Iosif Kobzon conference
Uploaded by VestnikKavkaza on 13.02.2012
Transcript:
Iosif Kobzon, Peoples Artist of the USSR
The topic of the conference is simple.
It is devoted to the anniversary tour.
I would like to tell you about my plans.
This year I am 25 times three.
Joking aside, when I carried out my 60th-anniversary tour,
I decided to finish my career, but then I postponed it.
It’s good that Iosif Davidovich sometimes breaks his word.
This time I don’t want to break it.
I want to make a full stop, because many roads have been travelled.
I got used to work at full force, attracting the interest of the audience.
Now I feel less strength and less interest in me as a singer.
I want to leave the stage properly.
I will tell you about my anniversary concerts in some cities of the world.
On September 11th, on my birthday, I will perform in the Kremlin Palace.
There is such an agreement.
I sympathize with the US about the tragedy of 9/11,
the terrorist attack which led to the deaths of many people,
but long ago I made the decision to celebrate my birthdays on stage.
I recommended all my colleagues to do the same.
It is not a birthday for me, but a thanksgiving day really.
You thank your mother, who gave you life on this day.
It happened that on 11th September 2001 I had to inform the audience
and held a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the tragedy, then I said a prayer.
I have plans to visit St.-Petersburg and perform at my favorite Oktyabrsky Hall.
I have three favorite halls in my life: Oktyabrsky Hall in St.-Petersburg,
the Central Hall Russia in Moscow and the Ukrainian Hall in Kiev.
Ukraine is my birthplace.
I was born in Donbass.
I’m very proud that in the center of Donetsk there is a sculpture of me made by Rukavishnikov,
people call it a monument, I don’t know why.
I told the former president of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, that I don’t want my sculpture to be erected.
He told me it is not about my decision, it is a decision by the people.
That is fair.
So this is my birthplace of Donbass.
When the war started, I was in Lvov.
I celebrated the victory in Kramatorsk in Donbass.
My native language is Ukrainian.
So other anniversary concerts I want to hold in Ukraine:
Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, where I graduated from the mountain college, and Donetsk.
I’m an honorary citizen of all these cities.
By the way, I’m an honorary citizen of Moscow and 29 other cities.
It’s just a fact.
Statistics.
In Russia I’m going to perform in Krasnodar also.
There is the artistic union Premier, headed by Leonard Gatov for many years.
We founded this union together.
More than 2000 people are members of it.
It has a symphony orchestra, the only ballet theatre of Grigorovich, folk ensembles and so on.
The Garanyan Jazz Band, which I like very much.
So I would like to perform in Krasnodar.
So there will be three important concerts in Russia - Moscow, St.-Petersburg, Krasnodar –
and Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev.
As for foreign performances, there is a preliminary agreement on a concert in Israel at the Opera Theatre.
I’ve spent many years in this country.
Now I’m a Russian citizen, but I was born in the USSR.
I performed in front of Stalin twice in 1946 and 1948 as a pupil of my secondary school.
I lived under all the regimes of the Soviet State.
Everything that goes on in my country is very interesting to me.
I’m not the bravest person, but I try to be a leader.
My friendship with cosmonauts, with Yuri Gagarin, whom I called simply “Yura”,
with Valentina Tereshkova, Alexei Leonov and so on, made me be a leader.
I was first at Domansky, where the tragedy happened.
I was first in Afghanistan in April 1980 and the last one, I made nine trips to Afghanistan.
I was first in Grozny in 1996-1997, when the peace treaty was signed.
I was first to perform in Chernobyl.
I was the first at “Nord-Ost”, to take people out of the hall.
It was nice to get a Medal of Courage, but it wasn’t my aim.
I felt that I’m an active participant in the country’s life.
I have 7 grandchildren, I think when they grow up they won’t be ashamed of their grandfather.
I have sung all the songs I’ve wanted.
Nobody has performed more concerts than I have.
I played 2-3 concerts a day.
Nobody has recorded more songs than I have.
Another question is that some people like them, some don’t.
There is no place on the map of the former Soviet Union that I haven’t been.
I have had a very interesting life.
I want to live forward.
Unfortunately, I cannot visit the US for 17 years,
as well as my wife and children for the same reason.
I think for me it won’t change, but my children maybe will see the US someday.
My daughter studied at a San Francisco school, then she studied for two years at New York University.
My son studied music in Hollywood for a year.
