Gubin's hits were turned into rock, chanson and memories of Zhanna Friske

In April of this year, Andrey Gubin turned fifty, so a special event in honor of the artist seemed logical. But the composer and performer himself treats his round dates without any bated breath. The producers of his creative evening whispered to "ZD" how difficult it was to arrange everything. Gubin's answers "yes" and "no" were given out in a chaotic manner, and the very fact that the hero of the day came, sat in the hall, smiled and bowed to the audience, who wanted to drown him in applause, looked like a straight Hollywood happy ending.

Gubin, according to him, last appeared on stage in 2005, and since then even his home composing work has been constantly complicated by the struggle with illnesses that are said to be the result of neuroses and a terrible life schedule. "I don't miss success," Andrei told the journalists who swarmed him. "I miss work. And it's good that it happened, it's better than sitting at home."

In 1995, after a series of samizdat albums, "Boy-tramp" was released, the hits of which became an important part of the musical foundation of the nineties. These songs sounded like a cry from the heart of a very young man who, perhaps, did not understand music as a set of academic hooks and squiggles, but simply could not help but compose. And in the five albums that followed "Boy-tramp", Andrey managed to preserve, perhaps fragmentarily, live emotions without any theatrical veil.

"I was listening to other music then, but I recognized and still recognize Andrey's genius," one of the tribute participants, Alexander Panayotov, told ZD. "In his seemingly simple melodies, he managed to find the key to all hearts, and this is some kind of miracle. His songs are very fertile ground for various cover versions. It is also very joyful that this happens in the presence of the author, and not after his departure. He is here, at arm's length, and receives emotions that are incredibly important for a creative person."

In addition to "Boy-tramp", performed in the final by the entire star choir, the tribute program included eleven hits by Gubin, nine of which were solo performances, and two - duets. The relatively small program managed to unite artists ranging from Miya Boyko to Grigory Leps and musical techniques for a wide variety of tastes. Everyone tried to stay within their familiar waters, but the consequences of such a policy turned out to be different.

If Philipp Kirkorov didn't go overboard with the gilding in his version of the song "My Sweetheart Far Away", then Sevil from Artik&Asti and Sergey Lazarev, who sang "Cry, Love" together, almost drowned the track in a fashionable beat. The song fluttered like a fish in a net, and it was not a fact that it broke free. However, in his solo appearance with "Bird", Lazarev bet on a tearful pop-rock drama and generally guessed right.

Performing "Dances", Khabib seemed to sing lines more complex than his usual ones and probably got material for an audience slightly older than kindergarten. At the same time, Mia Boyko turned "Clouds" into a typical TikTok hit, but judging by the delighted children's squeals in the audience, she did everything right. In the musical comedy of Artur Pirozhkov, the comedy, as a rule, is far ahead of the music, but if you show something, then the strong sides, and you can't deny the singing joker acting.

After the New Wave tribute show, ZD traditionally puts together its top five most successful cover versions. This is not a scale of decreasing or increasing coolness, but simply tracks that were probably worth the studio time spent on them.

Lyusya Chebotina (“La-la-la”)

Gubin himself did not perform this song. It was written for Kirkorov, but eventually ended up in Zhanna Friske's repertoire. And the best thing about Chebotina's cover is the very vibe for which everyone loved and loves Zhanna. The original was simple and was based on the singer's charisma. When this song was played, the space was filled not so much with music as an assortment of tricky tricks, but with a carefree atmosphere. Chebotina managed to reproduce the wild carefree nature of a Friday evening, which can be called luck, because there is no exact recipe for such tricks. And she is also a beauty, and for this song this quality is no less important than the production.

Bogdan Titomir and ST (I Know, You Know)

The great and terrible Bo hardly needs an assistant to make a splash, but ST played the supporting role well. In the foreground was, of course, the hooligan and libertine with an uncanny sense for arrangements. Titomir's version can hardly be called a breakthrough in sound. He simply turned Gubin's song into his next "Do as I do." Many probably believe, and quite rightly, that this is impossible. Tell Bo this, he will laugh.

Alexander Panayotov ("Lisa")

"I thought there should be a French chanson flair here. As if Liza had gone to Paris. I was immediately told that my version would stand out from the rest, but that's not bad either," said Alexander when the passions had died down. In flirting with old-school pop, there is a risk of becoming a laughing stock and, at the very least, adding years to one's age. But the timbre and octaves allow Alexander to flirt with anything (within reason) and not look like an actor from a burnt-out theater. At least, "Liza" has never sounded like that before.

Grigory Leps ("Night")

Probably the most explosive interpretation of the hit of the nineties. In an effort to shove Gubin's song under a heavy rock roller, Leps generously loaded the musicians and arrangers with work, and they worked hard for every ruble paid to them. People usually expect "A Glass of Vodka" from Leps, "Natalie" (I wouldn't mind "I'll Go Live in London", but it's too late to go there, and the song, accordingly, is not performed), if from the fresh ones - "I Raise My Hands", but the artist himself adores rock, overloaded with complexities. In the cover of "Night" his passions thundered throughout the entire district. "As much as I can" - read in the subtext. We had no doubt.

Amirchik ("Winter, cold")

A cover always wins when a song written by a young person is covered by someone who is not that old. At a concert dedicated to Yuri Shatunov, Amirchik performed "Pink Evening" - and it turned out to be one of the most successful numbers of the concert. First of all, because the artist did not grab the stars from the sky, turning a song for school discos into a song for school discos. A similar tactic was chosen with Andrey Gubin's hit, and it again became successful. A legend has grown up around twenty-year-old Amirkhan Batabaev from Bishkek. Does he really sing and dance like that or is all this amateur flair a calculated move by a serious production company? Perhaps this is the case when it is better not to place emphasis. But if the opportunity arises, offer covers. Amirchik will not let you down.