Alisa (Алиса, Russian for Alice) is a Russian and Soviet hard rock band, on… Read Full Bio ↴Alisa (Алиса, Russian for Alice) is a Russian and Soviet hard rock band, one of the most influential in the Russian rock movement. Their lyrics, written by vocalist Konstantin Kinchev, are about social problems, rock lifestyle, Slavic culture and, recently, Christian faith. Alisa's music evolved from post punk in the 1980s to heavier metal sound of recent albums.

Alisa was founded in November 1983 by bassist Svetoslav Zadery. The name of the band is borrowed from Lewis Carroll's book "Alice in Wonderland". The band's lineup was finally completed in 1984, when new vocalist Kostya Kinchev (born Konstantin Panfilov) and guitarist Pyotr Samoylov joined Alisa. Their debut album "Energia" (Energy) was released by Melodia, the state publishing monopoly, and was sold in numbers of more than one million.

But the relations between the two leaders, Konstantin and Zadery, were poor, and finally Svetoslav left the band. This occurred just one hour before Alisa was to perform at a concert. Alisa had to ask Кино bassist Igor Tihomirov to replace him for one concert. Later Zadery created his own band 'Nate!' ('Take it!').

The growing popularity of the band created a fan community called the 'Army of Alisa', known for their rough behaviour at concerts. It led to animosity between the band and Soviet officials. In 1987 the newspaper Smena accused Kinchev of Nazi propaganda and worshipping Hitler. Alisa's leader Kinchev filed a suit for calumny and moral loss compensation. After the year-long court process the magazine published the refutation. Alisa's next album was titled Article 206 part 2, a chapter ('Hooliganism') of the USSR Procedural Code, alluding to this process.

There were new lineup changes in 1988, when guitarist Igor 'Chuma' Chumykin joined Alisa. This change was followed by the heavier sound of next albums Shabash and For those Who Fell From the Moon. Alisa toured through Europe and Israel together with Aria. The album Black Mark, 1994, was dedicated to the memory of Chuma, who committed suicide by jumping from the window.

In the new millennium, with albums such as Seychas Pozdnee Chem Ty Dumaesh (It is Later Than You Think, 2003) and Izgoy (Exile, 2005), the sound of Alisa was changed to a heavier one, including elements of nu-metal, industrial and heavy metal. Music critics credited Clawfinger as Kinchev's greatest new music influence. This gave Alisa a new fan base among Russian hard rock fans, and three songs from Izgoy continually reached the top of the NASHE radio chart.

Kinchev was baptised in 1990, and since then Christianity has been the main influence on his alignment and his lyrics. Although early Alisa lyrics were typical for Russian rock - the social protest and rock 'n' roll hype - since the late 1990's their main theme has been ideas of Christianity, Russian patriotism, and Slavic unity.

Konstantin is in good relations with the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, especially Andrey Kuraev. Alisa has participated in many religion-supporting festivals, such as 'Musicians for the Christ Savior Cathedral'.

Апрель
АлисА Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Не сегодня-завтра лед
Окольцует звон ручья.
Не сегодня-завтра брод
Опояшет полынья.

Мне бы завернуться в ночь
Снами зимы зимовать,
Только вьюга гонит прочь

Тропы до весны искать.

Полем,
Заснеженным полем,
Там, где в ночи прошла метель.
Воля –
Моя ясная доля,
Песней призывать апрель.

Мою жизнь читала смерть
Вслух, на языке огня,
Все, кому мне вышло петь,
Помолитесь за меня.

Что б я смог осилить страх,
Что б смог песней выткать грусть

Вечной памяти в сердцах
И, быть может, я вернусь.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Алиса's song Апрель circle around the themes of survival, hope, and reminiscence. The opening lines, "Not today-tomorrow, the ice/ Will encircle the ringing of the brook/ Not today-tomorrow, the ford/ Will be girdled by wormwood," talk about the coming change of seasons, the inevitable arrival of winter, and the subsequent melting of snow that marks the start of spring. The lyrics then switch to the singer's desire to wrap himself in the night and hibernate through winter, but he is forced to search for paths until spring.

Line by Line Meaning

Не сегодня-завтра лед
Ice won't form today, but it will tomorrow. The sound of a brook's ring will surround the ice.

Не сегодня-завтра брод
A ford won't open today, but it will tomorrow. Tansy will surround the crossing place.

Мне бы завернуться в ночь
I want to wrap myself in the night, hibernate the winter away in winter dreams. But the snowstorm pushes me to seek trails until spring comes.

Снами зимы зимовать,
To hibernate the winter away in winter dreams.

Только вьюга гонит прочь
But the snowstorm pushes me to seek trails until spring comes.

Тропы до весны искать.
To find trails until the spring comes.

Полем,
Over the field,

Заснеженным полем,
Over the snow-covered field,

Там, где в ночи прошла метель.
Where the snowstorm has passed in the night.

Воля –
Freedom-

Моя ясная доля,
Is my bright fate.

Песней призывать апрель.
To call April with a song.

Мою жизнь читала смерть
Death read my life aloud in flames.

Вслух, на языке огня,
Aloud, in flames.

Все, кому мне вышло петь,
Everyone who heard my singing,