World-famous but still unknown
 - Stepanida Iliinichna, most people treat you as Yakutia's Minister of Culture Andrey Savvich Borisov's wife. Does it bother you?
- Sure, sometimes it really does. Especially when they introduce me to somebody and say: “Meet Stepanida, Andrrey Savvich's wife”. I am Stepanida Borisova. An actor. Not just a wife.
- Everyone who goes to the Sakha Theatre knows that you are a wonderful actor; people love the parts you play. But the audience is not big, is it?
- Yes, not everyone goes to the theatre. That is the reason why I think actors should appear in movies and television, not only in the theatre. Besides, time washes away dramatic roles, as they were traces on the sand. It is different with movie. That is what I realized recently. My husband already wanted to make a movie when he was young.
- Do you like young directors?
- (Laugh) I like the directors, not their movies! It's a joke. But the thing I don't really like is too much violence. Take Sergey Potapov's Tyyn, his latest work. It's dynamic, done well, but so gloomy! So many people are killed for nothing!
- And Borisov's approach is different?
- Yes, it is full of hope, and always very bright and positive. Andrey Savvich himself is a very bright personality. With global ideas. He has done and keeps on doing a lot for our theatre, cultural life, people – and I'm telling this not because I am his wife. I can see it from being an actor.
- You wear 2006 Vladivostok Movie Festival T-shirt.
- I just came back from it. We demonstrated 6-minute episode from “Genghis Khan”, movies “Tyyn” and “Balyksyt”.
- Did they get any awards?
- No, this works didn't take part in the contest.
- A few people go to the theatre and few people from our republic know that you are famous worldwide as an ethnic singer, rock and folk music star.
- In fact, ethnic singers cannot have worldwide fame and it is logical. Most people listen to pop music.
- Anyway, only three Asian throat singers are famous in Europe – Sayinkho from Tyva, Urna from Mongolia and Stepanida from Yakutia. Is it how they call you, without your surname?
- Yes. Just Stepanida. And they don't have a single idea about who is my husband. (Laugh)
- I've heard of your tomorrow departure. Where are you going?
- First Moscow, then through Paris to Corsica. With the Khotylayevs. We are going to take part in music festival of polyphony music. Don't have an idea why they invited me. I have to decide what to perform with. The polyphony of Nature – can it be said so?
- Polyphony means many sounds. Nature has many sounds – sure, you can say so.
- I see… Sounds of Nature and human's voice – human as the part of Nature… It can be figured out this way…. Please, go ahead.
- What do you like more – solo concerts or festivals?
- Festivals. First, it's not that stressful – one or two songs and you are free. Second, I have always been interested in other performers' art. Concerts and tours can be really exhausting. Moving from one point to another first by plane, then – by car over and over, again and again. But it's a good training, too. With every concert, my voice improves and my breath becomes longer and longer…
- How long was your biggest tour?
- More than a month, I suppose. One week is enough for me to begin to hate everybody; besides, I always miss Russia. Not even Yakutia, but Russia. But the worst happens when incorrectly drawn up visa spoils all your plans. Impossible to continue the tour, you are kept waiting in some foreign city. I know this situation. I had concerts in Poland, Germany, Slovakia; then I had to go back to Germany, but I wasn't permitted. I spent five days in Brno because of this visa!
- Wasn't it when you were performing with Pavel Fajt?
- Yes. There is probably no city in Germany we hasn't perform in together.
- How did you meet?
- In 1998, together with Misha Maltsev we took part in the festival in Hungary. It was where I heard Pavel's playing, and I liked it a lot. I performed with recorded accompaniment. Then we went to the Czech Republic, to Prague – with the same accompaniment. And the record stopped right on the concert! Well, I sang without any accompaniment. After the concert, Pavel suggested me to try a united performance someday. I answered, why not? And the same year's autumn he invited me in Brno, to take part in the TV program devoted to alternative music. And we performed together without any preparation– it was nice – we liked it as well as and spectators. That is how we started working together. We worked together 6 or 7 years. I invited him in Yakutsk during Children of Asia Sport Games in 2004. He always wanted to visit Yakutia. We gave one concert in the Sakha theatre, and the hall was half-empty. Maybe because it was summer… The attendance is better in wintertime. This summer, during yhyakh I had a concert in my native village – only 50 people came, the major part – my relatives. (Laugh)
- What is the name of the village?
