1971 – Belarusian Folk-Rock - Piesniary - Kasiŭ Jaś kaniušynu / Песняры – Косил Ясь конюшину

“Kasiŭ Jaś kaniušynu” («Касіў Ясь канюшыну», “Yas’ Mowed Clower” in Belarusian) is a popular Belarusian allegedly folk song, which became widely known in the Soviet Union after the rock-band “Pesniary” had released it as a single in 1971. According to the Belarusian literary critic and folklorist Nil Gilevič, “Kasiŭ Jaś kaniušynu” is in fact a pseudo-folklore song created in the Belorussian SSR in pursuit of development of the national pop-music scene. The song is based on the traditional folklore verses “Pasyłała mianie mać jaravoje žyta žać” (“My mother ordered me to reap spring rye.“) The original lingering song after Pesniary’s arrangement turned into an energetic rock tune with a perky chorus, a good whistle, rhythmic breakdowns and a powerful bass line. The song was released as part of the band’s first LP, recorded and issued in 1971 Песняры-Песняры The same year this abum topped all music charts in the Soviet Union and was included into the OST of the most beloved Soviet cartoons “Ну, погоди” (“Nu, pogodi”, “Well, wait a minute!“, which boosted the song’s popularity among the nation. In 1972, the song was one of the winners of the annual music TV show “Song of the Year“ at the Soviet TV. In December 1976, the song was recorded for a collaborative album of Pesniary with the US rock band The New Christy Minstrels on the Columbia label. However, the record was never released. The song is well known not only in the former USSR, but also abroad. In December 2018, the song was played at the Mega Hockey Games hockey tournament in Norway, before the match between Norway and Belarus, instead of the Belarusian anthem, as the organizers mistakenly put “Pesniary”’s hit thinking this is a official hymn of Belarus. The song is still one of the most famous and popular in Belarus and ex-USSR countries. The song’s storyline is about a Yas’, single guy who mows a clover and looks at a girl reaping rye. She hints, or directly says in another version, that she liked Yas’. He goes to his mother with a request to find him a bride. His mom initially offers to marry the portly Stanislava, but the son refuses, arguing that he will not be able to sit on the bench with that girl, as he won’t fit there. Then the mother offers him the hardworking Yanina, who “reaps and looks at you.“ Касiў Ясь канюшыну, Паглядаў на дзяўчыну. А дзяўчына жыта жала Ды на Яся паглядала: — Цi ты Ясь, цi ты не Спадабаўся ты мне… Кiнуў Яська касіць Пачаў мамку прасiць: — Люба мамка мая Ажанi ж ты мяне! — Дык бяры ж Станiславу Каб сядзела на ўсю лаву — Станiславу не хачу, Бо на лаву не ўсажу! — Дык бяры ж ты Яніну, Працавiтую дзяўчыну. Касiў Ясь канюшыну, Паглядаў на дзяўчыну.