |last= Mukhin |first=Zakhar |url=http://kulturomania.ru/articles/item/net-nikakogo-muzykalnogo-protivostoyaniya-mezhdu-piterom-i-moskvoy/ |title= "Otava Yo": There is no musical confrontation between St. Petersburg and Moscow |date=May 22, 2017 |publisher=Kulturomania |language=Russian |access-date=November 3, 2018}}</ref>
In 2005 they released their first studio album, “Pod Aptekoj”,<ref name="Earthbeat">{{Cite web |url=http://earthbeat.nl/artist/otava-yo/ |title=Otava Yo |publisher=Earthbeat |access-date=September 3, 2018}}</ref> named after their favourite street performance spot near a homeopathic pharmacy on Nevsky Prospect.<ref name="Mukhin"/>
Four years later, in 2009, Otava Yo released their second studio album, "Zhyli-byli", continuing into a musical direction they called "Russian beat".<ref name="Earthbeat" />
The band released their next album, "Rozhdestvo", in 2011. Containing traditional Christmas songs, it marked a deviation from their characteristic musical direction, that they ultimately returned to in their 2013 album "Chto za pesni".<ref name="Earthbeat" />
The band's breakthrough came with the video for the song “Sumetskaya”, featuring Russian fist fighters.<ref name="Mukhin" /> In 2015, “Sumetskaya” reached the No. 1 position on World Music Network’s February Video Chart, and had been viewed more than 12 million times on YouTube<ref name="Suklegos" /> - a number that reached 14 million in 2018, setting the record as the most-watched music video by a Russian folk band.<ref name="Vinogradov" />
In October 2018, Otava Yo announced their next album "Lyubish li ty?" had entered the mixing and mastering stage.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://kulturomania.ru/news/item/otava-ye-rasskazala-o-novom-albome-lyubish-li-ty/ |title=Otava Yo tells about the new album "Lyubish li ty?"|date=August 3, 2018 |publisher=Kulturomania |language=Russian |access-date=November 3, 2018}}</ref> On September 30, 2018, the band released a video for a song from the upcoming album, "Kak na gorke, na gore" (Once Upon a Time on a High Hill), filmed at the Podporozhsky District in June.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://musecube.org/newskub/otava-jo-vypustila-novyj-klip-kak-na-gorke-na-gore/ |title=Otava Yo released a new videoclip for "Kak na gorke, na gore" |date=October 5, 2018 |publisher=Musecube |language=Russian |access-date=November 3, 2018}}</ref>
On 26 February 2022, Otava Yo announced that it would suspend its concerts in Russia and its upcoming tour in Germany, in response to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |title=News |url=https://otava-yo.spb.ru/en/news |access-date=2022-06-26 |website=Otava Yo |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416164636/https://otava-yo.spb.ru/en/news |archive-date=2022-04-16 |url-status=deviated}}</ref> The announcement (currently removed<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://otava-yo.spb.ru/en/news |title=Otava Yo News without the 26 Feb 2022 entry |access-date=2022-03-21 |archive-date=2024-04-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424054006/https://otava-yo.spb.ru/en/news |url-status=bot: unknown }}.</ref>) stated: "[W]e all are unwilling participants of these tragic events... [U]nder these circumstances we cannot pretend that nothing is happening and continue playing our cheerful music." The group offered to refund tickets.
In April 2022, Otava Yo announced that they would return to concerts, including new dates for the concerts previously cancelled in March 2022 and dates for new concerts in other Russian cities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Друзья! Сегодня православная церковь празднует.. {{!}} Отава Ё {{!}} VK |url=https://vk.com/wall-662700_33562 |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=vk.com |language=en}}</ref>
During their live-streamed Fall, 2022 concert on 6 November, they announced a forthcoming new album and suggested it would be released by an as-yet unannounced major label, with worldwide distribution.
