Grigory Leps, the ideological inspirer and creator of the Rosa Khutor music festival, met us in the hotel room, where he arrived after working the first day of the holiday on the stage of the Rosa Hall concert venue - a concert hall was built in a ski resort three years ago. In an interview with Life, Leps told why he came up with Rosa Khutor and what he considers its main goal.
In our difficult time, it is certainly difficult to organize festivals of this level. You managed to do it for the third time. Why was Rosa Khutor invented?
The idea of such a festival came from our production center. After all, there was not even a concert hall here - it was built from scratch by the management of Rosa Khutor. If we talk about how hard it is to hold this festival, such chores that are quite pleasant. I myself am from Sochi, so it is rather symbolic that this is done under the sign of my production center. Indeed, it is difficult - after all, funds from the federal budget are not allocated here. There are sponsors, but every year this is getting harder and harder. Of our three festivals, this one was perhaps the most difficult in this regard. There are a number of people who help us, we are grateful to them. They do not demand anything in return, they just do it for the sake of Russia, so that people in Russian resorts have a rest - have fun, walk. Immediately, God himself commanded: beauty, snow, mountains, good hotel rooms, good tracks, and even a casino opened. Our money was crying. (Laughs.)
- Have you already visited the roulette table yourself or are you planning to?
No, I won't go, I'm not addicted.
Speaking of Christmas festivals, Alla Pugacheva's legendary "Christmas meetings" come to mind, which she began to hold in the 90s. In recent years, she has given them up. Can we say that you "occupied a clearing"?
I remember this festival and its wonderful atmosphere. It must be admitted that magnificent artists performed in those days, and not only from Russia, but also from the post-Soviet space. There were people there who even came from Australia and America. I had the honor to participate once too, when I was invited by Alla Borisovna. Speaking of some kind of competition, listen, but the word “Christmas” cannot be patented, so I don’t think that we could somehow enter Pugacheva’s “clearing”.
- And if she wants to resume her festival and there is competition?
We will only be happy if it resumes! We can sing there too, if she invites, with pleasure.
- Did you invite Pugacheva to Rosa Khutor yourself?
Invited, but at that time she could not. It is quite difficult to invite such an artist as Alla Borisovna, she has her own work schedule, her own days for rest. It's no secret that artists work very hard in December: we have a lot of filming, corporate events. I myself was released on December 30 in the evening after the broadcast of Golos, so I perfectly understand how difficult it is to arrive in Sochi in three or four days. But besides the recognized stars, there are a number of very talented guys who are not yet familiar to our viewers. I understand the concern of some TV channels - will viewers watch shows where there will be unfamiliar faces? But Channel One was not afraid to show "Christmas on Rosa Khutor", knowing that there are a lot of young artists here. Honor and praise to them, thanks to Konstantin Ernst and Yuri Aksyuta. I can say for sure - we will move in this direction, young guys and girls need to be shown.
I must be one of those people myself! (Laughs.) The fact is that the age category of our star stage now ranges from 45 to 70 years. This is some kind of nonsense. But everything will go away, and we will leave. We should leave with dignity, but it would be nice to leave something behind. If my team and I pave the way for someone, take part in the fate of young artists, I will be happy. From, as you say, the dominance of the same faces will be saved only by new young names, I am convinced of this. And I myself do a lot of searching for them - for this there is our production center.
Who do you see as your successor, who do you rely on? For example, Philip Kirkorov openly says that his "shift" is Sergey Lazarev.
Seryozha is a very good artist, Philip knows what he is talking about. As for my successor, I have no such thoughts. Every artist brings something different! It's bad if the artist looks like someone else. The guys working in my center each have their own "grain", maybe someone has similar musical intonations, but no - I don't see "successors" yet. (Laughs.)
Why did you pay attention to Alexander Panayotov - it would seem that a person who is completely different in format from most of the stars in your production center?
I got to know Sasha 14 years ago. Even then I had thoughts to his soul, but then I did not have a center, I was only concerned with my person. Alexander Panayotov is a separate person, he already sang well then, and now he sings even better. Personally, I don't understand how he does it. After the "Voice" the situation changed even more - he became a sought-after artist. At the moment, we made him an offer, and it's up to him to refuse or agree. In any case, we will remain a good relationship, he is a very nice guy.
