SHAMAN comments on Intervision contest

Singer Yaroslav Dronov, known by the stage name SHAMAN, praised the «Intervision» music contest held in Russia. He represented Russia at the event.

«What a grand and beautiful “Intervision-2025” it turned out to be! Our country set a high bar for the spectacle of the show, the successful combination of traditional instruments with augmented-reality technologies, as well as artificial intelligence. I am very happy and proud that Russia managed to revive and stage an international music contest of this level», — the singer told «Argumenty i Fakty (Arguments and Facts, AiF)».

However, SHAMAN did not take full part in the competition. Like the other participants, he delivered his performance, but afterward he made an unexpected statement.

«I represent Russia, and Russia has already won. Won because you are our guests», — the singer said, asking the jury not to score his performance.

As a result, the winner was Vietnam’s representative — Duc Phuc. As a prize he received 30 million rubles ($316,000 at current rates), part of which he plans to donate to charity in Russia.

Victory might not have been in the cards for Yaroslav Dronov anyway. At least that is the view of producer Maksim Fadeev, who wrote his song for «Intervision».

«I am disappointed. The song “Straight to the Heart” is vocally very complex. Its score demands maximum concentration and, more importantly, physiological calm, — Fadeev said. — And that raises a question: why suspend an artist with such an extremely demanding vocal score on a wire, make him run, descend, put him in stunt conditions? What was the point — what did we want to show? Physical endurance? But this is a song contest».

In his view, the song came across improperly, and the reason was the decision of the director and his associates, who placed Yaroslav in “conditions obviously impossible for live singing”.

«That is precisely why, at the climax — which the whole thing was built around — the very note did not sound; the mismatch between harmony and melody was obvious. Beyond that, I noticed a metric mismatch between the backing track and the vocal. Apparently, television directors are used to working with a backing track, where you can launch an artist into space and the diaphragm will be fine, — Fadeev said, dissatisfied. — But here a living person was singing, and he should have been able to sing so that it was an event».