01. Pokrovy Nebesnogo Starca

Shrouds of Celestial Sage

Celestial Sage is Veles – Slavonic god of cattle-breeding, patron of poetry and ritual songs, guardian between the world of the living and the world of the dead, guide for the souls to the world of the deseased. This song is about death on the battlefield. A dying warrior appeals to Veles and asks to take him to the world of the dead “I pass to thee, sage Veles”.

02. Goi, Kupala!!!

Slava Kupala!!!

The praise of young god Kupala. Kupala festival is one of the main Slavonic festivals. Being dedicated to summer solstice this festival is the festival of the Sun and Water which are the beginning of all life. This festival is time for flourishing of all life-bearing powers of Nature. It was a tradition from the earliest times to celebrate Kupala during the night from 23rd to 24th of June. Traditional celebrations included the sacred fires made on riversides with young men and women jumping over them holding each other’s hands. People put flower diadems on the water, gathered magic herbs and roots, bathed in healing dew during the morning. The praise of Kupala was “Slava, Kupala!”.

03. Ot Serdca K Nebu

From Heart to the Skies

This song is the appeal of a man to his ancestors and native gods, where he asks them to return the now forgotten faith of his Motherland.
“Rise, the power of Rus’,
Light up us and revive our faith”.

04. Oh, Pechal -Toska

Oh, My Sorrow, My Anguish

This song is a story about a girl’s unrequited love for a married man. The girl’ soul is exhausted by longing of her hopes and sorrow of their vanity. This dismal story ends as the girl kills herself and her unborn child – “Oh, troubled waters, take me away”.

05. Gutsulka

instrumental

06. Strela

The Arrow

This is the ancient Slavonic ritual funeral song and it was really used not so long ago. Many Slavonic tribes sang this song though each tribe usually had it’s own version. The song is the appeal to the Arrow which is asked not to kill young warriors but the Arrow is actually not obedient to human will. “Oh, Arrow, don’t fly over a town’s wall. Oh, Arrow, don’t hit a fine young man.”

07. Nad Propastiu Let

Over the Abyss of Ages

Modern world is stuck in vice: hatred, falsehood, self-destruction. People have lost their roots and their souls mourn in emptiness. We appeal to Veles with the question “What are we to do?”. But we get no answer and we keep fighting for our existance. “Over the abyss of ages… Grandfather, Veles! Where is your answer?”

08. Slavsia, Rus'!

Long live Rus’!

This song is about Rus’, the Nature hidden within it’s depths, about the sacred places yet untouched, the vast expanses and inexpressible beauty deep inside it’s heart. We see the spectral shapes of the past embodied in Dazhd’bog’s Grandsons (Dazhd’bog is the god of the Sun, grantor of warmth and light, forebear of all the Slavs) which return to us from the centuries we have forgotten.
Through the maze of misty ages,
Through the native sacred lands
Dear brothers, let’s sing praises
“Long live Rus’, my Motherland!”

09. Kupala I Kostroma

Kupala And Kostroma

The spring ritual song about young gods Kupala and Kostroma who fell in love with each other and married being not aware that they are brother and sister. When they found out the truth they decided to drown themselves but the elder gods took compassion upon them and turned them to a flower which is now called “Ivan and Maria”.

Kostroma, Kostroma,
Why is it you love Kupala?
Why is it I love Kupala?
Because his hair is curly.

Kostroma loves Kupala,
Because his hair is curly,
Because his hair is curly,
And his beard is fuzzy.

Because his hair is curly,
And his beard is fuzzy,
His curls coil up to make a garland,
I love Kupala, the fine fellow!

His curls coil up to make a garland.
I love Kupala, the fine fellow!
Oh, Kupalushka,1 on the hill-top,
Strolling right along!

Oh, Kupalushka, on the hill-top,
Strolling right along!
Oh, he’s kicking his boots,
Kicking his boots together!

Kostroma, Kostroma,
Why is it you love Kupala?
Why is it I love Kupala?
Because his hair is curly.

Because his hair is curly,
And his beard is fuzzy,
His curls coil up to make a garland.
I love Kupala, the fine fellow!

