East Meets West

Apparently the headline read 'Maori send Russian Elite into Shock.' I think it was mutual. We had a delightful 3 weeks performing in Russia, even managing to lay down a hangi or two in Moscow. When we weren't singing, we seemed to be eating our way through 11 time zones. Food, food and more food.

We were particularly spoilt staying the homes of two wonderful N.Z men - Martin in Vladivostok. And, Stephen in Moscow. When we arrived into Moscow, Stephens staff cooked us up a humungous N.Z meal. It took us a while to recover from that, thanks to Anatoly and Anna.
ANATOLY ON THE BBQ

NOT EVEN THIS LOT COULD GET THROUGH THAT KAI

Apart from the gorgeous tennis players, most stories reported in NZ media about Russia present one perspective. When we first went to Russia, we were shocked - it simply wasn't what we expected. Russia continues to be full of suprises - not unexpected in a country as large and dynamic as it is. It is challenging. One of our friends told us that business-wise, China is 'Russia for Beginners.' But, it is a country that we have warmed to and that certainly responds with warmth to us. We have only ever encountered friendliness, hospitality, intelligence and professionalism.

Our two major concerts in Vladivostok were sold out - one was a fundraiser for orphaned children to go on summer holiday camps at the oldest hotel in the city, complete with a grand sweeping staircase. It was very lovely - as were the glamorous ladies who came dressed to kill. Their bodyguards were waiting in the foyer. The ladies gave generously. It was a wonderful night.

POSTER GAL

The 2nd concert was in a big theatre where we were joined onstage by an accomplished violinist, celloist and ballerina. I found it hard to concentrate. This concert was filmed in a 6 camera shoot for a 2 hour television special.We don't have any fotos from this so if anyone in Vladivostok does, could you please send us a couple of snaps of Dasha onstage with us? Thank you.

Throughout our time in the East, we were trailed by a documentary crew led by the lovely Alexandra. We went out to a village, very old Soviet style, and gave a free concert in the village square. Here's a foto of Amiria with some of the local ladies.

SPOT THE TOURIST

I had a chat to a young teenage girl who was telling me she would move to the city to attend university later on. Here's a foto of kids taken from inside the moving bus. They really attached themselves to us and it was reciprocated.
LOCAL MIDGEES

We weren't allowed any cameras in 4th concert that we held in a meat processing plant (a first for us and for the workers). Maybe they had a secret recipe for sausages or something?

We did a master class in Maori music and performance arts at the University, and did another hour long TV show and radio. One of the first questions Alexander directed at Toby - 'You manage the band and your wife - which one is more difficult?' We thought that was very funny. Tobys reply was tremendously diplomatic.

ME & TOBY NEARLY GETTING RUN OVER IN FRONT OF ST BASILS...
TOBY THINKING OF SHOE SALES IN PETER
A CRAMMED VAN HEADING TO A GIG

Paula filmed where ever we went - and apart from the inside of the factory we performed at, no one ever questioned us.
We visited a local orphanage / foster home described as a middling one - there were worse and better around. We taught the kids an action song and haka, gave out heaps of bandanas and will have an ongoing relationship with them. They were so quick to pick up words, even though what we were teaching them was in our Maori language. They also performed for us.

Most of the kids were from dysfunctional homes and the effects of alchoholism and drug addiction were evident on some of the kids. We worked out we could have taken 7 kids each with us and cleaned the place out! Man, it was tempting. They were very onto it, alert children - Amiria had a scout around and saw the bedrooms which she described as spartan but clean and colourful.

We also went inside the best preserved military fort in the world according to our host Larissa. It went 20 meters below the ground and housed 400 soldiers at one time. It had awesome sound acoustics, too so we stopped for a bit of a song.
THE FORT IN VLADIVOSTOK

THE DARKENED TUNNELS OF THE FORTS INTERIOR


CADZ HAVING A LITTLE MOMENT

CHECKING OUT THE ACOUSTICS

We saw the memorial wall nearby with nearly 30 000 names on it which made me want to bawl me eyes out. Russia has lost an incredible number of people throughout the last 100 years in particular, and you just could not forget that fact no matter where you went.

We were introduced to some of Russias masters in Shaolin fighting (historically, the region was part of China centuries ago), exchanged weapons and watched their school put on a display for us. It was a love fest between the two masters and our Paora and Scottie. Alexander and Edward - lovely men.

