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Igor and Natalia Rybak, September 7, 2011, Nesodden, Norway
Reporter Evgeniy Diakonov: Have you lived in Nesodden for a long time?
Natalia: We have always lived in Nesodden. R: Always?
N: Yes. ...Well from the moment we came here we have always lived in Nesodden, and we don't want to move away from here.
R: But if there were no ferry, how one can go detour?
Igor: Well there is appr. 50 km detour. R: About an hour, yes?
N: Actally we rarely go to the city. Generally all who live in Nesodden rarely go to the city by car.
Everybody uses a ferry because a ferry is 20 minutes (the slow one), and 12 minutes (the fast one).
It takes 12 minutes to get downtown. It's much faster than by tram in the city. R: That's clear.
N: I think I have to call regarding all the materials. Well, regarding "by hand delivery of Sasha" then you have to wait him for a long time.
R: Honestly, as I understand my task, to film you is a half of a deal and the second half is to film Sasha because, a program like this without him it's a ...
N: Well, as I understand this is a program about parents so ... We were told so at least initially...
So it was not about him taking part in it. His schedule is so tense so it's just...
Occasionally maybe of course if that he has some free days... The more he "takes out" now the last year in the Barrat Due...
R: Under contract? N: No, no, no. I: He studies.
N: He graduates. It's his higher musical education. When "Eurovision" took place it was his last year.
And since then a whole new life began and there was no time for anything so he postponed this last year and now he "takes it up".
And in addition he has concerts and his projects that he conceived. He has very interesting projects with children, with children's music school.
R: Honestly it would be interesting for me too as a journalist. It's a top of journalist's practice. And for my redaction too. So there is such a task.
N: And how long will you be in Norway. R: I live here.
N: I mean do you live in Oslo or...? R: In Oslo, yes. N: In Oslo...
R: Even our children are familiar. My daughter is now in Sweden although.
She got married there. I will be a grandfather soon.
N: She got married? R: Yes.
N: Looking at you one can't say that you have a grown-up daughter!
R: 21 years old.
N: Well yes, so they are almost the same age....Already grown-up.
R: The children grew up very fast we even had no time to nurse them and you probably too?
N: I don't know if we were thinking about it, but the time flew completely unnoticeably.
Therefore when now we are watching some old videos to find some shots, some of his music performances then we feel it...
R: Igor, as I know you got a musical education?
I: Yes, the Conservatory.
R: And here how is your practice?
I: I worked in Opera here... 8 years in orchestra. I played with orchestras on radio.
Then I decided to organize my own orchestra. So I have my private orchestra.
N: You have youth orchestra and children's orchestra. I: Yes.
N: And you have many students from which you can make musicians.
R: Honestly you drive very professionally. Do you often drive on this road?
N: No, I don't. But the fact is that here is very quiet traffic so it doesn't take much efforts from me...
I don't like to drive in Oslo because there are so many one-way streets and they change them all the time.
So without GPS it's very difficult to orientate. That’s why we don't go by car to Oslo very often.
R: Well I get it.
N: But I like very much to drive around in Norway .
R: Oslo is the noise... a stink...
N: Well comparing to other cities we understood it's not the worst.
R: Yes, not the worst. But anyway...
N: But anyway a city is a city. And therefore we feel so good in Nesodden. As I say this is both a town and a country.
As I say this is both a town and a country.
N: We don’t have a large population.
Almost everyone has their own house. There are very few houses with several floors.
Nesodden tries to avoid high buildings. And there are many green areas, a forest, sea, lakes...
R: How are your neighbours after "Eurovision"...?
N: Oh, the fact is we always had good relations with our neighbours.
And they worried about Sasha so much, and they were all sure that he would win.
Although I was very surprised by why they had such confidence in him
R: You know when they showed him in the Norwegian selection...
I have some experience in show business and I said at once that all contenders were somewhat grey...