I wouldn't say that, people vote in the end. At the final stages of the project, mentors no longer decide anything. What Agutin did with Dasha Antonyuk in the final was a very correct decision. They sang a well-known folk song. Maybe it played a role? She sang very well, splendidly. I don’t know what will happen next with her career, everything is already in her hands. Panayotov looked brilliant on the "Voice", he did everything flawlessly. I didn't have any questions for him! To the question of unexpected results - you remember that Father Photius won last year. He was not the best voice, but everyone voted for an Orthodox priest. Still, the show "Voice" is a game: you don't know what will shoot.
Now, at a time when artists are trying to outdo each other with the scale of grandiose shows, the Rosa Khutor festival does not lag behind fashion trends - everyone is discussing your 22 video screens that will outdo Eurovision, and the ice rink that you will install on stage. It seems that if an artist with a black back and a lantern enters the stage and just sings well, he will simply be pecked ...
Haha! And all my life I have had a lantern and a black backdrop. This is probably the spirit of the age of technology, which is developing all the time and you can’t keep up with it. I'm not against the show, but I never aspired to be. This idea, rather, belongs to people who know how to do it: the directors, the team that works with me. They imagine how to create it all, invent it, implement it, but I don’t imagine anything at all. (Laughs) No shows. Come out and sing! I'm not a show person, I can't dance, I can't dance either, I've never had a ballet team.
- It turns out that you just follow the laws of show business.
- And which of the latest "grand shows" of Russian artists amazed you?
To be amazed, there are none (thoughtfully. - approx. ed.) It can be seen that a lot of work has been done by Philip Kirkorov in the show "I". I was, I liked something, and something I didn’t. But I watched this show like a normal person. I haven't seen Kolya Baskov's show "Game" live, only recordings. Well, everything is as it should be - bright, beautiful, loud. To be honest, I'm always more interested in the musical content, the most important thing for me is that the artist gets through to the heart.
While in Sochi, one cannot but recall the recent tragedy - the Tu-154 plane crash. You were one of the first among the artists to comment on what happened, saying that, if necessary, in spite of everything, you are ready to fly to Syria again. Did you personally know any of the victims?
I knew each other, but I wasn't close friends. You know, after all, we flew on this plane, many artists ... It could have been our coffin. It is difficult to talk about this at all, we express condolences, but what's the point of this? Maybe kind words will help in some way, but in general it is a wound that does not heal.
- It's Christmas, do you have family traditions associated with this holiday?
As a rule, at this time we are either away or I am working. We very rarely manage to be in the family circle, although this year it happened on New Year's Eve. They sat down together, celebrated together... and I ran to work. Now the family is not with me, they are in Moscow. They set a table for themselves there: kids, mother-in-law, walk while her husband is away (Laughs.) The holiday is very big - today all Orthodox people need to walk. Congratulations to all of us. Save, Lord, all the people on earth. I wish all of us all the best, good, happiness and health. And I will always be with you, if, of course, you let me.
The production center of Grigory Leps, with the support of Channel One and Avtoradio, presents the Christmas at Rosa Khutor music festival!
On January 7-9, 2015, the music festival "Christmas at Rosa Khutor" was held for the first time in Sochi on Krasnaya Polyana, for which a concert hall was built at the Olympic ski resort "Rosa Khutor" only for the duration of the festival.
All concerts within the framework of the festival were sold out and became an unforgettable event!
On January 7, 2016, on the bright holiday of the Nativity of Christ, the festival will reopen in the new concert hall "Rose Hall", which will hospitably open its doors to everyone!
The festival program is full of interesting exclusive events.
On January 7, the festival will open with a grand gala concert, which will be broadcast live by Channel One, in which Iosif Kobzon, Grigory Leps, Irina Allegrova, Larisa Dolina, Nikolai Baskov, Ani Lorak, Oleg Gazmanov, Valeria, Kristina Orbakaite, Stas Piekha will take part , Sergey Lazarev, A-Studio, VIA Gra, Intars Busulis, Emin, LOBODA, MBand, Egor Creed, Rodion Gazmanov, Olga Kormukhina, Anita Tsoi and others.
