hange can be liberating' goes an old adage but on retrospect, sooner or later, the undercurrents of the past do surface in some form or the other. A case in point is Russia's television industry. A country which till two decades ago was governed by a communist ideology is witnessing that creative freedom does not come unchecked even today. Two Russian rock musicians namely Televizor and Yury Shevchuk have been barred from performing on television.

Televizor was supposed to appear in a live show on the St. Petersburg 100TV channel on April 24. As per news agency reports, the editorial team of the 100TV channel were not too comfortable with Televizor's recent lyrics. Televizor defended himself against the charges stating that his music is one of the predecessors of Russian neo-romanticism and electronic funk. Incidentally, his songs are accompanied by a band led by Mikhail Borzykin. Borzykin is an active member of the opposition and has staged many shows at public demonstrations. The consternation of the channel's editorial board seems to have actually risen over this association. Because although free of vulgar overtures Borzykin's songs have lambasted political and religious orders. The band's most recent album, Megamisanthrope, is a spoof on religion, war and materialism. According to the channel's editorial board, Televisor's latest songs clearly dorn a mantle of contempt towards imperialism and criticise repressive authorities. ... more