And Sasha got this... I don't know how to explain in Russian... this "Beatles"-like wow".
N: ...spirit... R: Not many have it.
N: I don't know it seems to me he has something that casts a spell.
R: I think it's from "Beatles" somewhere...
N: May be. By the way he likes "Beatles" very much.
And he was very involved in Michael Jackson.
When he was a child, literally from 10 years he was his hero. Michael Jackson.
nd he made me love Michael Jackson because I didn't know much about his creations and neither did Igor.
R: Honestly, sorry for my impropriety, but for a star of international scale, this is a too modest car.
N: Well the fact is it's not his car. He has another car.
N: Well the fact is it's not his car. He has another car.
I: They offered... The car company "Ford" offered to him...
N: Here it is. Here it is...
R: Sun glare?
N: No, very good, very good to watch. There they built a house! I never saw it.
R: They said you haven't been there for 16 years...
N: Igor maybe hasn't been there for less than that, I really haven't been there for at least 20 years.
N: Here is aunt Natasha.
N: Look how hot is there!
R: It's quite a fresh recording.
N: Yes, we can see. For me it's completely unfamiliar furnishings.
R: One week ago... They asked me to transmit the disk to Sasha and a granny wrote a letter to him.
N: Very nice... Yes, the house is old, the trees are big.
R: Did it stop?
N: They are in the garden now. I think it's already the end. ...
Ah, aunt Natasha plays....
You see it?
Yes, it is long time ago since we heard aunt Natasha...
R: When did you meet each other?... Did it stop?
N: It was so long ago. Yes, it stopped.
R: We are starting. I am starting to do my job.
How long ago did you meet?
I: Natasha was in the last course of the Conservatory.
N: And you were on the first one? (laughing)
I: Natasha was on the fifth course then.
R: What year was it?
N: 1982 probably... I: No, no...
N: It's a problem...
I: 1979-1980 years... N: Yes...
R: Sasha was born yet?
N: Sasha was born in 1986 because we got married in 1985, right?...
Generally Conservatory, what else? I am a musician, Igor is a musician.
Although we almost did not see each other for almost four... no, the whole one year.
R: So you met in 1982?
N: Well I don't know, it comes out to be in 1981...Igor?
R: I demobilized from an army in 1980, I was a soldier when I met you.
N: Ah, that's it. He has a good milestone.
"Dembel" (demobilization from an army). This is unforgettable.
R: Yes, a man can forget about everything, but... I served.
N: Just in the year with Sasha when they write in all newspapers "woke up famous" although we don't agree with it.
He was already quite famous before "Eurovision".
R: Even before Norwegian MGP Final?
N: Yes, because of "Kjempesjansen".
But that was a very interesting program, not so much pop, there were classic genres, and folk and also pop music.
The Norwegian MGP final was in 2009, and "Kjempesjansen" he won in 2006.
R: Why did you leave Belarus?
N: It's yours.
I: Well I got a job here. They offered me a job.
R: So you freely travel there. You can travel freely there?
I: To Belarus? N: No. Unfortunately no.
R: You need visas?
N: No, you know, we left when... Because laws change all the time.
And due to the laws which were valid when we left Belarus, one can't have double citizenship. Due to Belarusian laws.
R: Which year was it?
N: 1991? In 1991 Igor came. And I moved here in 1993 together with Alexander. 1992-1993.
R: Do you remember the moment when they show to you a new born Alexander for the first time in maternity hospital?
N: No, you know those memories I try to keep for myself. I don't think that it would be that much interesting for someone else.
R: Well, please tell what character he has?
I: Completely like mine.
I: I like that he did not "get starry" because it's the most dangerous for an artist.
To get "a star fever" and to treat everybody else as if they are below your own status...
I:...And he vice versa tries to help everybody, to be communicative and kind. He IS kind, not tries to be.
N: He is just a very kind person. Talented and kind person - it's of course not very easy combination.
R: Did you help Sasha to practice in music in his childhood?
