Knowing Russia: the curious name of the new Argentine rock star who will visit Lima

His project is called Knowing Russia, but he doesn’t know Russia. It also has the name of a rock band, but it is actually a solo project: that of Mateo Sujatovich (Buenos Aires, 1981), an Argentine singer-songwriter who baptized his artistic work this way because friends and acquaintances have always called him ‘El Ruso’, based on his family name.

But it is also curious because, due to the conflict in Ukraine, a an unusual wave of censorship in Russian culture: Tarkovsky films have been banned, Chekhov plays canceled and Tchaikosky concerts deprogrammed. Even a restaurant in Spain changed the name of the Russian salad to call it Kiev salad.

“Well, being called Knowing Russia at the moment is not the most unnoticed, is it?” Sujatovich responds when we ask him if he has felt any consideration of that type. “It is a difficult moment, very sad and distressing. But I am not Russian, I have nothing to do directly with Russia. It is true that there are people who want to make decisions, do certain things. But what can I do? I make songs, not wars”clarifies.

Beyond the anecdote of its name, Knowing Russia is extremely interesting. Because at 31 years old, Sujatovich has established himself as one of the mainstays of the new Argentine rock. Three albums in less than five years –”Knowing Russia” from 2018, “Cabildo y Juramento” from 2019 and “La Dirección” from 2021– not only speak of a quite prolific production, but of one that has consolidated its own voice, fresh and at the same time indebted to a tradition River Plate.

Because, certainly, music critics –in coincidence with the public– have not been slow to place him in a genealogy of singers made up of nothing less than names like Charly García, Fito Páez or Andrés Calamaro. Is there pressure in that? “If they put me in that place, the truth is that it’s not that bad, right? (laughs) Because they’re comparing me to artists I admire and love. But I don’t take it as pressure because it’s not my goal to put myself in that place. So everything is fine,” she says.

About “La Dirección”, the third and most recent of his albums, Sujatovich affirms that it is quite different from his first two productions. “Audio level is quite different. It is a more classic record –he warns–. And as you say, because of its lyrics and themes it is also different because it was written at a very different time, during the pandemic, with other issues that happen in life.

Any plans for a fourth album in the short term? “And well, I like to make records,” says the musician. At some point I’ll get the room out. But I already did three, right now it might take me a little longer (laughs)”. And that is why he is now focused on the tour that, after the long wait that the pandemic implied, sends him on the road with Lima as one of his stops, on April 21 at Arena Perú del Jockey.

“It’s great, this is our first time of many things. First time in Peru, first time in Chile, and the first times always have that beautiful, new and expectant flavor. I am living a very nice moment of enjoying these debuts, these first meetings”, he affirms.

And about what his fans can expect from the show, he adds: “Obviously we are presenting the latest album, ‘La Dirección’, but being going to Peru for the first time, we are going to present the three albums, which are very different but we are bringing them together in the same concert. The show is super nice, and we are fine-tuning it so that in each place it has some changes.

• Knowing Russia will offer its first concert in Peru on Thursday, April 21, at Arena Perú del Jockey. Tickets on sale at Joinnus.com.