Bastukvintetten consists of five troubadours from Gothenburg, Sweden, who are united By their love to these very special songs that, in spite of their pronounced Russian feeling Awakes laughter and seriousness with most of those who listen to them.

Vladimir Vysotskij was enormously big in the old Soviet Union and east of the iron curtain. He was a star, officially, as an actor and unofficially, as a singer, forbidden to perform his songs and banned by the regime. He wasn’t a dissident in a regular way, but a poet who never hesitated to speak his mind, which was bad enough. During his short life he wrote more than 600 songs, from only a few were allowed to be released on records. But several were recorded on his concerts and spread illegally from cassette to cassette.

The group has now, together with Irina Jalakas a. o., written 14 new translations/interpretations which are presented on the CD ”Eldar i drömmen”.

More about Vladimir Vysotskij on these web-sites:
• http://russia-in-us.com/Music/Artists/Visotsky/
• http://kulichki.com/vv/eng/
• http://www.geocities.com/vysotsky_songs/index.html