Lera Masskva - Russian Rock Diva

A teenage star of the Russian music world, 19 year-old Lera Masskva is a young rocker with a bright future. With the rock chick attitude down pat, a hit album under her belt and a talented producer behind her, Masskva has managed to build a huge fan base in her short rise to fame. In what is a male-dominated genre in Russia, Masskva is conspicuous as much by her gender as by her age.

Lera explains that females are under-represented in Russian rock, “simply because pop music sells better. Girls who want to be singers, they just get acquainted with producers and the producers write songs for them that are designed to sell. It’s easier for them to start their careers as pop singers. The mentality of our country is such that pop music has a big audience.”


Well, by definition she might not make pop music, but the subject matter of Masskva’s lyrics isn’t far from the mainstream. Many of her songs are about love, even if they take a less idealistic look at the subject (such as her hit 7th Floor) or look at relationships in the modern world (such as her song SMS Love).

Lera hails from the inhospitable north-west Siberian town of Novy Urengoy, where the temperature is below freezing 250 days of the year. She made the brave move to head to Moscow with her mother on a whim after seeing an advertisement for a producer’s center in Moscow. The center turned out to be a waste of time but Masskva’s talent and spirited attitude saw her quickly make the contacts she needed.

Masskva is worth listening to if you would like a taste of popular Russian music that has a little more character and substance than the general mass-produced pap. Look out for a copy of her self-titled debut album or you can download a few of her songs and videos from her website.