THE SCHOOL OF TRADITIONAL FIGHTING ARTS IN VLADIVOSTOK




We also saw Baluga whales captured in a tiny pen so tourists could view them, very distressing. I couldn't stand it when the captors made the whales sing just so they could get fed. It was horrible. I would rather the whales died out in the ocean, an honourable death - rather than be forced to crash into each other as they fight for space - 7 whales to a very smal tank.

Our beautiful friend Tatyana, was voted Driver of the Year because of her abilities to avoid even the most treachorous of potholes. When her tyre burst because of one, she was (according to Toby) the fastest on tyrechanging he had ever seen - and with her stylish boots on and all!

TATYANA & JULIA

We discovered that although Russian women are seriously some of the most glamourous int the world, they put the mean, butch looking ones on customs. And, the airport only has THREE baggage trollies - true!

We got munted on vodka, ate till the cows came home and experienced true Russian hospitality. In Vladivostok, the people are out on the edge, they are very cool. Our hosts were very hospitable, gracious and accommodating.

So, we have just written and recorded a song. The tune was written while in Vladivostok. It is called Iri Kura, with lyrics penned by Scotty. It is a gift to our hosts - Tatiana, Julia, Sasha, Natasha, Arina and Larissa. Here's a toast to our hosts, especially to the fabulous Alexander (Director of the Vladivostok Film Festival) and to our N.Z friend Martin Tate (who had 10 of us parked up in his family home.
THE LADS IN THE BAND

THE LADS ON A VODKA TRAINING PROGRAMME!!?





MOANA & OUR HOST SASHA

OUR CREW IN VLADIVOSTOK

After Vladivostok, we flew across 11 timezones to Moscow where we were reunited with old friends and performed 3 public concerts - two at the Dom and one at Club Baguette. The Dom is well known, a smallish theatre, quite underground in its feel. We rate Yulia there as the best sound engineer of the trip. We got to see lots of our mates from the NZ Embassy at one of our gigs, including Ambassador Chris Elder and his family.

TOP RUSSIAN JAZZMAN IGOR BUTMAN

And, we saw our friend jazz maestro Igor Butman, who I presented a putorino to. We played at his club the first time we went to Moscow - LeClub. And, he arranged our gig at Club Baguette (what is it with the french names??)
ONSTAGE AT THE DOM




While in Moscow, we put down a couple of hangi for some friends. One was in our friends backyard and the second was by a river bank. For the first one, we got dressed up in pink to do all the hard work.The Russians loved our steamed underground oven food, though our friends lawn won't possibly look the same for a while. Then, we swopped our working clothes for stage ones and did a one hour concert to a crowd of 70 or so. After that, we got stuck into the pork, chicken, lamb - the works.
A FEAST IN THE FOREST

HAPPY CHAPPIES

NO ELECTRICTY REQUIRED
HANGI IN THE BACKYARD
DOWN SHE GOES...<

A HANGI CONCERT



We were also hosted in the home of our good friend Igor, his wife Vera and mother-in-law Marina. It was normally a 45 minute drive but took 4 hours because of holiday traffic. The Zenkin whanau plied us with food and serious vodka - and about a million toasts. We sat on the deck in the sun, we sang and had a good laugh.

WITH THE ZENKIN WHANAU



That's our lovely driver Alexi - Trina taught him the ukelele. Bet he doesn't get many driving jobs like ours. He took our crew to the best markets in the world...Izmailovo, where craftsmen and artists and old ladies and farmers take their handmade wares. And, the kai is awesome, too.
OFF TO ST PETERSBURG

St Petersburg was beautiful - it was white nights, no darkeness. At midnight, the sky was a rich dark blue and before it at around 10.30pm, it was white. Here's a foto of Toby at midnight on the main drag, then John outside the most beautiful building in St Petersburg at 10.30pm - I think its called the Cathedral of Spilt Blood (sounds a lot better in English).

A little like Venice, too with its canals. It's Russias crown jewel in terms of being THE city to visit. Stunning architecture, incredible history, great shopping, fab eating. We hung out with my Batley relations, and also Nepia - it was a choice few days.

I remembered paragraphs from the book The Bronze Horseman which very powerfully related the story of those locked inside the city without food and no prospect of any. St Petersburg Will always have at its heart (for me), that terrible time. Well, we have invitations to play in the lovely city next year, so thats our goal.

It's always wonderful to be home with my son - though teenage boys can be trying when they are on holiday!

I will think about how wonderful it is to travel, sing alongside and play with a bunch of very talented artists - Trina, Amiria, Max, Cadz, Jerome, Scottie, Paora and Toby. As we lay around getting spoilt rotten, glass in hand - we would look at each other knowingly and sigh, 'Just /another day at the office, eh?'