N: Oh, yes!
I: "We helped" is an understatement.
R: They say "Talented person is talented in everything"...
N: You know a talent can be a help and... I would not say "an obstacle",
but at least very often a child that is talented and who catches everything so fast he doesn't like to practice so laboriously and painstakingly like an ant.
R: You want to say that he is a lazy boy?
N: No, it's not a laziness it's just a habit that everything is given easily.
I: You know there is such a saying: "One should help to a talent, and a lack of talent will have worked his way by itself".
R: Yes, it's true.
N: Yes, one should help those children, they are talented and they won't practice for a long time by themselves.
R: We can see it on Russian stage.
N: Well it demanded our intervention.
I: He liked very much to sing. In his childhood we were singing together a lot.
R: What song is the most favourite one?
N: From his current?
R: Yours for example and yours?
I: Sasha's or in general? R: Yours.
N: Not Sasha's? From childish ones? I: Very many songs...
R: I watched yesterday "Stary klen" ("Old Maple") with Alexandra Pakhmutova (Soviet/Russian composer).
I: It's our favourite one, therefore he sings it with his soul.
R: And everybody is in ecstasy from his song "I'm Yours".
N: "I'm Yours" is wonderful of course.
R: If I succeed to meet Sasha I'll try to persuade him on the camera...
N: He sings this song in his own way therefore people like it so much.
His sons... Speaking about our favorite song of him...songs he recorded...
...you know, when we were hearing his first CD that was released - "Fairytales" - we kind of knew which songs he recorded...
But when the CD was released, when he compiled it, when we were hearing it...
I don't even know, it's a feeling like...
It was not surprise for us and at the same time it was something completely new for us.
That is his... how he has compiled them in an order, one by one...
He made everything himself. By the way it's his distinctive feature.
He is not a difficult artist, he is not a difficult musician. He is just very....
If he knows that it fits him, if he want to get something, then he will go this way.
He can't do what one say to him: you do so, so or so, then he just ends relationship with those people.
He has to be himself.
R: You just reminded me the next question. What kind of future did you predict him?
N: Have you predicted something?
I: Hmm, just to be a good musician.
Of course, all parents want their child to be happy and to give joy to people. We taught him what we’ve learned from our childhood.
N: We are a musical family, so we were sure that he will work with music.
But there was nothing like exact predictions about his look. Maybe we just didn’t have enough time?
R: Did he attend some hobby classes? Any sports?
N: Oh, yeah. There was one. I: It was in USSR…
N: In Minsk, when he was really little, he was 3 years old. He attended English classes.
R: 3 years old?
N: 3 years old. Oh, when did he learn how to read?
I: When he was 2,5 years old, he could spell already.
N: He read texts on signboards, boards in subway. Passers-by were charmed by him.
It was very interesting, he really enjoyed English classes. And dad helped him with English, that was much fun.
We bought some cell phones for him, and some other stuff.
And everyone told “This guy’s going to be a diplomat!”. That’s why I said, it was funny.
R: A diplomat? Didn't he fight with other boys in school?
N: He doesn’t like fighting.
I: No, he never liked to fight. It could happen just for protecting.
N: Yes, he’s a boy. At least, when he was offended, he never escaped.
But to fight, no, he didn’t. He’s actually not a conflict person.
R: Do you remember his first crush?
I: He dedicated her that song.
N: It is really his first crush. I: She played at my orchestra.
R: Does she live here?
N: Yes, she’s Norwegian, a girl who is also a musician …where did she play?
I: She played in the youth orchestra.
R: I’m curios to meet her.
N: That was a long time ago.
R: What were the main character traits he had in childhood?
I: First of all, it was curiosity. And a lot of humour. Plenty of humour, almost since he was born.
N: And it’s a natural sense of humour. He doesn’t make effort to joke, it comes naturally.
And if he’s interested in something, he becomes totally obsessed with it.
