Olia Shnip Band is a Belarusian band that recently made a loud statement about itself in Warsaw with the Free Orchestra. The project emerged from a musical residency at the House of Creators, involving about 20 talented artists.
Their repertoire blends hip-hop, pop, ballads, rock, jazz, folk, gospel, classical, musicals, opera, grunge, and funk. The project's creators are Volha Shnip and her husband Anton, a former political prisoner, sound producer, and ex-member of the band Irdorath.
The band lineup includes:
- Volha Shnip: vocalist, composer of music and lyrics (opera singer, musician, vocal coach, street artist, curator, designer, performer).
- Andrey Kozik: keyboardist, backing vocalist (from "The Bruised Trouveres," Theater of Opera and Ballet, among others).
- Uladzimir Mikhnovich: keyboardist, saxophonist (from "Serebryannaya Svadba," National Circus Orchestra, among others).
- Filip Petchanka: bass guitarist (from "Dee Tree," "Vuraj," among others).
- Stas Murashka: drummer (from "The Toobes," "Soyuz," "Valentin Strykalo," among others).
- Anton Shnip: sound producer, photographer, videographer (from "Irdorath," "Serdce," "OliA Shnip," among others).
We had a conversation with the leader of the Olia Shnip Band, Volha Shnip, about the emergence of the band, their educational and artistic activities, as well as life at the House of Creators.
The debut concert of the band: "Feeling like a campfire has been lit"
- The presentation of your band was truly grand - with the participation of a whole orchestra. How did you experience that concert?
- It felt like a dream, to be honest. As always, there were a lot of nerves during the preparation. We rehearsed a lot. All the time, there was this fear that something might go wrong with the technical aspects (that happens sometimes). And then came the spark... And there you are - standing on stage, not understanding what's happening with you. You are no longer yourself, but a portal through which the music passes...
Now I have this feeling as if you've lit a campfire, then it went out, and now you have to work again to relive that same moment. But you want to do more, to leave not just one spark behind. And then, true happiness for you will be when this gives hope to a large number of people, inspires love and light.
– I understand that a grand concert like yours required many rehearsals with musicians. But were there any additional preparations? Perhaps some shamanic rituals?
– When we gathered at home during the preparation, it really felt like some shamanic event. We shared funny stories, danced, were constantly excited. To not completely lose our minds from the intense work, we even brought out drums, started playing chansons, and laughed a lot about it all. We also had a tradition of gathering together to eat something tasty. We watched a lot of old music films about various rock bands, world-class festivals. Over drinks and wine, we were inspired by these things.
– How do you feel now after this concert?
– You know, after the performance, my musicians came up to me and said, "Volya, do you realize what you've achieved?" I said, "No." And they said, "Imagine: you gathered an orchestra, you composed this music, we put it on the music stands..."
And then it was just a very joyful feeling that it finally happened.
– During your "graduation" concert, you also participated in another music residency at the House of Creators, where the main heroes were the band Irdorath.
– Oh, that was also very important for us because we were eagerly awaiting Nadia and Vova here in Warsaw. You could say it was the first European home to welcome them after they left Belarus.
I think our music residencies really help creative people who have been deprived of music for a long time. And for Nadia and Vova (the leaders of Irdorath), they had accumulated a lot of material behind bars, and in Poland, they were able to dive into this atmosphere. We danced, sang, worked on vocals, and simply went with Nadia to the lakes. Overall, it was a very vibrant time that gave a good start to believe in our strengths again and start building a career anew, now in Germany. They are now in Berlin, planning a big tour across Europe. So, we are very happy that everything worked out so well!
– During that residency, besides Vova and Nadia, other former members of Irdorath participated, including ex-political prisoners Anton, Yulia, and Pyatro. Have you noticed any changes in the guys and girls musically since their release?
– You know, the filming of the "Zorami" music video that we released with the House of Creators was very challenging. Especially those scenes simulating the prison. It was emotionally very difficult for them, as if they were going back in time.
But as for their creativity, these people haven't changed at all: I continue to admire them as I always have. Pyatro, for example, has delved into folklore, he plays with Lity Taler, made his program with Duda Hero (you can download it), he organizes various activities, he really enjoys it... As for Anton, he has always been a very sincere person. Music has always been his top priority. And now he continues to collaborate only with people who are as sincere and dedicated as he is. So I don't see any major changes in them.
Regarding artistry: "Your flaw can be your vocal feature"
– You are also a vocal teacher. Besides hitting the notes, why is it important for you to educate your students?
– Unfortunately, many people who come to me are psychologically very closed. In honesty, most of us are like that. These psychological barriers, the blocks we've had since childhood like "you can do this and not that," are very important. First of all, I want a person to feel free and understand that they owe nothing to anyone. They can sing this way or that way – and that's their uniqueness. Sometimes your, let's say, "flaw" can be your vocal feature. Someone with a strong natural tremolo in their voice (strong vibrato, "vocal shaking") won't be taken into opera because it's considered a deformation. In pop music, you can experiment. But now we live in such times that uniqueness can become your hallmark. You can create your own music and highlight your unique effect in it.
Girls or boys come to me with their music. They show it to me – and I feel great joy and inspiration: I want to help them paint this music so they can show everything they can. Because despite everything, the voice is the main instrument, it is always with you. With our voice, we can sing, talk, and evoke emotions. That's why it's important for me that a person feels special in a good sense of the word.
Here's the translation:
- And besides all else, you are also an artist. What do you want to say with a paintbrush now?
- Lately, I haven't written much, but I used to paint three paintings. The first one depicts a broken heart kissing its pieces. The second one is about Martian soil. And the third one is about my band.
Moreover, we are planning another concert with the band, but we haven't announced it yet because we are still figuring out the details. It might take place at a theater square. That's where I want to combine many things with my art. I crave some bright colors. We communicate with many people, and many are feeling drained of energy and emotions right now. That's why I want us to support each other through visual or audio art. Spring is here, bringing new life and hope that our sad news will somehow turn into joyful ones.
Postscriptum "Sergei, take care of yourself!"
"You work very closely with musicians and artists from the Dom Tvortsau residencies. What do you see in them? What is our generation like, still somewhat marked by Belarusian protests and repression?"
"We are indeed very sick. But we hope that creative people can heal through creativity. Obviously, they don't know any other way. We at Dom Tvortsau try to support the artists' activities, but sometimes we also need support ourselves."
We will soon have a residency with many people from Belarus. We really hope to make this time, as we always do, beneficial and in a friendly atmosphere. This is especially important for those who have come from Belarus. It is important for them to feel that not everything is lost, that art is needed, and that we support it. We are open and ready to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it.
Special thanks in this matter go to Sergey Dovgusha, the head of the Dom Tvortsau. I am constantly amazed by this person. Now he is in a new status: he is a young father who runs around with his little daughter like a whirlwind. It always looks so lovely... But he continues to work hard for our residents, helping everyone as much as possible.
We try to create a community where all creative and interested people can find their place, where they can express themselves, find friends, collaborate on projects, or create something unique for our culture. Sergey does a lot of this work. That's why we all pray that everything goes well for him. There's even a joke: "Sergey, take care of yourself! If something happens to you suddenly, many people will be very upset." So a warm welcome and immense respect to him!
