Manukyan Sergey. Biography of Sergei Manukyan: how a visually impaired boy from Grozny became a great modern jazzman

He is really very funny - either he looks like Danny DeVito, or he looks like Giuseppe Sizy Nose played by Yuri Katin-Yartsev from the Soviet film “The Adventures of Buratino”. From behind the piano, only a bald spot and tufts of hair on the sides are visible. But this whole funny image dissipates as soon as he starts playing and singing: either blues, or jazz, or funk - genre boundaries are inappropriate here, because Sergey Manukyan makes his magic with his heart. He has practically no vision left, so the 63-year-old musician plays by touch - the way his soul leads him. “Won’t they turn around? So they're deaf." "Will it hurt if no one turns around?" - asked the presenter of the project, Dmitry Nagiyev, to a short, balding guy sitting at the piano in the waiting room. “So they are deaf,” he answered and burst out laughing. No, it wasn't bragging. Fact. more on the topic “Voice 60+”: Lev Leshchenko’s ward gave Agutin a portrait Sergey Manukyan is a recognized master in the field of unpopular music, which we are not used to hearing on TV. In restaurants, cramped clubs or, conversely, in well-lit pompous halls, there is a special world where jazz, bebop, swing, scat, blues, soul, funk are played - everything that makes an unprepared listener remember the comedy “We are from Jazz”. Thanks to the show “The Voice. 60+” now every viewer can enjoy the work of the master. This is how Manukyan established a dialogue with the United States in 1987. He performed in a Soviet-American concert with singer Diana Reeves. photo: Nikolay MALYSHEV/TASS He started a long time ago. The son of a prosecutor and a doctor, Manukyan graduated from the Grozny Music College in percussion back in 1975, it’s scary to think. Although he began performing long before that - he played drums as part of the State Television and Radio Orchestra of the Chechen-Ingush SSR at the age of 12. Manukyan fell in love with jazz when few people in the USSR had heard of it, much less understood it. He performed as a soloist in various ensembles in Grozny, then moved to Gorky, where he was enrolled in the VIA Labyrinth. Then Manukyan became interested in the music of Ray Charles and decided to try a solo career. Having shone at several major music festivals - in Pori, Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Riga, Leningrad, Novosibirsk - Manukyan decided to move to Estonia and there joined the Avicenna group, which loudly announced itself at all-Union shows of jazz music. But the main beacon for the musician remained Ray Charles, with whom Manukyan, by the way, is often compared. Not only because of the manner of performance, but also because of the peculiarities of vision. Manukyan is blind in one eye and has myopia minus eight in the other. Sergei believes that vision problems helped him master several musical instruments just by ear and without musical notation. Jazz for peace He came to Moscow for the first time in 1983 and began playing blues and jazz in the Golden Hall of Intourist. The public slowly began to get used to American music. Sergei performed more and more often, and Soviet stars began to try fashionable jazz moves in their songs. The 80s marked the peak of his career - Manukyan was invited to the USA to work with Richard Eliot at the Warner Bros. studio. and with jazz legend Frank Zappa. He performed on the same stage with Michael Bolton, Cyndi Lauper, Quincy Jones, George Benson and other world-class stars. more on the topic Sergei Shnurov will break the rules of the show “The Voice” Returning to the Union, Manukyan became the soloist of the famous jazz big band Anatoly Kroll. In 1989, the artist received the Grand Prix at the First television music competition “Step to Parnassus”, and in 1994 Manukyan was awarded the title “Best Jazz Musician of the Year” and was awarded the “Ovation” prize. In 1990, he took part in the recording of the compilation Music Speaks Louder Than Words (“Music speaks louder than words”) - a Soviet-American jazz record, on which US music stars and our famous artists and composers worked: Oleg Gazmanov, Igor Krutoy, David Tukhmanov , Igor Nikolaev, Vladimir Matetsky. The project was supposed to help improve the cooling ties between the USA and the USSR. “Music is divine and lives somewhere far away” Manukyan still writes music and performs. Lives in Moscow. He has four adult children. He also founded the Foundation for the Development of Jazz Art, which helps aspiring musicians, including the blind. “Jazz is not elitist music,” emphasizes Sergey Manukyan. - Music generally eschews idle judgments. She is divine and lives somewhere far away, she doesn’t care at all whether she is popular or not, whether many people listen to her or not. The main thing is that the music is in tune with you. Everything in life is interconnected. We need good music, filled with melody and human sounds. Melody, harmony, correct, real rhythm. Music should be good.

"on Channel One decided to expand its television role and give way not only to young talents, but also to singers whose age has confidently approached the 60+ mark. Considering that three of the four judges are much younger than the performers, it seems that the exchange of experience will go in two directions.