On January 8, the festival will continue with the performance of the best of the best participants of the Voice IV Season project, accompanied by Sergei Zhilin's Phonograph Sympho Jazz Orchestra. The concert will also be attended by the mentor of the IV season of the show "Voice" Grigory Leps, as well as Oleg Gazmanov, Sergey Lazarev, Olga Kormukhina, Hieromonk Photius, Vitold Petrovsky, Renata Volkievich, Olivia Krash, Armen Avdzhan, Maria Katz, Denis Sokolov, Rodion Gazmanov, Emil Kadyrov, Era Cannes, Maria Yeroyan, Gabriella Silva, Ivan Dolmatov, Olga Zadonskaya, Ilona Solomonova, Daria Bezhenar, Lilia Zamulina, Olga Sergeeva
On January 9, the best of the participants in the Voice project will be waiting for the guests of the resort at a friendly meeting, which is organized by the production center of Grigory Leps together with Vozmi Zvezdu as part of the Christmas at Rosa Khutor festival. The meeting will be held at the Golden Tulip Hotel at 14.00 in the "take a star" format - autographs and selfies with your favorite artists, the opportunity to chat and ask the idol a question of interest.
In the evening, the audience will have an interesting and colorful memory of the past Olympic Games in Sochi - the concert program “HOT. WINTER. YOUR. 2 YEARS LATER". Participating in the festive show: Iosif Kobzon, Grigory Leps, Elena Vaenga, Irina Allegrova, Larisa Dolina, Oleg Gazmanov, Ani Lorak, Valeria, Stas Piekha, Sergey Lazarev, Alexander Marshal, Denis Maidanov, Olga Kormukhina, Anita Tsoi, Intars Busulis, Zara , Emin, LOBODA, Rodion Gazmanov and many others.
We invite everyone and we have no doubt that the festival "Christmas at Rosa Khutor" will become a traditional grand winter event not only for the Olympic ski resort, but also for Russians from all over our country!
It rarely happens that an entire concert hall is built for the sake of one event. But in the city of Sochi it turned out to be possible. The idea of holding a large musical Christmas festival belongs to Grigory Leps. Back in the summer, the employees of the production center, together with Grigory, came to Sochi in order to decide on the site, and in September of this year the place was precisely determined. The concert hall will be located right in the center of the Rosa Khutor ski resort, on the square near the Town Hall.
Rosa Khutor resort is the largest object of the 2014 Olympic Games. Thirty sets of Olympic medals in fifteen sports disciplines were played on the Rosa Khutor tracks.
A mobile hall will be installed there, which will be dismantled after the festivals. Buy at Rosa Khutor Concert Hall tickets worth it for everyone who wants to witness an incendiary and elite event. The Christmas festival will be held for three days. On January 7, a gala concert will take place with the participation of Joseph Kobzon, Grigory Leps, Irina Alegrova, Stas Mikhailov, Ani Lorak, Valery Meladze, Kristina Orbakaite, Nyusha, Emin, Timati, Loboda, Stas Piekha, Yuli Parshut and Nikita Presnyakov.
On January 8, the hero of the evening will be Grigory Leps, to whom numerous friends will join. Famous hits will be performed in very bright duets. And on January 9, the stars of the TV project “Voice” and the symphonic jazz group “Phonograph” conducted by Sergei Zhilin will perform. To witness this unique and debut event, it is worth it now buy tickets to the Rosa Khutor Concert Hall.
All for a good holiday
One of the main initiators of its creation and a favorite of the public, Grigory Leps, considers this event ideal in terms of time and place: event? During the day, people will be able to ski, and in the evenings, families can gather and listen to good music. I hope this light festival will bring together as many people as possible. On each of the festival days, both I and my colleagues will take the stage.” As Grigory Leps correctly noted, this event can be an excellent occasion for a family vacation. And it is best to buy tickets to the Rosa Khutor Concert Hall on the VipTicket website, because thanks to it you can get the necessary tickets at any address in Moscow. This will avoid tiring trips and waiting at the checkout. Now you can do booking tickets to the Rosa Khutor Concert Hall by phone or via the Internet. And they will be delivered to you at any convenient time.
