Successful and independent by FOBERINI: Oleg Skrypka

Oleh Skrypka is a symbol of modern Ukrainian culture for many people. Do you realize your responsibility?
There is now a great need for iconic figures who would lead in Ukraine, and who would never change the values of our society. Both cultural and social. And the viewer also provides creative people with a social function. I feel responsible in this regard. I am a rocker. I have a lot of photos on the stage and in everyday life. And maybe 10% of them are in embroidered shirts. And if you look in Google, more than half of my photos are in national clothes. This means that there is a great public need for a patriotic look. This is certainly good, but it means that people themselves create a stereotype. 

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
This is my work, and first of all with the repertoire of the group VV. We once made a breakthrough with Ukrainian rock music. Actually, then rock music was strongly associated with social processes, the collapse of the Union and the beginning of Independence. We have a lot of beautiful Ukrainian rock music today. And at one time we instigated the "young" on a creative search. That times groups of Leningrad and Lyapis Trubetskoy started our concert in Moscow, Okean Elzy in Ukraine, and Gogol Bordello in New York. And it's great to see that a rocker has a development and it becomes even more interesting.

How did it all begin? 
As long as I remember myself, I always wanted to sing. After school I went to a technical college and wanted to be a scientist, but music was always there with me. When I was about 25 years old, I finally realized that I really wanted to be a musician. I just realized in time that my vocation is music.

You often travel, what do you feel after returning to Ukraine after world tours? 
The more you travel, the better you notice how good is to be at home. For example, our kitchen. In the West, natural products are becoming increasingly popular, while we have not yet lost them. While many people cook at home in Ukraine, in Europe this happens seldom. Therefore, I always take my mother's herbal tea with me on trips. This is a piece of home comfort, which is always with me. And in many countries there is something that, of course, I would like for Ukraine. 
I especially like countries that combine the worship of tradition and the achievement of modern technology. In this regard, the Scandinavian and Asian countries are beautiful. I would like to have something similar in Ukraine. So that we know our traditions well and move society forward. Today I really like how Ukrainians adapt traditional clothing to the modern world, and Ukrainian embroidery has become a world trend. I also like how Ukrainian music is being modernized. Our ethnic melos perfectly combines with rock and electronic sound.

Which concert did you remember the most? 
I remember one concert in USA, representatives of the diaspora came to listen us, but there were also Americans who had never heard Ukrainian music. After the finish, a couple of cowboys approached, took selfies with us and enthusiastically exclaimed “It`s a real rock n roll!”. This was the feeling, when you come to play your music on another continent, and your work is respected there. In general, for me there are no "passing" concerts. 

Where do you feel like home?
I travel so often that I feel comfortable everywhere. In every city and in every country I meet wonderful people, find friends, see beautiful landscapes. In fact, I feel good everywhere.

What are the traditions in your family? 
We meet all holidays with the family. My childhood did not pass in Ukraine, so I did not know the traditions. Now I try to learn them. We have 12 dishes on the Christmas table, children sing carols. Sometimes we arrange home concerts. Our children take part. Of course, the wife is mainly involved in raising children - organizing training, study groups and teachers. My function is more entertaining, we try to spend time together when I'm not on tour. It is very unifying. Of course, my activity affects the development of children. They all have experience of performing on stage. My younger son is preparing a full-fledged solo concert. I think he will cope. Paternity for men is not a simple and important thing at the same time. This is your continuation, this is your call to the future. And if your children continue your business, you are really happy.

What are your future plans? What projects are you working on now? 
I have two main directions now. The first is the creativity of the group VV. We are currently working on a new album and next year we are introducing it on a tour of Ukraine. Each album is a new experiment for us. Now at our solo concerts we are already presenting a number of songs from the new album. The second direction is cultural events. We are often approached by the administrations of cities of Ukraine with proposals to hold regional festivals.

What is missing to Ukrainian show business?
As for show business, I don’t know, and culture lacks state support. And this concerns not only financial investments, but also the state strategy as a whole. If there is no cultural policy, music is commercialized. If, for example, you do not set state standards in the food industry, useful natural food will disappear. The same is in culture. 

Share the recipe for success.
People in general often ask me “How to become successful?”. It seems to me that the very goal of “becoming successful” is empty. In order to become successful, you need to do what you love. I often observe successful people in the music field and I can say that sometimes talent is only in second place on the road to success. At the first - motivation and regular work. 

Style: FOBERINI 

Brend author: Irina Limarenko 

Photo: Denis Gruba 

Producer: Ekaterina Zemlyanaya