The beginning of the next decade is devoted to solo programs with rare participation of performers - Daniil Kramer, Vyacheslav Gorsky, Andrei Kondakov and others. At this time, he was awarded the highest title in his musical direction and the Ovation Award. In 1991 he collaborated with Igor Boyko.

The jazzist’s discography includes 9 albums: 5 solo and 4 festival.

Personal life

Sergey Manukyan, in his personal life, as well as in his profession, chose one thing once and for all. As the “little giant of big jazz” himself jokes, “this is the first marriage and, I hope, the last.” His wife Marina, who gave her beloved husband four children - Valery and Severyan, Dina and Ariadna - is a historian by training, and part-time - best friend. In one interview, the maestro called himself a free artist, deprived of the right to create whenever he pleases. Firstly, because abilities require it. Secondly, a large family that needs to be taken care of and fed.

The heirs did not follow in their father’s footsteps, but each succeeded in their own field: the eldest son is an athlete, the eldest daughter studied philology at the University of Edinburgh, the youngest graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of Moscow State University.

By the way, the head of the family likes to pamper his family not only with exquisite works, but also with dishes homemade. However, he creates them infrequently, but out of inspiration. Like a true oriental man, he gives special preference to Armenian meat, appreciates wine, and does not mind warming up his vocal cords before a concert, only within reasonable limits.

Sergey Manukyan is an enthusiastic and devoted fan of football and boxing. He devotes his rare free minutes to reading historical books.

Sergey Manukyan now

Festivals and tours - this is still the work of the unsurpassed master of instrumental vocals and soul jazz. It seems that people are waiting for him everywhere and always. Perhaps, in addition to the talent that conquered the globe, the secret is also in his endless charm and sense of humor, for which he was nicknamed Russian and second. And in relation to life - despite poor eyesight (the composer is blind in one eye), he glows with love and radiates optimism, charging those around him with it.

Manukyan does not divide music into genres, recognizing only “good” and “bad,” and considers it “a manifestation of divine kindness” and “a way to come to God.” And those who play her are storytellers, “showing truth on a different level.”

At the end of 2017, the “domestic”, together with Evgeny Borts, presented the “Phone Book” program to Moscow viewers.

After the first release of the vocal program “Voice 60+” was released, the Internet exploded with enthusiastic comments and responses. And the mentors themselves were unable to watch the performance while sitting. The only representative of the fair sex on the jury, a folk singer, succinctly summarized the thoughts of those gathered:

“We were all lucky that you were here.”

Sergei Vladimirovich has a page on

Sergey Manukyan is a legend of Russian jazz. His performances are a special magic that controls the emotions and feelings of the audience. Each concert of the pianist/vocalist is a new reality. He is applauded by jazz connoisseurs in all countries of the world. Sergey Manukyan has been awarded many prestigious awards, including the title “Best Jazz Musician”. The development of jazz art is an integral part of the life of a pianist and vocalist. Sergey Manukyan implements this task through his own Foundation, founded in 2005.

At the origins

Witty and sensual - this is how Sergey Manukyan appears every time at concerts and festivals. He is always full of creative ideas that he conveys to the viewer at the limit of emotions. Music has been his passion since childhood. Sergei was born on March 15, 1955 in Grozny. His music career started at age 12. Then Manukyan performed with city jazz orchestras and played drums in the orchestra of the State Television and Radio of the Chechen Republic. Then he studied at the Grozny music school in the percussion class. After graduating in 1975, Sergei performed for a long time with the Shishkin trio in the city of Gorky (today Nizhny Novgorod). At that time, the certified drummer was not yet thinking about a solo career. But fate decreed otherwise.

Solo debut

In the early 80s, Sergei Manukyan moved to Tallinn, where he performed in the jazz rock band Avicenna. The team participated in all-Union shows of jazz music and had great success. During this period, Manukyan’s solo debut took place. For the first time as a vocalist Sergei appeared before the public at the Riga jazz festival in 1981. His performance amazed everyone. Music critics unanimously declared him the No. 1 jazz singer. All further creative biography the maestro only confirms this high title. After the first confession, Sergei’s life changed. Busy touring schedule international festivals, honorary awards and fame. With the Avicenna group, Manukyan performed on the most prestigious stages in the world.

Hollywood

The 80s became a “golden period” for Sergei, marked by collaboration with leading Western jazz musicians. His creative background includes collaboration with Richard Eliot at Warner Brothers, recording an album at Capitol studio, and collaboration with jazz legend Frank Zappa. He performed on the same stage with Michael Bolton, Cyndi Lauper, Quincy Jones, George Benson, Herbie Hancock and other world-class stars.

