Shanson
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Shanson (from French "chanson") or Russian shanson is a neologism for an informal musical genre of criminals' song, known in Russian language as blatnaya pesnya (literally, "criminals' song") or blatnyak, from the term blatnoy for members of criminal underworld. It is popular in Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet Union countries. It is the music rooted in prison life and criminal culture, but some of shanson performers insist that the genre they work in is more than that and look upon Alexander Vertinsky and Alla Bayanova as their precursors. This style is completely different from similar tendencies of American hip hop. It fact, the term "shanson" stuck because of the similarities with French chanson: the lyric is plot-driven, informal colloquial style, heart-breaking sentimental topics (freedom (lack of it, longing for it), love, betrayal), "non-professional" vocal.
It originated as a criminal subculture song genre influenced by classical Russian romance song. In the Soviet Union it had been performed by some artists clandestinely, by early Vladimir Vysotsky (most popular from this period probably being Gde moi semnadtsat let?, "Where Are My Seventeen Years?"), Arcady Severny and others, until such performers as Aleksandr Rozenbaum and Mikhail Shufutinsky started to make television appearances and perform at large. Its popularity has grown enormously since then, especially after Radio Shanson was launched in Russia.
Leading shanson performers include Villi Tokarev and Lyuba Uspenskaya (both based in the US), Sergei Trofimov and Aleksandr Novikov, Vika Tsyganova and Mikhail Krug (recenly murdered by criminal acquaintances at his villa in Tver).
