Vopli Vidopliassova's Tantsi

Rock 'n roll in the 1980s Kyiv underground challenged Soviet ideologies, articulated new ways of being Ukrainian, and celebrated collective gatherings. Vopli Vidopliassova's Tantsi exemplifies how Soviet musical cultures existed within an ecosystem of contradictions, with emergent youth subcultures colliding with entrenched state infrastructures.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2023
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Rock 'n roll may not have toppled the USSR, but it certainly shook its foundations. Unlike the often-sweetened pop music endorsed by the Soviet state, Ukrainian punk musicians of the 1980s Kyiv underground embraced the ideologies of rock to satirize the absurdities of late Soviet life, express new forms of Ukrainian identity, and revel in the cathartic joys of collective gatherings centered around musical performances. This book narrates the tale of Tantsi (Dances), a semi-official cassette release by the legendary Ukrainian punk band Vopli Vidopliassova, affectionately known as VV (pronounced "Ve-Ve"). Their disruptive musical compositions, ironic lyrics, innovative use of language, and exhilarating performances playfully explored the boundaries between official and unofficial Soviet culture. VV's Tantsi exemplifies how Soviet musical cultures coexisted within a complex web of contradictions, as established state infrastructures clashed with emerging youth subcultures on the unstable terrain of late Soviet life. Today, Tantsi continues to invite us to dance while we laugh (or cry) at the quirks of everyday existence.

Weight: 210g
Dimension: 127 x 198 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501363115