On the air of the show "Through Time" on the TV channel "Zhara", Honored Artist of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic Sultan Laguchev gave a ten-minute interview about himself, his work and plans for the future
Liza Asia (host): Hello! This is Liza Asia, and today we will fly through time with an incredibly charismatic singer, Honored Artist of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic Sultan Laguchev. Hello! Glad to see you. We are starting our time machine and getting into your childhood. Tell us, how did it go for you?
Sultan Laguchev: Well, childhood, I think, like all the kids of my generation, was very fun. In our childhood, we didn't have gadgets, phones and the like, so we entertained ourselves in other ways, like football, the river, hockey, riding females and all that, you know, you could say, Soviet fun.
Liza Asia: How did music come into your life?
Sultan Laguchev: Music appeared in my life very suddenly, out of nowhere. I had a desire to play a musical instrument, my native one, which I still play to this day. It is a national Caucasian accordion.
Lisa Asia: Did you study music yourself?
Sultan Laguchev: I do not have musical literacy, I have not studied in any musical institutions. I gained experience from masters of playing musical instruments, in particular the accordion. And somehow I also logically developed my creativity, my talent.
Liza Asia: Was there anyone else in your family who was into music?
Sultan Laguchev: Basically, my whole family is musical, that is, everyone has an ear for music and good taste in music.
Liza Asia: Have you ever thought about creating a song with one of your relatives?
Sultan Laguchev: I had no ideas, but my mother suggested that we sing a duet somehow. So far, I don’t know, I think, in my thoughts, I’m shocked, of course, by this news, but with pleasure. If they found suitable material, I would perform with my mother.
Liza Asia: You studied law, but eventually connected your life with the stage. Does any knowledge from the institute help you now?
Sultan Laguchev: They definitely help, yes. I am a qualified specialist in criminal law. And in some cases I can bypass them, knowing these laws.
Lisa Asia: What was your first job?
Sultan Laguchev: My first job, I was an accompanist, that is, an accordionist of the state dance theater. I accompanied on my instrument, the accordion. This is my first official state job. For an 18-year-old guy, I think it was quite respectable.
Liza Asia: Yes. And what period can you call the start of your professional career?
Sultan Laguchev: My first wedding, where I played the accordion, I think, was already a big start, because weddings are celebrated in a big way, and musicians, accordionists have a special role, because they create the mood. From that moment my big musical and creative life began.
Liza Asia: The song "Bitter Taste". Did you expect it to be such a hit?
Sultan Laguchev: Maybe I didn't expect it. If I say I did, I might be lying, I might be disingenuous. But I liked it. When I heard the demo in my performance, when the arranger sent me this demo, I definitely liked it. I sat for about three hours, probably, listening to it, replaying it in the car. I liked it that much.
Liza Asia: The video for this song became the most popular music video in Russia in 2021. Did the team get together afterwards and celebrate somehow?
Sultan Laguchev: No, I didn't really celebrate. As a rule, we finish our filming days, I think, deliciously, gastronomically. And we celebrate every event, every shoot, every filming moment, always finish in a restaurant.
Liza Asia: We are flying through time again. And now let's talk about you in the present day. You are a representative of popular ethnic music. But in 20 you changed your role, releasing the track "Deadly Poison" under the pseudonym "Middle-S". Were there any thoughts to experiment with styles?
Sultan Laguchev: There have been no such thoughts as of today, since, probably, my image and my style of music have already been established, fixed. I think, in this direction it is necessary to continue. Experimenting, I think, is possible, but without changing your role.
Liza Asia: Initially, you sang songs in the Abaza language. Should we expect more tracks in your native language?
Sultan Laguchev: Of course. As soon as I get material that I like, I will record it both in my native language and in various languages. I am ready to experiment. I know four languages, so other languages are also easy for me.
Liza Asia: You have a super busy schedule, a huge number of concerts with incredible energy. To what extent does the energy of the audience charge and inspire you?
