Singer, musician, composer, People's Artist of Russia, film actor, doctor… and most recently, 73-year-old Alexander Rosenbaum took on yet another role: perfumer. In collaboration with the cosmetics manufacturing and trading company Digidon, he presented his debut perfume trilogy, “Friend or Foe,” to the public, in the creation of which he was directly involved.
– Alexander Yakovlevich, how did this decision to release your own perfume trilogy come about?
“It's not uncommon for famous people, football players, and artists to get involved in the perfume business. But I never really thought about it; I was just doing my thing. Then, at an advanced age, professionals approached me, and I couldn't refuse. Of course, I can't call myself a perfumer. A shoemaker makes boots, a pie maker makes pies, and a singer performs on stage. The fragrances were created by professionals, and I, after weighing the possibilities, decided to agree.”
And the situation we're in right now is so difficult—hence the rather harsh and masculine title. Military. “Friend or Foe.” Are you with me? Let's go slather ourselves in my perfume! (Laughs.)
– What was the demand for fragrances?
“I like simple, masculine things. I'd say right away, 'Give me a man! Stop doing unisex stuff, I don't get it.' The process was captivating, of course, but it was due to my free time. The guys were from Moscow, I'm from Leningrad, and I'm always on tour. So I didn't interfere much with their process; I respect their knowledge and their professionals. Why don't you come to our rehearsal and start offering advice? We'll listen to you, of course, and send you on… a journey.”
– Speaking of travel, by the way. You're a person who's constantly on the go. What fragrances do you take with you on the road?
“I'll put it this way: everyone should smell good and unique. I can tell you this as a doctor, both from a hygiene standpoint and from a general human perspective.”
No matter how handsome you are, if you smell bad, that's it, nothing will help. A “stale” person doesn't give you a reason to like them.
There's a huge variety of perfumes and deodorants available these days for every occasion, so there's plenty to take on the road. I've been using the same perfume for about 25 years now, and I'm consistent in my preferences. Of course, I have my own priorities, tastes, and scents—tobacco, hints of tar, fresh hay, wildflowers. Everything that's accompanied me throughout my life. My favorite scent is a sense of the world I'm on.
I'm interested in Russia, I'm not used to the smell of orchids…
– Your three fragrances are named by numbers – No. 13, No. 09, and No. 51. What do they mean?
“Each fragrance has become a separate chapter of my life, captured in notes, a fragment of time, the scent of memories—a kind of olfactory autobiography, you could say. The numbers are a reference to the date, month, and year of my birth. No. 13 is a composition of contrasts: woody and spicy with notes of immortelle. No. 09 is a warm and powerful perfume, and No. 51 opens with notes of leather, nut, and smoky woody accords…”
“Tell me, aren't you tired of the nomadic life yet? I have no desire to settle down at home and take care of my own household chores.”
“In this life, I'm both a touring person and a homebody. But God has blessed me to do this work, which requires constant interaction with people. I'm not a star; the stars are up there. I'm like any other working person. One makes cologne, another lays bricks, but I write songs and perform for people. I live a normal life, going to the shops for butter and sausage. When I'm on tour, I like to stroll through the local shopping malls.
– You probably create queues there right away.
“Never. People who know me will never rip my jackets off, I'm not some kind of 'Na-Na'. I'll walk by, and they'll say, 'Hello, Alexander Yakovlevich!' And that's the highest praise a person can receive.”
– And what are your favorite cities?
“Russia is unique and beloved. It's so vast, I've driven across it 30 or 40 times, from right to left, from left to right. And you know, the only thing you have to do is love it. If you love it, you build wooden bridges to watch Kamchatka bears, roads for traveling through the Urals, which are beautiful and mysterious with their wonders. You really care about Lake Baikal, because it's dying, everyone talks about it, and no one does anything. Generally, when you come from some city and say you didn't like it, it's just that they didn't give you a good reception, they didn't show you a damn thing. Because even in Nizhny Tagil, which is smoking, steaming with chimneys, there are some beautiful places just a little way from the factories… But that's a long story.”
– Speaking of music… in September, the Variety Theatre premiered a musical based on your hits, “Boston Waltz.” Could you tell us a little more about this project?
“I can't say I was fully involved in the production; I made some adjustments and offered some advice on the script. I wrote the songs on which this musical is based, so I had the right to offer advice. But I can't call myself a co-author. More of an interested observer. I would have added a couple of good songs, for example, “The Thaw,” but the length is limited.”
And so, from the stage, we hear “To love – so love, to walk – so walk,” “Au… day and night I call happiness,” and, of course, “How often I see a dream, my wonderful dream.” I hope people will like it.