Otyken - Storm (Live Official) reaction commentary

Today I listen to Russian Siberian indigenous music group, Otyken perform Storm live.


Chapters
0:00 - Intro
0:28 - Storm
5:06 - My thoughts
5:55 - Who are Otyken?


Links
Original Music Video:    • OTYKEN - STORM (Official Live MV)  

Otyken playlist:    • Otyken  

Live Music playlist:    • Live Music  

Folk Music playlist:    • Folk Music  


Otyken (Old Turkic:𐰇𐱅𐰜𐰤, romanized: Ötüken Russian: Отукен, OH-too-kyen) is a Russian Siberian indigenous music group that mixes elements of modern pop with local folk music, incorporating traditional instruments, lyrics, and languages. 'Otyken' is a word that used in Chulym and other Turkic languages for a sacred land where warriors would lay down their arms and talk. The band was formed in 2015 by Andrey Medonos, and their debut album was released in 2018. As of January 2023, the group has over two million followers on Tiktok, over one hundred and twenty thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, and six hundred thousand subscribers on YouTube. The band members are of Siberian ethnicities and live in tiny villages along the Chulym river in the taiga of Krasnoyarsk Krai.

The group's career began by performing traditional songs representative of their culture; later, modern elements of rock and pop were blended over this folk foundation to create greater appeal for global audiences. Their homemade costumes also incorporate historic and modern design elements for this same reason. Otyken's music is performed with traditional instruments such as the komuz, igil, jaw harp, rattle, tambourine, and leather drum, although modern instruments such as the keyboard, bass guitar, and saxophone have been used. Throat singing is also frequently implemented. Many of the group's sounds, both instrumental and vocal, attempt to mimic the sounds of nature and animals, while the lyrics try to capture the practices, beliefs, and spirit of the indigenous people. The language is mostly in Chulym Tatar, which had only 44 speakers in 2010 and about 25 speakers in 2020; some songs are also sung in Khakas or Russian.


Vocal – Azyan
Big Drum (barrel) – Hakaida
Drums - Maya
Vargan (Jew's-harp) – Tsveta
Throat Singing – Ach
Igil (morinhur) - Kunсhari
Khomys (string instrument)– Otamay
Bas-guitar - Aiko
Dance, recitative – Sandro
Sound - Dmitry Kruzhkovsky
Producer, songwriter - Andrey Medonos


Lyrics (English Translation)

Are you going East
Are you going East
Are you going East

The sun will blind you
The storm will cover you with snow
The Earth will swallow you
Into it's bowels

If you're going East
Be very careful

The sun will blind you
The storm will cover you with snow
The Earth will swallow you
Into it's bowels

Be very careful
Be very careful
Be very careful
Be very careful
Be very careful
Be very careful

The storm will cover you with snow
[Sacred prayer, cannot be translated]
(?)

Are you going East
If you're going East
Be very careful

Life does not beat
Life teaches
Life lessons are useful
Endure them

Life does not beat
Life teaches
Life lessons are useful
Endure them

When friends are with you
Friends will always help
When you get home
Don't forget about your friends

When friends are with you
Friends will always help
When you get home
Don't forget about your friends
[Sacred prayer, cannot be translated]
(?)

The storm will cover you with snow

Friends from the east
Will save you from the snow
Save you from the heat
Of the sun and fire

When friends are with you
Friends will always help
You are already home
But your heart calls to friends from the east