- Teligi, Megino-Khangalassky region. When I graduated from Shepkinskoe school in 1975, dairymaids from my village asked me to give a concert. I told them: “What are you asking me about? Who am I?” So, I made their wish come true in thirty years! They all passed away, those dairymaids, they were older than I was and worked together with my mom…
- But why did you refuse?
- I wasn't confident if I could give a concert. I always doubted myself and I still doubt.
- You recorded the CD with Fajt, didn't you?
- We did, but Pavel hasn't released it yet. I wished this CD was sold in Russia, too; but they say it's not profitable.
- I heard of your CD released somewhere abroad…
- In Germany. On our way back from Japan, Ay-tal band and I decided to go to Germany. It took only day and a half to record the CD. This is the Huluu project – 5 musicians from around the world. They asked me to sing in a more indifferent manner, less emotionally, - Siberiantrans. A kind of electronic music which makes you want to sleep.
- Ambient style.
- Yes, that is how they call it.
- This CD is sold in Moscow, isn't it?
- It costs about 30-40 euro. Not everybody can really afford it.
- World music is for those who love it. So, it means the person would pay much to buy an elite CD.
- Anyway, I wish more people could afford it.
- It must be exciting to take part in international projects.
- Sure, it is. And very interesting, too. Once there were five of us – musicians from different countries – in England. We were to prepare a concert in a week. We gave two concerts – one in Culture Center, the second – in the theatre of Wagner, the opera theatre of Bayreuth City – the hall was full!
- Did you have the concerts with the same musicians in London?
- No, I didn't give concerts in London, but I gave master-classes.
- Of throat singing?
- Yes, I taught how to sing in kylyhakh manner.
- Did your students succeed?
- Yes, they did! After the course, we altogether gave a concert, singing toyuk. It was really nice.
- Excuse me. They studied how to sing kyhylakh, but in the end sang toyuk?
- Everything is right. Kyhylakh is the manner of singing, while toyuk is the special type of song.
- I see… Is it actually possible to throat sing after a week of studies?
- Yes, it is. In fact, my students had good vocal skills. You see, they really wanted to study throat singing; otherwise, they would not pay for it.
- Do you give master-classes in Yakutsk?
- No. But I teach university students. This year – first-year ones from Arctic State Institute of Culture and Art. My husband asked me to, I didn't really want to teach them.
- Are they future actors?
- Yes, the actors, not the singers. Most of them do not sing at all, I am not talking about kyhylakh.
- Is it that very first course which is to become the base of the Olonkho theatre?
- That is what Andrey Savvich dreams about.
- Would you please explain what is the Olonkho theatre? I heard about this cultural phenomenon from Andrey Savvich and many others, but I never heard the definition.
- To say in few words it is the theater where all the actors sing. Drama actors, not the opera ones. They sing toyuuk, sing the part of abahyy (the main antagonist in Olonkho, the Yakut epos). They play and sing Olonkho.
- Now I see why they call Kyys Djebeliye the Olonkho theatre.
- Yes, I know there is opinion that my singing manner is not correct. But the thing is that every region has its own specific singing manner. My father was olonkhohut (professional Olonkho singer). His name was Ilia Semenov. The Yakut name was probably Arsan Duolay, and he sang the part of abahyy very well, I suppose. He was very happy about my singing. And I think we have a lot in common; not because he was the only singer I listened to. In fact, he was not very famous, well-known only in our region. I heared the singing of Kynnyk Yrastyrov, Lasar Serguchev, Gavril Kolesov. Urastyrov sang for me personally in the hall of the theatre. Can you imagine that? I have also heard the singing of 104-year old woman.
- Does your being director's wife provoke some different attitude in?
- Well, everybody in our theatre was aware of us to come together after graduating Shepkinskoe School, as young actors. It was after then he graduated as a director and came back to the theatre. But we faced it in other theatres. Andrey directed the play “The farewell to Matera” based on Rasputin's book in Moscow Art Academic Theatre. He wanted me to play the part of Evenk woman. But the theatre authorities interpreted this as his wife's deliberate promotion and as a result another woman acted, from Moscow. Rasputin really liked the play; it's still shown in the theater, although it was put on the stage 11 or 12 years ago.
- You work a lot with local rock bands….
