The Ukrainian stage has always been famous for its extraordinary talents, and the female half is undoubtedly its adornment. Possessors of beautiful clear voices, dazzling appearance and unique charm - popular singers of Ukraine delight their fans. And whether it’s an established star or a young, aspiring starlet, everyone has their own unique flair. It doesn’t matter what language they sing in, international English and Russian, or melodic Ukrainian, their singing pleases the ears of true music lovers. Let's talk about some of them.
Eurovision winners
They brought Ukraine international recognition at the prestigious European song competition. And if last year’s winner Jamala is on everyone’s lips, then the first winner, Ruslana, has become a little forgotten. But her victory deafeningly announced Ukrainian stage to the whole world. Ruslana is a singer whose performance was watched by more than one and a half billion viewers. In twenty-five countries, her songs took pride of place. Ruslana is a singer whose tours have taken place all over the world, for example, she performed at the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing. And the singer’s external characteristics did not go unnoticed; recently the L’Oreal company invited her to become a new “face”. In collaboration with the Dj team, Ruslana developed her own unique style of performance and music. Of course, at the Eurovision Song Contest, Ukrainian singers took other places of honor , just look at the second place taken by Ani Lorak.
Millionaire singer Kamalia
Among Ukrainian singers there is an undoubted talent and at the same time a dream come true - Kamaliya Zahur, real name Natalya Shmarenkova. Since childhood, her parents noticed musical inclinations in her, and from then on her ascent to the Olympus of fame began. At just sixteen years old, she became a laureate of the Chervona Ruta, then there were tours to Poland, filming of her first video, and victories in festivals. Real success came after three victories at the all-Ukrainian “Song Opening Days”. Being a beauty, Kamaliya also won beauty contests. It was not for nothing that a Pakistani millionaire noticed her; they got married in 2003 and have two children. Singer Kamaliya Zahoor also tested herself as an actress - she starred in several films.
Singers of the era
There are also Ukrainian singers who are a sign of an entire era. Generations have grown up listening to their songs. Sofia Rotaru is one of them. She received the nickname Bukovina Nightingale for her vocal abilities. Thanks to her talent, Sofia managed to rise from the level of a collective farm performer to all-Union, and then international recognition. Rotaru, being an ethnic Moldovan, easily sang in many languages, remaining close and understandable to any audience. Her songs are known and loved all over the world.
Irina Bilyk became an idol in the early nineties and since then has been recognized and loved throughout Ukraine and beyond. Then her songs became a real revolution, a transition from the Soviet style of performance to new trends. Irina’s success was truly dizzying; she traveled all over Ukraine several times, conquered Poland and Russia. And today Bilyk is a welcome guest at any prestigious concert. And singing is not Ira’s only merit: she is also a poet and composer, writing songs both for herself and for famous performers.
The group “Via-Gra” is also called the present era, which captivated listeners with bright songs, beautiful voices and real shows at their performances. Its composition changed several times, but its fame only grew, conquering not only the post-Soviet space, but also global heights.
Young talents
Time does not stand still and recognized talents are replaced by new ones. Ukrainian singers fall into the hearts of listeners. More recently, Zlata Ognevich, Alyosha, Marichka Yaremchuk appeared, they delight the audience with fresh voices, colorful clips, and new styles. Many came to the stage, so to speak, “from the people.” And all-Ukrainian talent shows such as “Ukraine Has Talent”, “X-Factor”, the projects “Voice” and “Chance” became the stepping stones for such stars. They gave way to the stage for many favorite performers. Some of them are Anastasia Petrik and Aida Nikolaychuk.
Nastya Petrik
Nastya is still quite young girl, (born in 2002) but has already reached great heights. She's a winner" Junior Eurovision"in Amsterdam and "Children's New Wave" in Artek, and these are only the biggest achievements. And it all started with the show “Ukraine’s Got Talent.” Then her older sister Victoria was supposed to perform. The song she chose was too difficult for Vika, so the presenter invited little Nastya and the girls sang a duet. The jury liked her performance so much that later in the competition they participated as a pair. From that moment on, the little singer’s career took off. Anastasia Petrik became a winner of many competitions and festivals. She has sung duets with famous singers and has a rich repertoire. They predict a great future for her, comparing her with American singer Ella Fitzgerald.
Aida Nikolaychuk
For the beautiful Odessa native, the X-Factor show served as a launching pad. However, she managed to break through to her chance of success only after the second attempt. Having taken part in the online X Factor project, the girl qualified for the third season of the show. In the finals, it was not an easy fight that awaited her, because real talents had gone there, but audience choice were on Aida's side, and she became the winner. Now Aida has the opportunity to realize her youthful passion for music. She gives many concerts and collaborates with the recording company Sony Music. Her repertoire includes her own songs, there is even a single. Now the singer has decided to compete for the right to perform in Kyiv at Eurovision as a representative from Ukraine. Just recently there was news about Aida’s marriage, she has a son, Maxim.