If he’s watching a movie and enjoys it, there’s nothing else for him.
At the same time he’s very absent-minded. He was always absent-minded. So if he’s deep in his thought, he can’t hear anything around.
R: I’m sorry for incorrectness, but nowadays he’s not fully yours.
I: Well, yes, but that’s natural. Absolutely natural.
N: Of course, we’d like to spend more time with him. But at least, we meet
R: How often do you meet?
I: This weekend we gave a concert.
N: Yes, this Friday, we had a big concert together on the South..no. In Bergen.
R: Do you keep in touch with relatives from Belarus?
I: Yes, sure, my mother-in-law comes every year to our house for three months.
N: My mom lives in Minsk
So his grandmothers are often here. Nowadays Sasha doesn’t meet with them that much, but he tries.
N: We have very close relations with moms. I mean, with grandmothers. We don’t have grandfathers.
I: My brother comes here sometimes. By the way he’s a journalist, lives in Moscow.
R: Could you tell some more detailed information about the grandmothers?
N: Well, yes, how much detail?
R: As detailed as you can.
I: My mom is a musician too. She’s also pedagogic. She taught me how to play piano.
She worked in a musical college.
R: Is it in Minsk? I: In Vitebsk.
R: Beautiful town, old town. I: Yes.
N: We had been living for many years with my parents. And now she (her mom) have turned back to Belarus.
My mom comes every year for three months, because it was difficult for us to come to Belarus.
She’s pedagogic too.. So grandmothers spent a lot of time educating Sasha.
Together they studied some poems, songs, went for a walk, count, read. So they took a huge part in his…
R: Musical education
N: …not only musical, actual the personality education. Even just communication gives a lot to little people.
I: The interesting fact about Sasha’s personality: he has never being capricious. I like that.
R: In childhood?
I: Yeah. He could be stubborn, to defend his point of view, if he thought he was right. But never capricious.
N: And he never cried. When kids fall down, they usually start crying.
But when Sasha did, he started look around the place. He just wanted to research local Fauna and Flora, but no tears.
R: Do you have any dreams, which came true and dreams, which never did? ?
N: You know, I’m not sure if it was the hugest dream of my life, but we moved here, we have a job, an awesome house…
And after all, we have a son, who gives joy not only to us, but to many many other people, according to letters, callings, opinion, gifts which he gets.
Some gifts have a meaning, some are just incredibly beautiful photo albums…
So we can conclude that some people are happy because of him. And what can be better then that.
R: And which dreams never came true?
N: Ah, it’s hard. Firstly, maybe something can still come true.
We’re still dreaming…About travelling. We'd like to visit so many places.
We haven’t celebrated our silver wedding yet, 25 years.
We haven’t yet, because we don’t have a time. We wanted to go somewhere far from here, some exotic islands...
R: 25 years. That means you have married in 198…
N: Yes, we married in 1985th… So in 2010 th we missed many events: I turned 50 years old, and Sasha…
R: And I celebrated 22 years of marriage. I also say: "I’m married and this is chronic".
N: It’s very good. I think family is very important especially for children.
Every child should have home with caring family. It doesn’t matter what happens in casual life, at home he’s always loved and waited.
R: Anyway, where does your son's talent come from?
N: From God, I think.
I: There is a lot of origins. Also absolutely all my relatives of the last generation are musicians.
R: I’m not sure if it will be kind of me. In one of my articles I said that Alexander Rybak is a good example of forign integration in Norway.
But Mullah Krekar is not the best example.
N: This is on the contrary...
So we said that not everyone should be musician. Immigrants should not rush to win Eurovision, but…integrate.
N: Well I think you are right because it doesn’t matter he’s musician or not.
More important is the way he made it here.
He studied in Norwegian school, we didn’t have even a doubt that we must study Norwegian, it’s the first thing we should do.
When you move to another country, you should learn national traditions, and respect it.
And do everything to make both your life and others lives as happy as possible, as local citizens.
