N.R.M. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
N.R.M.
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N.R.M. at concert wRock for freedom, Wrocław
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Mroja |
| Origin | Minsk, Belarus |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | West Records |
| Members | Oleg Demidovich Yury Levkov Pete Pavlov |
| Past members | Lavon Volski Vladimir Davidovsky Benedict Konev-Petushkovich Oleg Pipin Leonid Shirin Victor Smolsky Viktor Shot Yury Tsyankevich |
N.R.M. (which stands for Niezaležnaja Respublika Mroja, meaning "Independent Republic of Dreams" in English) is a popular rock band from Minsk, Belarus. They started way back in 1981 under the name Mroja (Belarusian: Мроя). They are thought to be the most popular rock band in their country. N.R.M. sings in the Belarusian language. They are also known for speaking up about political issues in Belarus, even though they faced a ban on performing for a few years, from 2006 to 2009.
Contents
About N.R.M.
The band Mroja started in 1981 at a university in Minsk. Lavon Volski (who played keyboards and sang) and Vladimir Davidovsky (who played guitar) were the founders. Their very first show was on November 7, 1981.
Over the 1980s, some band members changed. They also released a few albums. In 1989, they played at a festival in Ukraine called Chervona Ruta. The next year, in 1990, they released an album called Dvaccać vośmaja zorka (which means '28th Star'). This was their only album with the Melodiya record label.
The band's lineup changed again. By 1993, the main members were Lavon Volski, Pete Pavlov, Yury Levkov, and Oleg Demidovich. In late 1994, this group decided to change their name to N.R.M.
N.R.M.'s music is often melodic hard rock. Their songs have clever lyrics that sometimes talk about political topics in a hidden way. Since the late 1990s, the band has often used the Łacinka alphabet. This is a version of the Latin alphabet used in Belarus, alongside the more common Cyrillic alphabet.
Speaking Out
N.R.M., like many other bands in Belarus, has shown that they don't agree with the government. They have never directly named any politicians in their songs. N.R.M. played for their biggest crowd in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2004. They were supporting the Orange Revolution there. The band members hoped that something similar would happen in their own country.
In the years that followed, N.R.M. and many other Belarusian bands were unofficially banned. This meant their music was not played on FM radio stations in Belarus. There was no official list, but radio managers said they were told not to play certain bands.
Even with this unofficial ban, the band kept playing concerts. They performed many times in other countries like Poland, Germany, Slovakia, and Sweden. In Belarus, they were still on the forbidden list. So, they rarely played public concerts and often performed in secret places.
In 2007, they released their sixth studio album, "06". Lavon Volski said this album was made after the political events in Belarus in spring 2006. The "06" album has songs with different music styles. The band used new instruments like the violoncello, mandoline, and keyboard. For the first time, not only Lavon Volski sang, but also other band members and even a children's choir.
After a meeting with a government official in late 2007, the band was removed from the banned list. In May 2010, N.R.M. won an award at the "Rock Coronation Awards" ceremony. They were honored in the "Event of the Year" category for their concert.
In 2010, Lavon Volski left the group. N.R.M. continued playing as a band with three members. Their next album, D.P.B.Č, was released in 2013.
Albums
| Year of release | Original title | English Title | Label |
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| 1986 | Stary chram | Old Temple | |
| 1987 | Zrok | Vision | |
| 1989 | Studyja BM | Studio BM | |
| 1990 | Dvaccać vośmaja zorka | 28th Star | Melodiya |
| 1991 | Bijapolie | Biofield | |
| 1992 | Lepšyja peśni z albomau 1988–1990 | The Best Songs from the Albums 1988–1990 | Kovčeg |
| 1993 | Vybranyja peśni 1989–1993 | Selected Songs 1989–1993 | ZBS |
| 1995 | ŁaŁaŁaŁa | LaLaLaLa | Kovčeg |
| 1996 | Odzirydzidzina | Odzirydzidzina | Kovčeg |
| 1997 | Made in N.R.M. | Made in N.R.M. | |
| 1998 | Pašpart hramadzianina N.R.M. | The Passport of N.R.M Citizen | Kovčeg |
| 1999 | Akustyčnyja kancerty kanca 20-ha stahodździa | Acoustic Concerts at the End of the 20th Century | Kovčeg |
| 2000 | Samotnik | Single | |
| 2000 | Try čarapachi | Three Turtles | Bulba Records |
| 2002 | Dom kultury | Palace of Culture | BMA |
| 2004 | Spravazdača 1994–2004 | Report of 1994–2004 | West Records |
| 2007 | 06 | 06 | |
| 2013 | Д.П.Б.Ч. (Da pabačennia) | D.P.B.C. (Goodbye) | PetePaff Inc. |
Other Music Projects
- Peśniarok (1997), a tribute to the band Pesniary
- Narodny albom (Folk Album) (1997)
- Serca Eǔropy in rock (Heart of Europe in Rock) (2001)
- Personal Depeche (2002), a Belarusian tribute to Depeche Mode
- Generały ajčynnaha roku (Generals of Domestic Rock) (2004)
- NiezałežnyJa (IndependentMe) (2008)
- Budzma The Best Rock / Budzma The Best Rock/New (2009)
Band Members
Current Members
- Pete Pawlaw - guitar (since 1993), lead vocals (since 2010)
- Yuras' Ljaukou - bass (since 1981)
- Aleg Dzemidovich - drums (since 1981)
Past Members
- Lavon Volsky - lead vocals, keyboards, guitars (1981–2010)
- Vladimir Davidovsky - guitar (1981–1989)
- Sergei Loskutov - rhythm guitar (1981)
- Benedict Konev-Petushkovich - guitar (1989–1992)
- Oleg Pipin - guitar (1992)
- Leonid Shirin - guitar (June–September 1992)
- Viktor Shot - guitar (September 1992–1993)
- Yury Tsyankevich - percussion (1992–1994)
- Viktor Smolsky - guitar (1993)