For us America is not only an interesting country, it is a familiar country,
we treat it respectfully and would like to visit it again.
The topic of the conference is simple.
It is devoted to the anniversary tour.
I would like to tell you about my plans.
This year I am 25 times three.
Joking aside, when I carried out my 60th-anniversary tour,
I decided to finish my career, but then I postponed it.
It’s good that Iosif Davidovich sometimes breaks his word.
This time I don’t want to break it.
I want to make a full stop, because many roads have been travelled.
I got used to work at full force, attracting the interest of the audience.
Now I feel less strength and less interest in me as a singer.
I want to leave the stage properly.
I will tell you about my anniversary concerts in some cities of the world.
On September 11th, on my birthday, I will perform in the Kremlin Palace.
There is such an agreement.
I sympathize with the US about the tragedy of 9/11,
the terrorist attack which led to the deaths of many people,
but long ago I made the decision to celebrate my birthdays on stage.
I recommended all my colleagues to do the same.
It is not a birthday for me, but a thanksgiving day really.
You thank your mother, who gave you life on this day.
It happened that on 11th September 2001 I had to inform the audience
and held a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the tragedy, then I said a prayer.
I have plans to visit St.-Petersburg and perform at my favorite Oktyabrsky Hall.
I have three favorite halls in my life: Oktyabrsky Hall in St.-Petersburg,
the Central Hall Russia in Moscow and the Ukrainian Hall in Kiev.
Ukraine is my birthplace.
I was born in Donbass.
I’m very proud that in the center of Donetsk there is a sculpture of me made by Rukavishnikov,
people call it a monument, I don’t know why.
I told the former president of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, that I don’t want my sculpture to be erected.
He told me it is not about my decision, it is a decision by the people.
That is fair.
So this is my birthplace of Donbass.
When the war started, I was in Lvov.
I celebrated the victory in Kramatorsk in Donbass.
My native language is Ukrainian.
So other anniversary concerts I want to hold in Ukraine:
Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, where I graduated from the mountain college, and Donetsk.
I’m an honorary citizen of all these cities.
By the way, I’m an honorary citizen of Moscow and 29 other cities.
It’s just a fact.
Statistics.
In Russia I’m going to perform in Krasnodar also.
There is the artistic union Premier, headed by Leonard Gatov for many years.
We founded this union together.
More than 2000 people are members of it.
It has a symphony orchestra, the only ballet theatre of Grigorovich, folk ensembles and so on.
The Garanyan Jazz Band, which I like very much.
So I would like to perform in Krasnodar.
So there will be three important concerts in Russia - Moscow, St.-Petersburg, Krasnodar –
and Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev.
As for foreign performances, there is a preliminary agreement on a concert in Israel at the Opera Theatre.
I’ve spent many years in this country.
Now I’m a Russian citizen, but I was born in the USSR.
I performed in front of Stalin twice in 1946 and 1948 as a pupil of my secondary school.
I lived under all the regimes of the Soviet State.
Everything that goes on in my country is very interesting to me.
I’m not the bravest person, but I try to be a leader.
My friendship with cosmonauts, with Yuri Gagarin, whom I called simply “Yura”,
with Valentina Tereshkova, Alexei Leonov and so on, made me be a leader.
I was first at Domansky, where the tragedy happened.
I was first in Afghanistan in April 1980 and the last one, I made nine trips to Afghanistan.
I was first in Grozny in 1996-1997, when the peace treaty was signed.
I was first to perform in Chernobyl.
I was the first at “Nord-Ost”, to take people out of the hall.
It was nice to get a Medal of Courage, but it wasn’t my aim.
I felt that I’m an active participant in the country’s life.
I have 7 grandchildren, I think when they grow up they won’t be ashamed of their grandfather.
I have sung all the songs I’ve wanted.
Nobody has performed more concerts than I have.
I played 2-3 concerts a day.
Nobody has recorded more songs than I have.
Another question is that some people like them, some don’t.
There is no place on the map of the former Soviet Union that I haven’t been.
I have had a very interesting life.
I want to live forward.
Unfortunately, I cannot visit the US for 17 years,
as well as my wife and children for the same reason.
I think for me it won’t change, but my children maybe will see the US someday.
My daughter studied at a San Francisco school, then she studied for two years at New York University.
My son studied music in Hollywood for a year.
For us America is not only an interesting country, it is a familiar country,
we treat it respectfully and would like to visit it again.