De Trololo Man

A stereotype of the singers in the period from 1973 to 1986, often referred to as the эпоха застоя [epokha zastoya]) or the era of stagnation, was Edward Khil (°1934). With his indelible smile, carefully measured dance steps and lyrical baritone, he was presented as a charming eternal optimist. In 2009 he became known worldwide as the Trololo Man.

In 1976, he had recorded a song without lyrics, with the title I'm happy because I can finally return home. The music was written by Arkady Ilyich Ostrovsky (1914-1967). According to Khil, the song had been recorded without lyrics because the original text of Lev Ivanovich Osyanin (1912-1996) would have been about an American cowboy, and therefore forbidden by the authorities.

But according to Mikhail Arkadyevich Ostrovsky, the son of the composer, it was only due to a conflict between Ostrovsky and Osyanin. The latter would have said that a composer meant nothing without a copywriter, and Ostrovsky wanted to prove the opposite by composing a song with a plain meaning.

In 2009, the song became a hype on YouTube. On the three channels on which it was published, it got over 25 million views.



Share this page |