N: It's completely natural. It's not an issue to discuss.
R: And just regarding a family what is a perfect family in your opinion?
N: I don't know, do perfect families exist?
R: Children, it's clear, children, but we understand that soon there will be grandchildren and this is quite different.
I: A perfect family is the same as a perfect state. When everybody feels good.
N: When everybody feels good, but it does not exist.
N: Well generally one can strive for a perfect family but... perfect - not perfect...it scares me somehow...
I: ...a happy family... Happy family is where everybody feels good. Everybody respects each other. ...and forgives...
N: Yes, it's the main thing.
To see what other your companion in life... or I don't know how to say it...your other half, what is important to your other half, what do they need in this life.
i.e. to see what does other person need and if you don't help him then you should at least not interfere. One should understand it, then people will have a happy family.
R: Are you satisfied with the life Sasha lives now?
I: It's him who should be satisfied, if he will be satisfied then we will be satisfied. It seems everything is ok with him.
R: Will mama say no?
N: No, you know it's a great happiness that he does... generally he often says: "I'm very privileged, I do things that bring me pleasure".
It's his profession, right? But like good mommy I want him to have some free days, to rest, to feed well, to eat fruits, in time... to sleep enough...
Well every mom wants her child to grow up healthy and happy, it's the only thing I think...
R: The viewers often ask the same questions... The next two ones: How did he get to "Eurovision"? Who was supporting him?
N: You know what, it was in the studio, he was recording a song and it was the song "Fairytale", and his producer who recorded this song - Kim - he said that this song seemed to him very suitable for "Eurovision".
They just sent this song and when chief, Per Sundnes heard this song he understood that it's 100% hit and he called Sasha at once and they met.
R: And how did you support him at that time?
I: We were very busy with work as always, it was in the middle of the season, close to a New Year.
N: Yes, autumn-winter, Christmas period, you can understand yourself.
R: I remember "Eurovision", we watched it on three TV-sets at once, three different channels - Russian, English and Norwegian, and we saw you.
What was your first reaction when he won.
I: You know we were stolen from the concert hall.
R: They did not show you. N: We weren't there.
I: 1st channel...a talk-show with Malakhov...
R: I saw you just in the corridor... N: Yes, yes..
I: We were taken out when it was clear that Sasha would win in the middle of voting,
we were urgently taken from the concert hall, put in a car of the "militia"...
N: Well not taken, but...
I: We were taken, we weren't asked anything, come-on, lets go and that's all.
N: No, Igor...
I: Yes, yes, exactly like this. Natasha did not remember, she was in euphoria already...
N: We were told that they agreed with the management, that Sasha can't attend all those programs, and they agreed that we can answer the questions.
But the fact was the management meant we would answer their questions in the concert hall where "Eurovision" took place, but we were brought to the studio to talk-show with Malakhov.
Therefore we unfortunately missed this very moment...
R: Are you satisfied with the achievements of your son?
N: I don't know who would answer no... We are very happy that he can show what he is able to do.
You know he is remarkable musician. The Melodi Gran Prix is just a part of what he likes and what he can do.
He is wonderful violinist, he moves people to tears by his playing of the violin. And he composes, he composes for an orchestra, he composes for different instruments, he arranges...
I: He is amazing concertmaster...
N: He hosts the concerts fine, he is true concertmaster! As you say "If the person is talented, he is talented in everything".
Sasha has something from this.
R: And about personal. What girl would you like to see with him?
I: That one that he has now. Very good one.
She is also by the way my former student. I know her for a long time yet... when he was little.
N: She was brought up in our own collective.
I: And she is very, very soulful, kind, noble girl...
N: And she is musical girl and she can understand what Sasha's occupied with.
I: She often performs with him in concerts. And we want them... He also dedicated songs and musical compositions for two violins to her...
N: Anyway it's important they feel good together, the main thing they should understand each other, while they see a personality in each other it will be good...