1Kupalushka: diminutive of Kupala.

10. Tsygular

instrumental

11. Sva

Mother Sva is the sacred bird – the incarnation of the Great Mother who beared the human kind. This song is about a girl exhausted by unrequited love who loses the meaning of life and sense of reality and goes to the wilderness of the forest to leave the society she hates. There she appeals to Sva and asks to return her to normal life.
“Sva! Hear my voice! Help me to awaken.
To return to my native land from the empty pitch darkness.”

12. Katitsia Kolo

Kolo Rolls

Kolo (the Wheel) symbolizes the circulation of natural processes. Day becomes night, each year is followed by another year, each epoch is followed by another epoch. The two thousand years Epoch of Pisces – the Epoch of Falsehood, Betrayal and alien faith – is nearly over. It is followed by the Epoch of Aquarius – the Epoch of Truth and revival of Native Faith.
“Roll, Kolo, Roll:
From Year to Year,
From Century to Century,
From Edge to Edge.”

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Ot Serdca K Nebu (2007)

Title : Ot Serdca k Nebu
Release Date : October 31, 2007

Album was recorded at CDM Records (Moscow sound) studio, May-September 2007, except:
“Slava, Kupala!!!”, “Ot Serdca k Nebu”, “Oh, Pechal’-Toska”, “Strela”, “Slavsia, Rus’!”, “Katitsia Kolo” – drums were recorded at Gigant Records studio.
Produced, engineered and mixed by Sergey “Lazar” and Masha “Scream”
Mastered by Sergey “Lazar”
Music and lyrics by Masha “Scream” except:
“Gutsulka”, “Strela”, “Kupala i Kostroma”, “Tsygular” (music is folk); “Strela” (lyrics are folk); “Slava, Kupala!!!”, “Slavsia, Rus’!” (music – Sergey “Lazar”).

Album was recorded by:
Masha “Scream” – lead vocals, screaming, growling, keyboards, tambourine, komuz, acoustic guitar (“Sva”), screams (“Pokrovy Nebesnogo Startsa”, “Slava, Kupala!!!”, “Katitsia Kolo”), choirs
Sergey “Lazar” – guitars, choirs (“Pokrovy Nebesnogo Startsa”, “Ot Serdca k Nebu”, “Slavsia, Rus’!”), screams (“Pokrovy Nebesnogo Startsa”, “Slava, Kupala!!!”, “Katitsia, Kolo”), speech ( “Nad Propastiu Let” )
Ruslan “Kniaz” – bass
Vlad “Artist” – drums
Vladimir Cherepovski (bands: “Pfeyffer” “Los Gaiteros de Moscu”, “Coda”) – gaita gallega, small pipe, Hurdy-gurdy, tin whistle, low whistle, sopilka, pipes, pan flute, ocarina, zafun
Andrey Bairamov (bands: “Adrian and Alexandr”, “Los Gaiteros de Moscu”) – percussion (“Gutsulka”, “Tsygular”)
Grahovski Alexandra (bands: “Z’nich”, “Gostitsa”) – choirs (“Slava, Kupala!!!”, “Oh, Pechal’-Toska”, “Strela”, “Sva”, “Katitsia Kolo”)
Sazonova Maria (bands: “Z’nich”, “Gostitsa”) – choirs (“Slava, Kupala!!!”, “Strela”, “Katitsia Kolo”)
Valeriy Naumov (bands: “Ivan Tsarevich”) – choirs (“Pokrovy Nebesnogo Startsa”, “Ot Serdca k Nebu”, “Slavsia, Rus’!”)
Alexandr “Shmel’” (bands: “Rarog”, “Kalevala”) – choirs (“Pokrovy Nebesnogo Startsa”, “Ot Serdca k Nebu”, “Slavsia, Rus’!”), screams (“Pokrovy Nebesnogo Startsa”, “Slava, Kupala!!!”, “Katitsia Kolo”)
Alexandr “Deer” (bands: “Kalevala”) – accordion
Vasiliy Derevianny – domra (“Ot Serdca k Nebu”, “Slavsia, Rus’!”)