Sultan Laguchev: You know, when I enter the hall, when I see the faces of my listeners, and I feel that they were waiting for me. This is the first thing that inspires me, to give it my all. Because I know that the people sitting in the hall, they came to me, they listen to my music, they respect my creative personality. And this is my gratitude, with my gratitude I try to give it my all. It doesn’t matter, it’s the first, second, third, fourth, fifth concert, but I want my listener, the viewer to leave the concert satisfied as much as possible.
Liza Asia: Many stars are now filming in projects about survival. Would you like to take part in one?
Sultan Laguchev: Well, they invited us once, something didn't work out for us, we had a concert tour, yes, and so we didn't go. But we are open to any offers.
Liza Asia: You recently released the song "Taxi". Can you tell us more about it?
Sultan Laguchev: This is a song I experimented with, that is, I tried to add a little rock, you know, pop. Exclusively in my own, you know, old style, I tried. And I mixed my old style. And a little with ethnic instruments, as I did before, I had a release called Poputchitsa as part of the show. I made it close to this style. And I liked the sound. And my team listened to it, everyone appreciated it. So that's what it is? It's experimental. A new sound and a new, probably, presentation. A little different, different from the previous songs.
Liza Asia: I know that you write some of the songs yourself. How does the creation process go?
Sultan Laguchev: In general, I am not just a songwriter, but a hookwriter. Hookmaker is what they call it these days. These are keywords chosen for this or that material. In general, I am a hookmaker, but sometimes it happens that I can finish writing verses and I can finish writing a chorus. That's it.
Lisa Asia: What inspires you when you find these keywords?
Sultan Laguchev: For example, I have a song called "Hot, Thunderous". No one would ever think that I took the title from the description of the photo. For example, I just saw a girl, and at the bottom it says "Hot, Thunderous". I say, interesting phrase, I should use it. And I sent it to the author, and she... She savored all of this, everything turned out well, and the song still sounds great today. There is nothing to find these words from, you know, just in the moment some kind of... push and that's it, the mechanism is started.
Liza Asia: Tell us, what projects are you working on now? Maybe there are some planned releases?
Sultan Laguchev: I have releases, several of them, which I am working on very closely now. Soon there will be an anniversary, February 25, I turn 30 years old. I want to show a track, or release on this day, the track that I really like, very creative, in my opinion, and in the opinion of my team. We are preparing this material for my birthday.
Liza Asia: We'll be waiting and listening! And now our artificial intelligence has prepared a blitz survey for you, which will help us get to know you even better. Ready?
Sultan Laguchev: Конечно.
Lisa Asia: The best place on earth?
Sultan Laguchev: Kubina (the singer’s small homeland – editor’s note).
Lisa Asia: What is your favorite dish?
Sultan Laguchev: Pasta.
Lisa Asia: What kind of sport do you prefer?
Sultan Laguchev: Boxing.
Lisa Asia: Top 3 favorite tracks?
Sultan Laguchev: Mikhail Shafutinsky "Jewish Tailor", Scorpions "Wind of Change", Abaza Lezginka.
Liza Asia: What song from your own repertoire is number 1 for you?
Sultan Laguchev: "Hooligan's Love"
Lisa Asia: If you were collecting, what item would you choose?
Sultan Laguchev: Accordions.
Liza Asia: We're going through time again, and now we're going to talk about your future. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Sultan Laguchev: Well, this is a very difficult question, but in my dreams I see myself as a successful singer, a creative person, a producer. I would like to see myself in 10 years, who successfully develops his artists. Plus a businessman who took over the business and also successfully promotes it, in addition to show business.
Liza Asia: At the end of our interview, I will ask you to address yourself in the future. You can give some parting words or just say hello.
Sultan Laguchev: Sultanchik, always go forward, never give up, love your family and friends, be grateful, and everything will be fine.
Liza Asia: Thank you very much for the interview. We will be glad to see you again. And with you was Liza Asia and the show "Through Time". See you soon, bye!
Source: https://laguchev.ru/
