Live review: Otava Yo at RNCM

By Ellie Sherwood

What do you expect from a performance when the first thing you see on stage is a clothes line, twenty different instruments, and a wooden duck statue? Otava Yo obviously like to entertain their audience, and tonight’s gig at RNCM was no exception.

The 6-piece band from St Petersburg played their fusion of Russian folk song and contemporary music with such energy and wit, whilst skilfully revealing their lively, extraordinary, and romantic colours. Their main motive is clear: to communicate the loss of tradition and dying of Russian folk songs, which were once so integral to Russian life. Their way of reviving this tradition is to meld the past and the present by mixing Russian folk songs with a funky bass, electric guitar, zesty riffs, and off-beat rhythms, making it very hard to not immediately get up and dance (although I’m sure this is what happens at plenty of their concerts).

Otava Yo definitely made use of the twenty different instruments on stage, which ranged from wooden spoons to bagpipes. One of my favourite parts of the performance was the way the two violins were used: often in harmony, playing a beautiful folk song melody whilst the electric instruments accompanied, bringing the songs forward into the 21stcentury.

The musicians are clearly passionate about the importance of tradition, and their commitment to reviving their folk music in such a spirited way is extremely powerful. Otava Yo’s music left the audience feeling both nostalgic for the past and excited about the present – a rare sentiment that only a band of such zeal, dedication, and talent can inspire.