Moscow

Sergey Manukyan has been working in Moscow since 1991. His appearance was literally a musical breakthrough. He, the soloist of Anatoly Kroll's jazz orchestra, managed to take the band to a new level and significantly raise the bar. This was a serious step in the great jazz career of Sergei Manukyan, a step towards recognition and popularity.

Unique talent

Thirty years have passed since the triumph of vocalist Manukyan in Riga. But even today his inimitable performance captivates the most sophisticated audience. His voice timbre is characteristic and recognizable: it is not for nothing that Sergei Manukyan is often compared to Ray Charles. In his interviews, Sergey Manukyan says that the talent of the legendary Ray has always inspired him. Back in his native Grozny, the aspiring drummer listened with admiration to the blues performed by the legend. It is possible that new facets of Sergei Manukyan’s talent were discovered thanks to Ray’s music. But Sergei has his own style. Each new composition is harmony, a deep understanding of real jazz, and high professionalism. The entire creative biography of Sergei Manukyan is a colossal work and a great love for music. Actually, it cannot be otherwise. After all, only extraordinary individuals are capable of creating a legend.

It is difficult to find a more passionate and unpretentious vocalist on our jazz horizon than Sergey Manukyan - he was always ready to fearlessly participate in the most unconventional musical events. Therefore, it is not surprising that being already famous musician, Sergei decided to appear in the show “Voice 60+”. As a result, Sergey Manukyan captivated the mentors and listeners with his performance of the song Can’t Buy Me Love and turned all the chairs around. He chose Valery Meladze as his mentor.

Many were interested in the biography of Sergei Manukyan, born on March 15, 1955 in Grozny. Although jazz fans have long known the success story of one of the brightest and most memorable participants in the project.

AN INBARINE LOVE FOR MUSIC

The qualifying stage for the show “The Voice” is called blind auditions. In the situation with a jazzman, this phrase takes on a special meaning - Sergey Manukyan is blind in one eye and severely disabled in the other. Having deprived the artist of sight, nature rewarded him with absolute pitch. From an early age, the boy memorized any sounds and music, could sit in front of the radio for hours, and from the age of four he began asking his mom or dad to play a record. The parents happily sang along with the baby - although they were not professional singers (the head of the family worked as a prosecutor, his wife was a doctor), they were very talented people. Mom played the guitar, father played the mandolin.

Genes played their role - Sergei went even further than his older brothers, who also studied music. He could forget the name of the composition and the name of the performer, but he accurately reproduced a melody he heard even just once on the piano that was at home.

Whether you like it or not, you’ll come up and start playing something,” recalls Sergei. - I was looking for radio programs that played beat music and rock and roll. I liked these directions for their rhythm and dynamism, I tried to select all this, then I began to imitate instruments with my voice.

IN music school They refused to work with the boy, they said: “He doesn’t see well, it’s better not to engage him in music.”

MANUKYAN, GET UP, IT'S TIME TO SING!

Sergei’s parents realized that it was simply a crime to bury such a talent, they took their son to a local recreation center and explained the situation: he loves music, but has very poor vision, teach him to play whatever you want, even drums. The boy was received well by the team. He greedily absorbed any knowledge, and at the same time could calmly carry on a conversation with adults, instantly becoming the life of the party.

At the age of 13, I got a ticket to Artek,” the musician shares. - I knew many popular songs, including the Beatles. Therefore, after lights out, the counselors quietly woke me up: “Manukyan, let’s go sing songs!” I got up and walked, sat with them until the morning.

A few years later, a new important stage began in Sergei’s life - after a brilliant interview, he was accepted into the Grozny Music School.

The professor asked: “I’ll play the melody now, repeat?” I repeated. He played something more complex and I repeated it again. “Then I’ll play this!” I did it again. “Okay, then go home.” I was shocked - how to go home, why home? “Come to study in September.” So I didn’t even take any entrance exams,” says Sergei.

Here the talented guy began to make his first arrangements and began to get acquainted with the music of the peoples of the world. After graduating from college, he was willingly accepted into the city philharmonic.

Five years later, Sergei said goodbye to his native Grozny. No matter how warmly he felt about this place, he received an offer that he could not refuse - to play in VIA “Labyrinth”. Further, the biography of Sergei Manukyan continued in Gorky (modern Nizhny Novgorod).

I am proud that I was born and raised in Grozny. I have the most pleasant memories associated with this wonderful place: parents' house, my friends, first love, first tape recordings, fruits and homemade wine, which you won’t find anywhere else,” Sergey says with nostalgia. “But I understood that in Gorky I could do what I always dreamed of - jazz.

