By Yuliana Leonovich
Mr. Maisyuk tells us, “Fretwalk is an accumulation of many years of thoughts and ideas. Each song has its own history, filling me with happy recollections. Most are pleasant, mixed with a few sad memories. Colombiana is a song devoted to a girl I met from Columbia while Rainy Forest was composed on visiting my parents in their village. The latter recalls my childhood, filled with nature’s scents and sounds. I don’t tend to use vocals, having only one composition with some Indie-style singing.
Does Belarus have its own guitar school?
Such schools exist but aren’t independent, so are strongly influenced by other traditions: mostly those from the USA and the UK. We lack our own path, sadly. Unlike the USA, we’ve never witnessed a general guitar glut.
Does this mean that there’s no demand for guitar music in our country?
There’s no mass market. Guitar music does not rival Lady GaGa or Beyoncй; it lacks the popularity of pop music. However, we occupy our own niche in the world of music and have quite a lot of fans. Steven Vai gathers audiences of thousands for his concerts although you very rarely hear him on the radio.
Does it tend to be performed in small underground clubs and bars?
We don’t need to gather a full hall at the Palace of the Republic since guitar lovers will come to listen at small bars as well as at huge sports-and-entertainment complexes. Our concerts differ from pop music, only attracting true lovers of guitar music rather than casual fans.
Will instrumental music ever rival pop music?
There’s no need. My compositions aren’t the kind you listen to while cooking an omelette. They’re perfect for meditation and reflection. You can sit and relax while listening to them, musing on feelings, problems and human values. If you ask people whether they know any Belarusian guitarists, they might name DiDyuLya but probably couldn’t hum one of his songs.
DiDyuLya and Irina Ignatyuk are widely known to Belarusians after having conquered Moscow with their music. Is this the prerequisite for popularity in our homeland: becoming famous in Russia?
It’s showbiz… However, Moscow is not the sky and there’s no need to head there alone. I look much farther and yet also believe it’s unnecessary to leave the country to gain popularity. A guitar player can gain fame in Belarus.
Why isn’t it happening then?
So far, nobody has persistently tackled the task. People tend to underestimate their strength and capabilities. They often lack faith that someone needs their artistry.
