Various Artists - Groove Of ESSR III: Soul, Jazz-funk & Easy Listening From Estonia

Groove of ESSR III marks the next chapter in highlighting the musical heritage trapped behind the Iron Curtain during the Soviet occupation. The tracklist spans recordings from 1971-1983 by Estonian artists, most of whom were born under a foreign regime after the war. Nevertheless, they had relatives in the West and antennas tuned in to Finnish radio signals. In a closed up world, they had the courage to explore the groove without borders. Many performers and songwriters became the most sought-after artists throughout all of Soviet Russia, not because they blindly followed the communist party's canon. On the contrary, the sheer brilliance of their compositions, exceptional artistry, and stage acts that felt like the West attracted audiences even if they couldn't understand the lyrics. Trying to control, censor, and stop bands from doing their thing became impossible in some cases. Despite multiple attempts to stop him, Gunnar 'Iron Man' Graps only sang in Estonian and played any kind of music he wanted.