communard resolution
27th September 2008, 10:48
I love them, and I want to present you with one of my favourites today. "Katyusha" (little Katie) was originally a WW2 era Soviet song about "a girl longing for her beloved, who is away on military service" (Wiki), written in 1938 by Matvei Blanter and first performed by Lidya Ruslanova. The song was so popular, Stalin named his famous rocket launchers "Katyushas". The Wehrmacht feared them as "Stalin's Organs".
Here's a version performed by a singer whose name is unknown to me (maybe you can read cyrillic letters?).
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BrUjAz4Kh5A
Is it just my dirty mind, or did you think the same thing was going to happen around 2:00? I sincerely apologise if you didn't.
In 1943, Felice Cascione wrote a much more martial Italian lyric to the same tune. This version became one of the most popular Italian partisan anthems during the resistance against Fascism. You can hear it in this clip which for some reason shows images of Yugoslav partisans. That's fine by me as I can never celebrate Tito's heroic partisans enough.
EDIT: This version was known as "Fischia Il Vento".
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gdb_TN5PwDI
Communist skinhead band Banda Bassotti from Rome recorded a riveting ska/punk version of the song:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RrEf_hgLFp8
We're coming full circle with this 00s version of the original Katyusha, performed by what looks like a manufactured if attractive-looking Russian pop-punk band. The singer's (or band's?) name is Zina:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g9TgldrQgIQ
Tell me about your favourites.
Here's a version performed by a singer whose name is unknown to me (maybe you can read cyrillic letters?).
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BrUjAz4Kh5A
Is it just my dirty mind, or did you think the same thing was going to happen around 2:00? I sincerely apologise if you didn't.
In 1943, Felice Cascione wrote a much more martial Italian lyric to the same tune. This version became one of the most popular Italian partisan anthems during the resistance against Fascism. You can hear it in this clip which for some reason shows images of Yugoslav partisans. That's fine by me as I can never celebrate Tito's heroic partisans enough.
EDIT: This version was known as "Fischia Il Vento".
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gdb_TN5PwDI
Communist skinhead band Banda Bassotti from Rome recorded a riveting ska/punk version of the song:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RrEf_hgLFp8
We're coming full circle with this 00s version of the original Katyusha, performed by what looks like a manufactured if attractive-looking Russian pop-punk band. The singer's (or band's?) name is Zina:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=g9TgldrQgIQ
Tell me about your favourites.