My real name is not Basque

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

There is a lot of news in the life of Nikolai Baskov's "golden voice" of Russia. Recently, the singer was a member of the jury of the "New Wave" competition - he judged novice talents. He actively collaborates with the family of the opera diva Montserrat Caballe. And right now he is in Germany on tour. Before leaving, Nikolai crossed paths with the Cleo correspondent.

Nikolay Baskov, in which cities of Germany will your concerts take place? Have you been to this country before?

The tour of Germany starts on September 7th. I will give 15 concerts in all major cities: Munich, Frankfurt am Main, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, of course Berlin. I used to be, of course, we even lived there for a while with my parents, when I was little.

Short questionnaire

Are you friends with the Internet?

Yes.

What is an unaffordable luxury for you?

Throwing money down the drain. I always try to get them to work.

What animal do you associate yourself with?

A lion.

Did you have a nickname as a child?

Basik.

What is your psychological age?

Good question to understand what that means. I will say this, I am a man in his prime.

Are you an owl or a lark?

It depends. It depends on the mood.

Do you have a talisman?

Yes.

How do you relieve stress?

I go shopping, stay at home with my family, read books.

Where did you last vacation?

On islands.

What melody is on your mobile phone?

Just a call.

What's your favorite saying?

Everything makes sense.

You are now working closely with Brother Montserrat Caballe in Spain. Did you like Barcelona? Where have you been?

In Barcelona, I already feel almost at home, only I miss my wife and son very much. I have been almost everywhere, on my last trip I once again went to the Sagrada Familia, which I really like. It was built by the famous Gaudí and it is a very beautiful and conceptual building that I fell in love with at first sight.

Nikolay Baskov, to whom of the participants of the "New Wave" do you read "a bright future" on stage?

Nobody. (Laughs - author's note). No, in fact, I will not make predictions, so as not to jinx someone. I will say one thing - there were worthy performers.

Have you worried about any of the participants? Did you have to argue with the rest of the jury, defending any of the contestants?

Of course, I had to, but these are all normal working moments.

You are a busy person, always on the road. Do you have enough time for your son? Do you study with him?

When Sveta gave birth, I canceled all concerts, dropped everything and spent four days in the hospital next to my wife and little Bronya. I just could not tear myself away from them, for me these were the happiest days in my life.

But I cannot quit or even abandon my work a little, and Sveta would not have allowed me. She understands that for the sake of my family I am ready for anything, but I need the stage as much as the air I breathe. So she told me: "Kolya, you have to work." But always, as soon as I have a free minute, I run home to see my son and wife.

Nikolay Baskov, would you like your son to follow in your footsteps?

I don’t know, I think when he grows up, he himself will decide who he should be. I will not push him to anything. That is, of course, I will give him a good education, but he must decide his own fate. Whether he wants to be a musician, I don't know, it's hard to say. But the fact that from the very childhood he hears music, both in his father's performance and on records - that can be said for sure. So I think he has good taste in music.

You said you love sweet things. What exactly?

I love ice cream very much. It's good for the throat too, and it's my favorite treat. Of all the varieties, I prefer chocolate, and in the heat - fruit.

Do you love gifts? Do you often do them yourself?

Of course! Is there a person who doesn't like gifts? After all, this is no-no-mezd-but! That is, for nothing. (Laughs - author's note). And I also really like to give, and I do it often, and with pleasure.

What do you give your wife?

Anything she wants. But most often, of course, flowers and jewelry.

Do you often allow yourself a vacation? Where do you spend it?

Favorite vacation - islands! We go there and have a rest! We love Mauritius, Bali, Greece, Seychelles. Once we left for South Africa for a whole month and were so tired that we decided: better - islands! We then conceived a whole program to see more in Africa, and after that we had to take another trip to take a break from such a vacation.

The best vacation is to be with your family. Lie on the couch, chat with your wife, play with your little son. It's great when you don't need to run anywhere, to hurry. I also love very much when I manage to go to the country house, to gather there with the whole big family - there are 13 of us, and we all gather at the table and sit, drink tea and talk.

"Happiness for a person is when he is doing well."

Nikolay Baskov, do you follow the latest cinematography?

And I love adventure films. One of my favorites is about the adventures of Indiana Jones.

Are you annoyed by the attention of pesky fans?

You know, I've always had very good fans. I have great respect for them. I have never had any unpleasant moments associated with them. If they need my autograph, they will calmly wait for me after the concert and take it. No hysterics or pranks are satisfied. I have very intelligent fans.

And I will honestly say that after the wedding I did not diminish them. Just recently, on my 30th birthday, the fan club released a book about me. Fans collected reviews about me there, some interviews. I even leave the most expensive gifts from fans at home. For example, the apartment has a heart-shaped pillow. The inscription is embroidered on it: "Nikolay, I love you!"

Three things you cannot live without are …

Wife, child, work.

Nikolay Baskov, do you consider yourself lucky?

For me, happiness is the same as for any other person. You know, you can start philosophizing now, remember the definitions of Plato and other thinkers of antiquity, but it seems to me that happiness for a person is when everything is fine with him. When his relatives and people close to him are healthy, and he himself is healthy, and when there is peace inside. They say that only the blessed are happy. And in general, it is quite difficult to be absolutely happy, there are still some problems, troubles, fatigue, in the end. But I have a beloved wife, a child, my parents are alive and well, pah-pah-pah. Probably, I can be called a happy person and, waking up every morning, I feel like that.

Do you hear rumors about your name? The most ridiculous and funny gossip about you is …

Basque is not a real name. The present is less euphonic. I did not change my surname, but in fact my surname is not Basque, but Basque, with an emphasis on the second syllable. Once, at the anniversary evening in memory of Lemeshev, the presenter Galina Preobrazhenskaya was surprised: "Well, what are you Baskov, you are Baskov!" This is how it began.

Parents are now also Baskov.

In the old days, our surname sounded like the Baskakovs, our roots intersected with the noble family of the Sobakins. And my maternal grandmother is Ukrainian Fyokla Savchenko. There are also Turkish roots on my mother's side. Great-grandmother was Turkish, her great-grandfather took her out during the Russian-Turkish war. She did not understand anything in Ukrainian, all the time she prayed in her own way and often went to the sea, peering into the distance, as if hoping to see her native Turkish coast. She lived for a long time, gave birth to four children. So a lot of blood flows in me. This is probably why I am so handsome!