ARSEN SHOMAKHOV White Russian's Dangerously Deep Blues
One spin of Arsen Shomakhov's Dangerous makes two things abundantly clear: He can coax an impressive array of sounds and styles from his Fender Stratocaster, and his smooth vocals betray absolutely no hint that he's not a native English speaker.
Shomakhov hails from Russia's remote North Caucasus (think of it as where Asia meets Europe) and didn't get a chance to play beyond his homeland until he traveled to Memphis in February of 2005 to take part in the International Biues Challenge. "That was a great experience for me," he says, recalling the thrill of the journey. "The response was great, and I got to meet a lot of musicians. I titled one of the tunes on my new album'Beale Street Boogie' because it was at the Blues CityCafe on Beale Streer that we played it in public for the first time."
It strue that the Former Soviet Union isn't readily associated with the blues, but this notion is beginning to change. Since the former USSR's disintegration in 1991, strands of Western music have been steadily infiltrating the region. "At festivals and club gigs, I witness natural, positive reactions to the music, from people of all ages—even though many of them don't understand English," Shomakhov explains. "It seems the circle of the people who love blues is getting wider, and hopefully number of those interested in its roots and history is growing, too. I think this is only natural. Blues is truly a universal language." SEAN MCDEVITT (GUITAR ONE MAGAZINE)
