A few years ago I downloaded a bootleg compilation called Soviet Punk Rock Anthology 1980-1991. TBH I didn't think that much of most of it, but I really liked one song which was listed as by "Janka". I couldn't find anything about her at the time but I had another look recently and figured out who it was - a folk/punk singer called Yana Dyagileva, who performed as Yanka, and died in slightly mysterious circumstances (recorded as suicide but some people believe it was murder) aged 24 in 1991.
Wiki here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanka_Dyagileva
There's been a couple of mentions of her on ILX before:
From "Contemporary Russian Audio Output":
Finally, from about 1989-1990, there was a singer named Yanka Diagileva, who, unfortunately, killed herself, but sang really great, extremely depressing songs about the emptiness of Soviet life. Her lyrics are worth learning Russian for.
― actually..., Sunday, 29 August 2004 05:48 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
and from "Rolling 'One Track Per Week' Thread 2014":
24 years this week since Soviet indie-punk singer Yanka Dyagileva died (at 24 years old). Can't stop listening to Na Chornii Den'.
― Petite Lamela (ShariVari), Wednesday, 13 May 2015 19:59 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
^^^ That's really cool. My ex had a copy of "Not Permitted" that we knew nothing about because it was all in Cyrillic. Any idea what album that electric version of "Na Chornii Den" is on?
― Luc Skyferrari (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Tuesday, 19 May 2015 10:25 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Xp, it's on "Domoi".
― Petite Lamela (ShariVari), Tuesday, 19 May 2015 21:18 Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I've yet to listen to the album ShariVari mentioned, but I've now heard Ne Polozheno (Not Allowed) from 1988 and Angedoniya from 1989. The former is more acoustic, with a bit of fuzzy electric guitar on some tracks. Angedoniya is more electric, with lots of fuzzy minor key guitar, including some different versions of songs that were on Ne Polozheno. The song from the Soviet Punk Anthology boot is the version from Angedoniya - "Po Tramvainym Rel'sam".
Wikipedia lists about 5 more albums plus 4 live albums. Apparently her funeral was attended by over a thousand people. I wonder what her reputation is in post-Soviet Russia? Is she a cult figure there?
― Colonel Poo, Tuesday, 3 October 2017 11:33 (seven years ago)