"WE BREATHE IN UNISON"

A year later, the artist became a laureate of the All-Union Jazz Festival in Riga. Then he was invited to work in the Estonian jazz-rock group Avicenna. Later he moved from Tallinn to Moscow. At the end of the 80s, Sergei Manukyan began collaborating with famous Western performers, for example, with Richard Eliot at the Warner Brothers studio, and the Capitol studio invited him to record an album.

We can say that since 1988 fame began to come to me. I became one of the participants in the project “Music Speaks Louder Than Words” (a CD, all compositions for which were written by American and Soviet musicians and composers - Ed.) together with Cyndi Lauper, Michael Bolton, and the group Earth, Wind & Fire. My name was included in the music encyclopedia,” the jazzman lists.

Creativity brought Sergei Manukyan not only fame, but also true love.

My wife Marina is also a musician; she graduated from the Leningrad Rimsky-Korsakov School. We met at one of the rehearsals and never separated; we got married in 1977. We have common interests, we breathe in unison. She is a very kind and caring person, a real homemaker.

The Manukyan couple have four children. The eldest son Valery is professionally involved in sports, one daughter Dina moved to Scotland to study English philology at the University of Edinburgh, the second - Ariadne - graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy at Moscow State University, the youngest son Severian is finishing school.

BY THE WAY

"Manuk" translates to "baby". Sergey Manukyan truly reflects his last name - his childish spontaneity immediately captivates and puts you at ease. Yes, and he is short. But with a big soul. Blind people attend his concerts for free.

Tickets are expensive in our times. Few disabled people can afford to go to this or that performance. And for blind people, music is the only window into a full life, which they cannot perceive visually, the jazzman explains his position.

This is what Sergey Manukyan answered these questions after his speech.

I've never had a bad attitude towards good pop music. All good music is music, that's all. What do I plan to sing next? As a jazz performer, I cannot answer this question. We'll come up with something. It can be performed in both Russian and English, I don’t think there will be any problem. Was I nervous before going out? Well, I was so worried... I've already gone on stage so many times that I'm not so worried that I'm going to forget something or do something differently than I would like - of course, there is no such thing. But I am always very sensitive to what happens on stage and behind it. The general state is when you go into music. And music is a different space, so sometimes it’s a little like excitement. I chose Valery Meladze because the pop music he performs is very interesting, unusual in its arrangements, and has a well-formed style. All members of the jury are amazing masters, you can’t confuse them with anyone. But Meladze, even in this huge sea of ​​​​everything possible, found his own interesting niche in terms of not only music, but also lyrics. What he sings about is interesting to me.

Sergei Manukyan's performance at the knockout stage in the project “The Voice. 60+" .

Anna Vardugina
Sergey Manukyan: "I will teach you to fly"
(interview about Sergei’s participation in the Izhevsk Jazz Festival)

- As an accomplished musician, is it probably more interesting for you to give solo concerts than to be one of the many participants in the festival?

- It will be very funny if one of us says that he is an accomplished musician. A musician, as long as he lives, improves. Every festival is a gift to the city, and we must go to festivals if only to play in this city, be it St. Petersburg or Izhevsk. This is our job. If it were up to me, I would make sure that the musicians make an annual circuit through all the cities. Not only for the sake of making money, but so that there is no city that is not covered by jazz. So that jazz music can be listened to everywhere, so that the whole country is aware of the inner life of jazz. And now the situation is such that it is simply economically unrealistic to get to some cities.

- Tell me, are there any young musicians now who are definitely interesting to you?

Yes, sure. There are quite a few very gifted musicians who play well and also have artistic gifts. But besides technology, there is another component of music... What is a young musician missing? The musical content often lacks the experience. As a result, the music sounds either cold or, on the contrary, too hot. The fact is that all music is a product of experience. Of course, there are young musicians who, in their early years We’ve already experienced a lot, but... These are usually not the experiences that give birth to music. A mature musician is able to transform experiences and paint his feelings with musical pictures.

- Can you identify the moment when you yourself realized that you started playing differently?

Absolutely yes. At the same time, I cannot say that I began to play better - categories of better or worse do not work here. This is the moment when you realized something, suddenly heard something, and without this heard and felt you can no longer play. From now on, this knowledge is always with you. In fact, this acquisition of knowledge, enrichment, happens all the time. But for every insight, it is necessary for some kind of insight to happen so that the channels of divine energy open. This may be a consequence of the spiritual work that you yourself do, it may be the influence of the lifestyle that you lead... The Lord said: Do good, and you will be rewarded.