== Members ==
=== Current members === * Alexey Belkin ({{lang|ru|Алексей Белкин}}) – vocals, bagpipes, gusli, zhaleika * Dmitriy Shikhardin ({{lang|ru|Дмитрий Шихардин}}) – vocals, fiddle * Pyotr Sergeev ({{lang|ru|Пётр Сергеев}}) – bass drum, darabouka * Alexey Skossyrev ({{lang|ru|Алексей Скосырев}}) – vocals, acoustic guitar * Vasiliy Telegin ({{lang|ru|Василий Телегин}}) – bass guitar (ca. 2019–present)<ref name="Corvus">{{Cite web |date=April 12, 2019 |title=Corvus Corax & Otava Yo, Zelyonka, Зелёнка |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=ucMhZu0TJLM |publisher=Зелёнка / Zelyonka / Отава Ё / Otava Yo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About us |url=https://otava-yo.spb.ru/en/band |access-date=June 3, 2020 |publisher=Otava Yo}}</ref> * Yulia Usova ({{lang|ru|Юлия Усова}}) – vocals, violin (2011–present) * Lina Kolesnik ({{lang|ru|Лина Колесник}}) – vocals, violin (2019–present; originally substituting for Yulia Usova on maternity leave)<ref name="Lina">{{Cite web |date=May 10, 2020 |title=Отава Ё - Всероссийский утренник (Otava Yo - concert for children) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzc50yIgKFE |publisher=Otava Yo}}</ref> * Denis Nikiforov ({{lang|ru|Денис Никифоров}}) – drums (ca. 2019–present)<ref name="Corvus"/>
=== Past members === * Svetlana Kondesyuk ({{lang|ru|Светлана Кондесюк}}) – bagpipe, flute (2003–2009) * Natalya Vysokikh ({{lang|ru|Наталья Высоких}}) – violin (2005–2010)<ref>{{Cite web |title="Голоса". Наталья Высоких и "Домашний оркестр" |url=http://www.nepsite.ru/afisha/concert/34056/ |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=www.nepsite.ru}}</ref> * Timur Sigidin ({{lang|ru|Тимур Сигидин}}) – bass guitar (2009–ca. 2019)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://otava-yo.spb.ru/en/band |title=About us |publisher=Otava Yo |access-date=September 3, 2018}}</ref>
==Discography== {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Title !Translation !Label<ref>{{Cite web |title=Audio |url=https://otava-yo.spb.ru/en/audio |access-date=September 3, 2018 |publisher=Otava Yo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Loud and Clear |url=https://propermusic.com/products/otavayo-loudandclear |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=Proper Music |language=en}}</ref> !Format |- |2006 |Под аптекой |By the Pharmacy |None |CD |- |2009 |Жили-были |Once Upon a Time |None |CD |- |2011 |Рождество |Christmas |None |CD |- |2013 |Что за песни |What Songs |None |CD |- |2015 |Лучшие песни 2006 - 2015 |Best Songs 2006 - 2015 |Navigator Records |CD, DVD |- |2015 |Дайте маленькое времечко весёлому побыть! |Give just a little time to be merry! |None |CD, DVD |- |2018 |Любишь ли ты? |Do You Love? |Navigator Records |CD |- |2024 |Правильно и внятно |Loud and Clear |Navigator Records, Arc Music |CD, LP |- | colspan="5" |<small>''Italicized text denotes a future album release''</small> |}
==Videography== * 2010: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui2oKFXPHxI Про Диму и Петю] (The Story of Dima and Petya) * 2012: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbBU06irWT8 Про Ивана Groove] (The Tale of Ivan Groove) * 2012: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIa7ZfJUeGU Дворник] (Street Cleaner) * 2014: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqfrljOcUIo Что за песни] (What Songs) * 2015: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JQ0xnJyb0A Сумецкая] (Sumetskaya) * 2016: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wjLI2eslv8 Иванушка-рачек] (Ivan the Crayfish) * 2017: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HtvH34CmZY Ой, Дуся, ой, Маруся] (Oh, Dusya, My Marusya) * 2018: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfKd5WwyVa4 На речке, на речке] (By the River) * 2018: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vslWAiWzlbs Как на горке, на горе] (Once Upon a Time on a High Hill) * 2019: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7TxSDRqdC4 Яблочко] (Little Apple) * 2020: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmt7r6NM928 У кошки четыре ноги] (A Cat Has Four Legs) * 2020: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ETBmGSjg2w Посеяли девки лён] (Maidens Have Sown the Flax) * 2020: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSc3fVBjYks Смуглянка] (Smuglianka) (On the occasion of the 75th Victory Day (9 May)) * 2021: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQGrqRkNpS8 