Russian power with a human face

English

Profile magazine 5.02.2001

Do you know where you can see smiling Alexander Voloshin, hot-tempered Michael Kasyanov, beaming Valentina Matveenko? At the jazz concert. Russian political elite of today prefers jazz. 

On January 27 a Triumph of Jazz concert took place at the house of Cinema. Igor Shabdurasulov, ex-deputy head of the Kremlin administration, was organizer of the concert. Igor Butman's orchestra, Maria Tarasevich, the singer, Andrei Kondakov, the pianist, and Billy Cabam, a drummer and an American star participated in the concert. Among the audience were the above mentioned Alexander Voloshin, Oleg Sysuev (The Alfa-Bank first deputy chairman), Alexander Lyubimov, a TV presenter, Piotr Aven, the Alfa-Bank chairman, Alexander Abdulov, an actor, and many others. 

"We enjoyed a warm welcome, - said Maria Tarasevich, a singer. – The hall exploded in applauses. The concert lasted for four hours, and practically nobody left". 

When asked, how often she sings for Russian officials, Maria said, that rather often, especially of late: 

"On December 30 a big Christmas concert was arranged at a country governmental residence on Kashirskoye shosse where we were invited". 

"How do people listen to jazz? Voloshin sits motionless, only his foot ticks the rhythm. And Michael Kasyanov does not hide his emotions: after each our performance he cried out: "Bravo!"