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#11
BBC Monitoring
Russian Duma deputy speaker records rap-style song against war in Iraq
Source: Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow, in Russian 1400 gmt 3 Apr 03

[Presenter] It is possible that MTV will soon start broadcasting a new song - one recorded by [State Duma Deputy Chairman and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia] Vladimir Zhirinovskiy.

The military-patriotic song dedicated to George Bush - please allow me not to give you its title - was today presented at a press conference by the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia [LDPR].

Our correspondent Yuliya (?Kosilova) was there when the masterpiece was presented.

[Correspondent] It was not long ago that Madonna and Lenny Kravitz recorded songs titled American Life and We Want Peace as a protest against the war in Iraq. Why is it that Russia's pop culture has been ignoring the military action in the Persian Gulf? LDPR representatives were not afraid to ask themselves this question. They decided to try to rectify the situation despite the fact that they had nothing to do with pop music. They decided to write an anti-war song.

[An extract from the song is played. The singer - presumably Zhirinovskiy - is singing "war is no joke", repeatedly]

[Correspondent] The same offensive words were used for the song's title as the ones used in a televised interview with reference to US President George Bush by a man who looked very much like Vladimir Zhirinovskiy.

By the way, the song is actually performed by Vladimir Volfovich [Zhirinovskiy]. It is not as if the song only includes a backing vocal performance by Zhirinovskiy. This is actually a solo performance. "War is no joke. You are losing Baghdad. Dollars are dirty bits of green paper." These phrases recur throughout the song.

The State Duma deputy is reading the rap lyrics against a rather tough musical background. The rap music at times develops into a folk theme. It is then followed by Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Then the whole thing just repeats itself.

[An extract is played. "You are killing children. These are children, George, just children, George, children. The world is listening to Tchaikovsky, Dostoyevskiy. The entire world is listening to Dostoyevsky. There is no writer for you. You are going to commit an historical error. War is no joke."]

[Correspondent] The potential hit by Vladimir Zhirinovskiy will be released on audio and CD. There is going to be one million copies. For the record, the song was arranged and put together by a DJ from Sevastopol, (?Proseyfer).

State Duma deputy Aleksey Mitrofanov says the song is a cry from the heart. This is a protest against the war in Iraq. It is possible that a video will shortly be made for the song. According to Mitrofanov, there is no need for a scenario. TV news footage will be more than enough.

[An extract is played]

LDPR representatives believe that their anti-war song is a good example of the new age music. The Russian language is used accordingly.

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