How the stars being lighted up. The producer Kim Breitburg tells about the secretes of show-busyness.

He is called the “grey cardinal” of Russian show-business. And he think the it is rather unpleasant work to be the arbiter of artists fate. Kim Breitburg, the art director of producer company “FBI Music”, develops such performers as Boris Moiseev, “Prime Ministr” band, the project “People’s Artist”. Breitburg composed such well-known songs for them as “Northern girl”, “Blue moon”, “Petersburg-Leningrad”, “Kilimagaro” (P. Kirkorov).

-There is an opinion, that you can be deaf, blind and lame to become a star. The main is to be rich! How is it go so?
-One famous producer, I won’t name him, said once: “Give me the column and the money. And I’ll make a star even from the column”. With Genia Fridland I prefer to make deal with talented people to working with “columns”, as a rule. We have no own oil pipe or aluminium plant. That is why we try to find original producer solutions. In fact, even money can’t help in some cases.

-What, for example?
-With money it is possible to make famous an untalented person, and he or she won’t disappear from the TV screens and magazine pages. But that artist won’t warm any hearts. Because only the real talent, which was gifted by God to play the human’s strings, can touch the soul. There are only a few of those people. It is possible to make famous, but not popular. Because the popularity is the love of the people.

-On my opinion, it is the people’s favorites often are earless and voiceless.
-The force of the voice is not important in pop-music. It was always like that. Mark Bernes and Claudia Schulgenko didn’t possessed great vocal data, but the whole country loved them. The main is the matter of the voice – sincerity, soul warmness. Even if the songs are funny or ridiculous and performed by talented person, it still can touch you.
But, it needs to admit, that they seldom show really bad artists on central channels. Mostly they are on the channels with low ratings. Those artists only litter the air of show-busyness by their money and songs. But we have the freedom of voice in the country and if the rich man decided to spend some money on his mistress or child, he is free to do it.

-Who among modern artists, on your opinion, are worthy to stay in music?
-The one third of all. The least became famous due to the efforts not connected to their talents. Most likely, they got good producer or clip-maker. Or good producer solution.

-Marriages and divorces are producer solutions too?
-Sometimes not.

-How much money is it need to become the famous singer?
-If acting bold, i.e. give bribes to the left and to the right, than the development will take half a million dollars. It will be enough only to say “a” and “b”. One video can cost from 20 thousands to infinity.

-According to rumors, the entry-fee for “Star Factory” was 5 thousand bucks.
-I don’t believe that people can take the money from the kids so openly. But, those who offers financial help to producers, will have more chances. The producer, knowing that the pretender has additional financing, can prefer him to all others. Because it is much more easier to add some other money to producers, than to use only own.

-Many artists became popular due to you. What the features of character should be to become successful?
- Vanity is the key! Those who says: I want to be the first! All people in show-busyness, even simple light-mechanics, want to be the best. If the person doesn’t want to be the leader, it instantly falls off the busyness. The fighting skills is the second. Healthy stubbornness - three. The self confidence – four. But in no circumstances to over estimate one’s forces, or it is possible to lose everything. The moment you got the idea that you are the most important, it is all over with your artistic career. Another attribute of talented person is sensitivity, when the soul rapidly and brightly reacts on events. It is impossible to a musician with thick skin. And the last is that the guys have more chances. Our company, for example, tries not to sign contracts with girls. We prefer to work with the guys. Men have no “ability to become pregnant”. They are more mobile and less connected to the children.

-But, the character changes with time. “Star disease” appears, for example…
-During long time of work with stars I understood that the disease has several grades. The first stage is confusion and uncertainly. Usually it comes after the contract sign and lasts about a half a year. Artist think that he ought to be on the TV screens every day. But “rookies” yet should be presented to musical society. For example, “Prime Ministr” band entered the musical environment rather slow. The rates can decrease or increase depending on communicability of the artist. Unfortunately, young singers can’t do it good often.
The second stage begins at the issue of the first video or song on radio. The friends, especially that were gone a century ago, start to call and say: “Wow! You are so cool!” Then the artist becomes limitless, he thinks he’s achieved everything he wanted. At this moment he start to ask more money. This is the most dangerous period for the singer. The producers have more chances to say: ”the singer is stupid, nothing works out with him”.

-Did you have such cases?
-Yes! Bur the words were a bit more diplomatic: “Professionally unsuitable”.
If the person has normal mind, than everything returns to its places and the artist just begins to work. Of course, there are deviations too – for example, “Prime Ministr” can easily miss the interview. Or they can be late for the record. And then they lie that they got in the accident. Though they do it really often, once they even crashed one into another.

-They say, that already mature stars are more affected by star disease. It is scary to come to Dolina…
- On the contrary! The artists of “old school” are the most punctual and well-mannered people! Nor Boris Moiseev, neither Larisa Dolina or Laima Vaiculee does allow be a minute late. Though, their schedules are more strict then the more young artists have. I think the point is in fact that the young stars didn’t get use to pay for them self. More mature stars pay personally and are always right in time.

“Tribuna” #42(9948), Olga Tarakanova