- So for you music is a divine revelation? What then is the role of the profession?

Professionalism and technology exist only to get out if there is no divine manifestation. When I am sick, I know for sure that on stage I will need to get out professionally, because when the body is sick, there is no this influx from above. And then I play through professionalism, as if through myself. But at the same time there is no insight. But it happens that you are flying ( laughs), you're flying...

- Can an insensitive audience interrupt this flight?

In fact, the role of the audience is secondary. First you have to fly yourself. The relationship between musician and audience is similar to that of parent and child. It is the child who depends on me, it is I who guide him, and not he, I ask him, I raise him. It's the same with the audience. I can’t follow them, but they follow me. And that’s how sincere I am with them, that’s how they believe me and are ready to follow me. I have to be in such a state all the time so that they don’t turn their backs on me.

- What kind of dissonance then should there be when you are flying in a state of inspiration, and there is a random audience in the hall...

I'll still make her fly. If I play sincerely, with love... What kind of person do you have to be not to respond to sincere love? And, you know, reaching these random listeners is the greatest happiness.

- How do the professional jazz community treat those who at the beginning of their career promised to be very good? jazz musicians, but went into the commercial sphere, became show business people?

You know, my example is Larisa Dolina. It seems to me that Lara went into pop music, towards commercial music, not only because she had to earn money. She always liked to sing good songs, no matter what genre they belong to. But she graced the stage. She didn't ruin it!

And it’s still better than if the same songs were sung by people completely devoid of talent. Lara, she can sing great, and she is talented even in this repertoire. Of course, when she returns to jazz, she realizes that a lot of time has been lost, but that's a different story. In general, it seems to me that if commercial music is performed by people like Larisa Dolina, our stage will be a little better.

- Is it possible to remain within the framework of serious jazz and at the same time be commercially successful?

In fact, as you understand, commercial success does not indicate performance level. Indeed, financial well-being often accompanies projects that were started not for the sake of music, but as commercial enterprises, for example, Star Factory. Unfortunately, lack of culture and disrespect for something fundamental and real is a matter of many centuries. And this is not a problem only of our century or our country. I can say that Britney Spears or the Spice Girls live much better than Western jazzmen. Because hucksters rule the world, and pop culture is more profitable to sell. It sells better.

- Is jazz not for sale? The kind of music that makes both musicians and audience fly?

Well, what now... And you can generally come to church for free and hear there something that cannot be heard anywhere else and never. Spiritual chants are an incomparable, amazing state. More than flying at a social concert. And it's free. What's worth the money? Most often - nothing, things that are transitory. I myself would like to play music that cannot be fashionable or unfashionable, that you can always listen to, because it speaks about eternal things. You know, I always respected Vysotsky’s work, and the only thing I didn’t like was the topicality of the moment inherent in his songs. You can listen to any of his songs and understand when it was written. And I want music to not be tied to time.

- Are there things you haven’t done yet?

Oh yes. And I really wanted to play with the Beatles ( laughs). Well, I didn’t play, and that’s okay.

- I'm asking about real possibilities.

And everything is real. Everything that a person can imagine can happen one way or another.

- How are yours born now? joint projects with certain musicians? You play with a new team almost every year.

You know, I belong to the category of people whose projects never end. They begin once and forever. It never happens to me that I put together a band, play a series of concerts, and then dismiss the musicians. This is how a movie is made: the scenes are shot, and everyone leaves; music is not made that way. There are not many of us, and one way or another we meet each other. And even if there were ten times more of us, we would still strive for those with whom we are more familiar and comfortable. We can't constantly change friends. It's the same in music. Once we have the same understanding of music, we develop together, invent something new together, based on what we had in common before, and this makes a lot of sense. Therefore, in every new project there is a place for those with whom we played before.

- And yet, in the jazz environment there are very few groups that remain fundamentally unchanged for ten, fifteen or more years. There are many more such examples in rock music. Why?

Because rock music itself is quite primitive, and when people agree on this primitiveness, it’s forever. And the peculiarity of rock music is that it lives only in the performance of one group. I myself played Led Zeppelin and The Beatles in my youth, but I very much doubt that in fifty years anyone will play Deep Purple or the Rolling Stones. At the same time, I'm not saying that the Stones are bad, they are an amazing, fantastic band.

- The Beatles will play.

Yes, they will be played, but because the basis of their music is not a pretense, but a song. But the Doors will not play, because their work does not belong to music in general, but to one specific artist. This, unfortunately, is the primitiveness of rock. But music must live, this is its main task. Live in different incarnations, in different musicians. It cannot be associated with people, because music is more than people.

2005, website "All TV Channels" (Izhevsk)