R: Do you have family traditions? Such immutable ones?
For example in most of our families the New Year is "holy". You can die, but you must be present...
N: Yes, it's "holy" by us. It came from Russia.
We are together on the New Year. However Igor would only go for a couple of days, because he gets very tired...
...I: And a Christmas is with Sasha. Norwegian Christmas. And then we get an invite every year from the Russian church... He come on Russian Christmas too.
N: We celebrate three holidays during this period. Norwegian Christmas on 24 of December, a New Year - "holy one" and Russian Christmas.
R: What about 8th of March (International women's day) and a birthday of mum, dad?
N: You know it all mixed so here because there are Mothers Day and Fathers Day in Norway as well.
I: We have birthdays next to each other in May all in one week. And on 17th of May is the National Day of Norway.
So it coincides. Natasha's birthday is on 18th of May, mine is on 19th of May...
N: And Sasha's is on 13th of May. So we are all very very ‘May’ish.
This is our tradition that we celebrate Christmas and New Year together. And we used to travel on Easter holidays, before this Sasha's marathon began.
R: How long since you have seen him?
N: We had a concert with him recently.
R: Recently when? N: On Friday...
I: On Saturday we performed... N: No. it was on Friday, the 2nd of.....what month do we have now? September!
R: When Sasha comes home how do you greet him?
I: Like native son.
N: The dog greets him first. R: The dog?
N: Yes! It's his dog Cindy by the way. She’s so happy when he comes.
So she runs up first, she greets him first and then we greet him. It's every time for us... I don't know... a heart warming joy.
R: If there is something to occupy him at home?
N: You know when he comes home it's generally when he needs complete rest... it's the very place where he knows nobody will stop him relaxing no matter what he will do.
Whether it be watching some movie... R: Poor child.
N: ...or he will sit around the table with us and talk, the main thing it's his refuge where he can relax completely freely .
R: Here it is. Then I'll transmit it to Sasha. This is what granny wrote.
N: Thank you. ..."Dear Sashen'ka..." This is granny... Thank you, thank you so much.
N: (Speaking Polish) I'll give you some cream...
R: Quite modest car...they met neighbours...one can not film in Norway without a permission.
N: You can wait, I mean to show where the bus leaves from. Well ok.
I... naturally is everywhere. And this is emphasizing the most to make people think that here is not kind of paradise and one shouldn't run from Russia.
N: I have never heard that...and I've been living here for...at least..Igor how many years have I been
living here? 20 years!
N: We even had no idea there are such problems so that the government can take away a child from parents.
R: But it’s true
N: Of course, I know, but it isn’t a huge problem. There are such situations in every country. But… I’m not going to say that some people lie or something...
R: There is no smoke without fire
N: Right. But when you talk to people who are involved in this stuff, seems like everyone has his own view on the situation.
R: You know, this Friday I’m interviewing a woman whose 11 years old daughter was taken away 2 years ago
I talked to this woman and now I can say for sure, Thank God that girl…she is an alcoholic.
N: That girl is in another family. Right. That’s why I’m telling that every destiny should be looked at separately.
R: And another situation. That woman is just horrible.
Son found DVDs with *** movies with his mother starring. So Thanks God there is such service…
N: Yeah, which keeps an eye on kids and helps them to have good growth, good parents.
We know people who take care of such children, take them from problem families and find new host parents who are ready to adopt a child.
At least, we know two such families. And the first thing we heard from the girl who came to a new family, she expressively called her new mother “mom”.
It was visible that she’s so happy to call a woman who really cares about her “mom” .
So there is no reason to think about any fakes, any false accusations...
You can see child’s reaction and behaviour what makes you understand that she’s really happy now. So it’s all not so simple.
And I wasn’t an expert in such problems. So moments such as these are unexpected.
Evgeniy, I’m leaving you here because it’s only 5 minutes left till my work starts.
There is the bus station. Igor will follow you.