Russian Red Army Choir & Leningrad Cowboys - "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" - 10/11

TOTAL BALALAIKA SHOW (1993) - part 10 of 11

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-- "Battle Hymn Of The Republic"
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Russia's renowned Alexandrov Red Army Ensemble jams with Finland's outlandish rockers the Leningrad Cowboys. The odd pairing of these two groups results in an inspiring collaboration.

The concert took place on 12 June 1993 on Senate Square in Helsinki, Finland. The event drew a crowd of approximately 70,000 people from two nations - Finland and Russia - that had been engaged in a state of "peaceful coexistence" during the Cold War.

The concert featured an eclectic mix of Western rock and Russian folk music, including a balalaika rendition of "Stairway to Heaven", and folk dancers performing to rock songs.

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The Leningrad Cowboys is a Finnish rock and roll band famous for it's humorous songs and concerts featuring the Soviet Red Army Choir.

Currently, the band has eleven Cowboys and two Leningrad Ladies. The songs, all somewhat influenced by polka and progressive rock, and performed in English, have themes such as 'vodka', 'tractors', 'rockets', and 'Genghis Khan', as well as folkloric Russian songs, rock and roll ballads and covers from bands as diverse as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, all with lots of humour.

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The Red Army Choir (Choir Aleksandrov) is a performing ensemble that served as the official army choir of the former Soviet Union's Red Army. The choir consists of a male choir, an orchestra, and a dance ensemble. The songs they perform range from Russian folk tunes to Church hymns, operatic arias and popular music.
In 1991, The Red Army Choir participated in Roger Waters' The Wall concert celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. They performed an anti-war song "Bring the Boys Back Home".

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Red Army Choir has continued performing, entertaining audiences both inside and outside Russia.

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Category:

Music

Tags:

• Leningrad
• Cowboys
• Red
• Army
• Choir
• 1993
• Total
• Balalaika
• Show

[morgaler]

And as for the red army orchestra performing an american civil war song, a popular song commonly performed in the US to celebrate the 4th of July is the 1812 Overture. A song which was written by a Russian commemorating the defense of Moscow against the French, so I'd say its not at all unusual for them to borrow an ACW song.

[F4Wildcat]

The battle hymn of the republic sounds better with powerfull russian voices!

A great American song meets russia"s great voices

[ChetzNation]

It is a soviet choir, paid for by the Russian state, performing a Union song from the american civil war, with a Finnish band, in the Swedish district in Helsinki.

[Zona57Bob]

jlafayet: I am 100% American, totally with you, and you are 110% correct! The best I've ever heard. This is not the first time the Red Army Chorus has wowed Americans - or our Canadian neighbors. Listen to their renditions of 'America the Beautiful' and the 'US National Anthem', also on Youtube. I agree about the marching clowns, but this Russian ensemble is extremely professional and worthy of great praise. Their spirit and enthusiasm could rouse the consciousness of any nation. You go, Russia!

[jurmupaa]

Sarate voisi kerätä porukan jenkeistä ja yrittää lähenellä tätä.

[Linkjoy123]

Is it me or did they do the chant to the Skyrim theme? It sounds exactly like them.

[jlafayet]

I'm an American and I find that performance to be hands down the most stunning version of the song I've ever heard in my life and probably ever will hear. Just awesome, what a musical force. I didn't like the clowns goose-stepping up front at all though and I found it insulting to the brilliance of the choir. They should have stayed out of the way; you just don't clown around and look foolish like that when such brilliance is unfolding behind you. My god, that soaring last chorus, wow!

[goodlawn47]

Fabulous!

[AmanD5001]

@terrisonb ...shut up and enjoy the song please.

[7howie71]

Go0od music with soul is the property of all.

To me this song sums up every fight for freedom and justice.

[yaknbo]

@terrisonb I am an American and I know the name and the first verse. No American knows the entire song.

[ChicagoLogoDesign]

May Russia always be free.