“The name JetЛАГ is originally an English-Russian pun (JetLAG, where "lag" means "camp," because establishing a common campground for both artists and the audience is traditional for Russian rock and folk festivals).”
From festival press release
For many Russians, going to JetЛАГ is more than a musical experience. With each passing year there are fewer and fewer Russian-language events in America, and the ones that continue to be held are gradually being merged with other local events. However, there are still a number of people, who continue to feel most comfortable in a Russian-language environment. Throughout America there continue to be a large number of singer-songwriter get-togethers that in their time attracted a large number of people. However, their thematic contents have grown tiresome and the time has come for a larger, broader and more modern format.
JetЛАГ really is a different format, which the organizers define as “a rock-pop-bard-klez-retro-ethno-techno-rap-folk-funk-punk-fest overcoming the limits of geography, age, language and style.”
The festival first appeared thanks to the personal efforts of the Russian musician Psoy Korolenko. His idea inspired the organizer of the festival Gesha Feldman and subsequently the entire Russian community in the greater New York area. Wherever you find Psoy you can be assured that the event will be out of the ordinary and never dull.
The first JetЛАГ, held in the summer of 2009 in beautiful spot in nature in the state of Pennsylvania, was quite a success. JetЛАГ-2010 was held in the same place, but this year it was dedicated to French chanson.
At JetЛАГ absolutely everything can be found – from a diverse range of music to morning aerobics (“Harmony of the Body and Soul”).
The festival culminated with meeting of the headliners (Sklyar, Leonid Federov, Vladimir Volkov and Billy’s Band) with local musicians for a jam session on the main stage. There were five stages in all, each of which was led by one of the project musical organizers, who invited their like-minded comrades to perform and joined them on stage. Perhaps most unique was the palab stage organized by Vadim Pevzner, a performer from New York who put on not only musical but also video and other performances.
The Mon Pegas stage was organized by Pasha Shkarin from New York, who invited numerous poets to read their works. The main stage was literally spilling over with stars and the Triumphal Arch stage was dominated by the bohemian rock crowd from the outlying areas of New York led by a fellow with the nickname Balkon. The festival’s headliner (or “highlighter” as the organizers like to say) was the French chanson singer Yana Ovrutskaya. She opened the show and then later sang a duet with Olga Chikina at the Spell Art Cabaret stage. She was able to transfer the atmosphere of such Moscow clubs as Kvartiry 44, Apshu and Bilingvy to the Pennsylvanian countryside.
The organizers emphasize the seriousness and importance of the event. “JetЛАГ is designed for artists, musicians, music enthusiasts, and significantly, students; we encourage professors of Russian language and/or the arts to consult us about bringing groups of students to the festival as part of their summer school program's curricula,” they say. Furthermore, they have established strong contacts with a number of universities in the area (including NYU, Dartmouth College, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania, etc.) and plan to further increase these links.
The festivals founders note: “The festival contextualizes and explores genres, styles and projects that embody such links, such as Russian guitar-poetry and folk song, rock, klezmer, gypsy music, trance, rap and freestyle poetry. JetЛАГ is a great source for those engaged in cultural studies, social anthropology, history, politics, contemporary art and performance studies, ethnomusicology, and Russian, Slavic & East European studies.”
JetЛАГ isn’t just a place for the studious or those looking to hang out; it is also a place for those seeking “a well adjusted Russian-speaking immigrant from a good family”. No one appeared to be turned off by having to spend three days camping in good company, and they all willingly spent the $50-60 dollars on tickets and were on their way to find something or someone wonderful.
This festival is one of just a few that is directed at a specific audience, which makes it quite attractive. In terms of age, the crowd was quite diverse – from young children to the well-bearded who came of age in the 1960s. Enjoying the event did not require any belittling of oneself or snobbism. The only thing necessary was a lively in interest and willingness to experience a diverse range of musical styles.
And so – joyfully and with taste – that’s how musical festivals can come to life in America. Nature, music, friendship and love – it’s all there. And you don’t have to be a “flower on the asphalt” to enjoy it all. All you have to do is come to this marvelously beautiful forest, where you can meet interesting people and listen to music in our own native tongue.
