The finals for the Eurovision Song Contest will take place this Saturday in Malmö, Sweden. The rules of Eurovision state that the country which won the preceding year’s contest must host the event 12 months later, last year Sweden won with singer Loreen and her song, Euphoria. This year, more than 130 million people across the [...]

Aşıq Nargile, an ethnic Azeri Ashiq, performs ”Borçalı Poem”: Learn more about the The Sayat Nova Project & the traditional music of the Caucasus. Photo gallery by Onnik Krikorian

Once again, as the tradition of Eastbook.eu demands, we’ve selected 10 special songs from countries participating in the EU’s Eastern Partnership programme. Listen to the tunes we’ve found highly… entertaining and… let the party rock! 10. Quest Pistols – Разные (Ukraine) Even if the handsome youths from Quest Pistols do not shock this year as well [...]

The goal of the first edition of the Eastern Partnership Days is to provoke a wide-ranging discussion on the cultural dimension of the Eastern Partnership. A culture which uses a universally comprehensible language could serve as a catalyst of political, economic and social reforms in the countries of Eastern Europe and Southern Caucasus. It may [...]

On Saturday, the “IRELI” Public Union together with the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall will hold a concert dedicated to Muslim Magomaev, a great artist of Azerbaijan. The event will be held at 6pm on 18 August 18 in the Chamber and Organ music hall. On the birthday anniversary of the great musician, who left an [...]

This year, Baku will host a concert dedicated to Muslim Magomaev, the great artist and singer of Azerbaijan, who died in 2008. The event will take place on 18 August, a day after the 70th anniversary of his birthday. The superstar Innokentiy Smoktunovsky, a very famous and talented actor during the Soviet time, said once [...]

Loreen is a Swedish songstress, whose career flies high after the victory in Eurovision Song Contest. But her forte, besides above-average voice and beauty, is her attitude towards human rights protection. The Swedish singer performed on a scene in Vitebsk, Belarus, at the “Slavic Bazaar” festival – the biggest music event organized by the state [...]

Belarus cannot boast grand music events with artists of worldwide renown. That is why the organisers count on small but unique festivals.  The Open Air Festival (“Вольнае паветра”) is taking place in Shabli, 80 km from Minsk, on 25 August. Belarusian wilderness is a perfect place for a performance of ethno and folk musicians. Despite the [...]

The 7th edition of “Solidarity with Belarus” concert will be held in the centre of Warsaw. On 22 April, the surroundings of the Palace of Culture will be filled with a mix of reggae, rock and folk music performed by Polish and Belarusian bands.  “Solidarity… has become a tradition”, says Mateusz Luft, president of Free Belarus Initiative, which [...]

Weather improves and spring days are longer. It’s time for a break from politics. Let’s take a look at music trends this spring season: a quick review of Belarusian alternative. 1. Akute – a trio from Mahilyow takes by the handful from Brit indie rock. Their beautiful lyrics in Belarusian make them special among hundreds [...]

For the album Zimachka (Зімачка), Troica, an ethno trio, has gained the biggest number of awards in Belarusian Expert.by‘s 2011 ranking.

Undervud knows the secret how to evoke a holiday mood. After all, they did launch their career in the sunny Crimea. Our recommendation for the upcoming warm days: Йога и алкоголь.

The Eurovision Song Contest has a wide appeal in Belarus. A scandal that broke during national finals forced the very head of state to intervene in the matter. Belarusians watching the TV broadcast casted their voice in majority for a tear-jerking and doleful ballad “All my life” sung by Alena Lanskaya, whom Belarusian media call [...]

Liavon Volsky, a cult Belarusian artist, is preparing a new album together with Krambambula band. The first, newly released song from Drabadzi-Drabada is here.

Today we are celebrating the New Year’s Eve, so enough with politics, economy and high culture. Tonight we’re going to party. Hard. For our Eastbook’s readers we’ve prepared this music compilation of 10 songs from the Eastern Partnership countries we all love immensely. Join us! Feel the EaP music! 10. THE TOOBES - My Generation (Belarus) [...]

Yanka Kupala is the father of the modern Belarusian language. In 20th century, he turned the speech of village and peasantry into literature and poetry. The words from one of the poems of Kupala were used by the members of Lyapis Trubetskoy group in the newest protest song called  ”Nie byt skotam” (“Not to be [...]

Today a new single of Belarusian rockers has its premiere. Watch Lyapis Trubetskoy’s ‘Princess.’

On August 19-24, ‘Travelling Notes Festival’ is taking place in Armenia. Through such study visits young classical musicians experience, besides a reach array of melodies, local culture and, above all, meet people from countries hosting the festival. 45 musicians from Armenia and 25 foreign guests are participating in the Festival. All artists are at the [...]

On Saturday, June 25, at Theatre Square in Warsaw there were held climactic events connected with Transkaukazja 2011- the project of The Other Space Foundation. In the early afternoon there was organised a tent city at Theatre Square, called “Caucasian Warsaw.” Upon entering the white tents formed into a square, one could move for a [...]