- First with Choroon and Meheele Tumus. We had our tour in Finland, back in 1980s. Then, together with Ay-tal, I went to France and Italy… And Sasha and Grisha Ilyins from Cholbon went, too. And we performed with Cholbon in Hong Kong, Moscow, Finland.
- I remember Sasha Lipnitsky gave a concert in Moscow suburb, on Nicolina Gora. One of the life's brightest musical impressions! And not only musical – do you remember Zhanna Aguzarova came into your dressing room and said: Stesha, you are a great singer; I can tell you that as another great singer.
- (Laugh) Yes, I heard a lot compliments then. Remember that movie director…
- One who shoot the film about Pugacheva! And he told that you were cooler than Pugacheva!
- (Laugh, then in serious voice) Going on tours and abroad is difficult not only physically but also psychologically. I saw how uneasy it was for the guys to get used to our life here again. Some of them began to drink alcohol… The most important is to forget about everything on your way back to Moscow, in the plane. I try to forget everything – the way I was admired of, and welcomed, the things I was said. As if I played a role. I feel easier, because I am an actor. Not everyone can do that. But I did it earlier, too. I go back to my village – and it seems I never left Yakutia and everything is the same. Without these, supposedly capital city's, manners…
- Without snobbery.
- Yes. You know, this year I have recommenced my tours after a one-one and a half -year pause. I was too tired and my hurt burned after all the traveling. Hardly there is any benefit from my tour performances – the transport fare is very high, especially for Moscow-Yakutsk route. I thought to stop performing as a singer. But you see didn't. (Laugh)
- When did you start singing?
- I have always been singing, but I had my first solo concert in Tokyo, in 1993. To be exact, four concerts in Tokyo and one – in Murayamo.
- Good start! But how did it happen that you started with 5 solo concerts?
- Easily. I got an invitation and agreed to perform.
- An invitation from the Japanese?
- Japanese woman. Mijuki-san. In 1992, she visited Yakutsk as a member of a big delegation from Japan. Waving listened my records, she wanted to meet me…
- Is she a producer or a singer?
- Alike me, she is a drama actor and a singer. By the way, a very unusual one - she sings old Russian songs of prisoners and those who were condemned to penal servitude. Can you imagine that? I had never heard such songs before – and didn't expect to hear woman singing them…
- No way, she sings Russian!…
- She does, playing the guitar, giving the concerts.
- In Japan?
- Mostly in Japan. But I think she's had her concerts also in Magadan, Irkutsk.
- And which records did she come across with?
- The first – with Choroon; on the other I sing without any accompaniment.
- Was it some professional record.
- Of course, no. It was just that somebody pressed record button when I was singing on some get-together.
- I see. So, Mijuki-san invited you in a year?
- No, she invited me right away. I went to Japan in a year. I remember she asked me not to wear colourful clothes.
- Did you like colourful clothes then?
- No, I always liked black. She thought the national clothes of our actors and singers were too colorful. I got khaladay dress made, of 9-meter piece of material, especially for that journey. But it turned out the material rumpled easily, and I had to iron the dress again and again between the concerts. After Japan I realized that a good dress never rumples and had another dress made, of the style, but of a better material. And I still wear it on my concerts, it's been almost 10 years.
- Why black?
- National adornments look better on black.
- By the way, are they from family jewels?
- No, the theatre presented them for my jubilee. Because I always rented them (Laugh)
- What is theatre for you?
- The occupation of my life. I am a drama actor by my education and vocation. I don't consider myself a singer! Singing is just pleasure for me. And if people like it and they feel happy about it – wonderful.
- Which is the thing you hasn't done, but you would wish to?
- I have always wanted to have some fashionable hairstyle. But the parts I play don't let me to, I always need to have a long plait…. So, I have sacrificed my beauty for theatre's sake all my life! (With deliberate effort in her voice).
- Is there a part you still hasn't played?
- (Fake sobbing) I hasn't played Juliet! But wait, in 1975 I played Sakha Juliet, Suohaldzyja Tolbonnookh, right after Shepkinskoe School, it was my first part in Yakutsk Drama Theatre. And the leading one!
- Did Borisov act in this play?
- In the crowd scene.
Interviewed by Irina Efimova, Vecherka.Ykt.Ru
Translated by Alexandra Markova, a Yakutsk State University student.
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