Pesniary

Pesniary Песняры
Background information
Origin	BSSR
Genres	Folk rock Folk music Folk pop Progressive rock Psychedelic rock
Years active	1969–2003 (currently three different bands claim this name)
Labels	Melodiya
Associated acts	Verasy

Pesniary (also spelled Pesnyary, Belarusian: Песняры, [pʲesʲnʲaˈrɨ]) was a popular Soviet Belarusian folk rock VIA. It was founded in 1969 by guitarist Vladimir Mulyavin. Before 1970 the band was known under the name Liavony (Лявоны).

Pesniary combined various types of music, but it mostly used Belarusian folklore though often with various psychedelic rock elements and later rock as well. Several of the Pesniary's songs were composed by Alexandra Pakhmutova. The surprising influence of early Frank Zappa was also notable. The band often used lyrics from the famous Russian and Belarusian poets of the past. Pesniary's favourite was Yanka Kupala. The band adapted his poems into stage musicals twice: Pesnia o Dole (Song of Fate, 1976) and Guslar (1980), the latter also released as concept album.

Among their best known song are "Kasiu Jas Kaniushynu", "Belovezhskaya Pushcha", "Belorussiya" and "Alesia".

Pesniary was the best-known Soviet group coming from the Belorussian SSR. It was one of the very few (and possibly the first) Soviet bands to tour in America in 1976. They've toured the South of the United States together with a folk band The New Christy Minstrels. 1974-1980 is considered the Golden Age era of the band when it achieved top popularity in the USSR, in Eastern Europe and in other countries.

In 1979, after the success of rock opera Guslar, the whole band was awarded the honorary title Meritorious Artist of the Soviet Union, and Mulyavin personally received a higher title of People's artist.

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