Тимоня] (Timonya) * 2021: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9MmooTw10A Давно мы дома не были] (We Have Not Been Home for a Long Time) (On the occasion of the 76th Victory Day (9 May)) * 2022: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJeYu35eRlU Эта ночь святая] (This Holy Night) * 2023: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAwtU6yv37s Добрый вечер] (Good evening) * 2023: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX5OARoNFpg Финская полька] (Ievan polka) * 2023: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBz56yRKcAQ Пора молодцу жениться] (It is time for the lad to get married) * 2024: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t18emXHZhso На небе зорька] (A new dawn) * 2024: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lpjO_W24rc Не летай-ка, соловей] (Don't you fly, nightingale) * 2024: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyFMwVZpJdc Пойдём, братцы, вдоль улицы] (Let's take a walk down the street, brethren) * 2025: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q7mRrFWQwY Идя-идя да мой миленький домой] (He's coming, my sweetheart)
==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Song !Award !Category !Result |- | rowspan="3" |2017 | rowspan="4" |Oh, Dusya, my Marusya |NYC Indie Film Award<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nycindiefilmawards.com/june2017.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805032127/http://www.nycindiefilmawards.com/june2017.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 5, 2017|title=Winners - June 2017|publisher=NYC Indie Film Awards|access-date=September 3, 2018}}</ref> |Best Music Video |{{won}} |- | rowspan="1" |Maykop International Film Festival |Best Music Video |{{won}} |- | rowspan="1" |Russian World Music Awards<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://worldmusiccentral.org/2017/12/05/winners-of-the-2nd-annual-russian-world-music-awards-announced/|title=Winners of The 2nd Annual Russian World Music Awards Announced|last=Antipova|first=Daryana|date=December 5, 2017|publisher=World Music Central|access-date=May 6, 2019|archive-date=May 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508215458/https://worldmusiccentral.org/2017/12/05/winners-of-the-2nd-annual-russian-world-music-awards-announced/|url-status=dead}}</ref> |Best Music Video |{{won}} |- | rowspan="2" |2018 | rowspan="1" |BELIFF London International Film Festival<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.beliff.co.uk/winners|title=The BELIFFestival Winners|publisher=BELIFF London International Film Festival|access-date=September 3, 2018}}</ref> |Best Music Video |{{won}} |- | rowspan="2" |Once Upon a Time on a High Hill | rowspan="1" |Los Angeles Film Awards<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lafilmawards.net/october-2018|title=LAFA WINNERS October 2018|publisher=Los Angeles Film Awards|access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref> |Best Music Video |{{won}} |- |2019 |California Music Video Awards<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tastetv.com/2019/03/2nd-annual-california-music-video-awards-winners-announced/|title=2nd Annual California MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS Winners Announced|publisher=TasteTV|access-date=May 6, 2019}}</ref> |Best Foreign Language Video |{{won}} |- |2021 |Timonya |Santorini Film Festival<ref>{{Cite web |title=Best Music Video {{!}} 2021 |url=https://www.santorinifilmfest.com/2021?pgid=ks9dirbt-ef30ae04-4644-4572-81a0-c7d2c66fe622 |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=santorini |language=en |archive-date=2022-11-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108145458/https://www.santorinifilmfest.com/2021?pgid=ks9dirbt-ef30ae04-4644-4572-81a0-c7d2c66fe622 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |Best Music Video |{{won}} |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|https://otava-yo.spb.ru/ru/news}} {{in lang|ru}} * [https://vk.com/club662700 Otava Yo] on VK * {{YouTube|u=ABelkin|Otava Yo}} * [https://tv-soyuz.ru/peredachi/lavrskie-vstrechi-aleksey-belkin-folk-gruppa-otava-e Лаврские встречи. Алексей Белкин, фолк-группа «Отава Ё»]. February 12, 2019. Soyuz.
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Category:Russian folk musicians Category:Musical groups established in 2003 Category:Musical groups from Saint Petersburg