And that's not all
In fact, there are many more of them: beautiful and sweet, sincere and talented singers of Ukraine. You could write a whole book about them all; no article can contain everything. And it doesn’t matter whether they are famous or just beginning Ukrainian singers, they give us their creativity, promoting Ukrainian music, expecting recognition and people’s love.
Over the past few years, Ukrainian show business has grown significantly, improved sound quality and moved closer to Western competitors. We are pleased great amount fantastic voices, great tracks and brilliant videos. Surely, every second of us has a favorite song by a Ukrainian artist. We wanted to dedicate this article specifically to the weaker sex, who bear a huge responsibility for supporting native music and promoting it to the masses.
new.vk.comWe present to your attention the 10 best singers who, in just a couple of years, managed to become real divas of Ukrainian music.
Jamala
It is with this singer that our top opens, because, in truth, this year can be safely called the year of Jamala: it was she who became the winner of the 61st Eurovision Song Contest 2016. 32-year-old Jamala is a Ukrainian performer and actress of Crimean Tatar origin who was able to express the pain of her ancestors through music, began to engage in charity work and is taking an active role in preserving the integrity of our country. Many young girls are now focusing on this talented singer and see in it the future of Ukrainian music.
jamalamusic.com Onuka
Electro-folk in our country is represented by a project with the unusual name Onuka, a trio whose main inspirer is Natalia Zhizhchenko, she writes lyrics and music. However, even before the appearance of Onuka, the girl was known as one of the members of the group Tomato Jaws, who played electronic music. Then, inspired by the work of his grandfather. Natalia created a project that combines folklore motives and modern electropop.
fb.me Talina
Natalya (real name) is a fairly young Ukrainian performer who has released several tracks, very lyrical, touching and romantic. The songs “Light the Fire” and “Sumno Meni” have already been featured on the TOPHIT 100 WEEKLY AUDIENCE CHOICE. Since childhood, Talina has participated in many song competitions both in Ukraine and abroad. In many ways, the performer captivated listeners with her gentle and soft voice, and also because Talina writes lyrics and music herself for almost all her songs, which means she lives every moment and touches hearts. Of course, this name may not seem as famous to you as the above-mentioned ones, but in a fairly short period of time Talina was able to make a huge breakthrough in her career.
fb.me Regina Todorenko
In 2008, Regina took part in the television project “Factory of Stars-2” and, thanks to Natalya Mogilevskaya, became one of the members of the Real O group. But Regina’s ambitions went far beyond the limits of “one of”. Thus, she became the host of the popular show "Heads and Tails" in 2016, becoming best TV presenter according to the Cosmopolitan Awards 2016. A year before, the girl was nominated by the M1 Music Awards in the “Breakthrough of the Year” category. Over the past two years, Regina has managed to release several hits: Heart’s Beating and “I Need You,” which were the most popular tracks in all clubs in the country.
fb.me Pur:Pur
There are also representatives of the indie pop style in our country, which fascinates and immerses you in nirvana - the group Pur:Pur. The lead singer of the group, Nata Smirina, is simply a fantastic girl who reminded us of the alien Björk. Despite the fact that the group was founded back in 2008, they started talking about it en masse after the selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016.
fb.me Maria Yaremchuk
Young but very active Maria Yaremchuk was able to break onto the stage of Ukrainian show business not thanks to her father’s last name (People’s Artist of Ukraine Nazariy Yaremchuk), but thanks to the show “The Voice”, where the choice is made blindly. Maria managed to participate in two of the most popular song competitions: “ New wave–2012” and Eurovision –2014.
fb.me MamaRika
The current MamaRika, once Erica, is actually Anastasia Kochetova, who has come a long and difficult path to a successful career. At the age of 14, the girl won the “Chervona Ruta” competition, and at the age of 17 she participated in the TV show “American Chance”, where she also became the first. Her talent was noticed by many world stars and even Stevie Wonder himself, but for a very long time her native country did not appreciate her. Having tried several styles and roles, the performer found herself in the image of MamaRika in May 2016, and now her song “Mama Rika” is tearing up all domestic dance floors.
new.vk.com Olya Tsibulskaya
As Olya herself says about herself, she is the most singing presenter. And Tsibulskaya began her ascent with the popular show “Star Factory,” where she won. Then she also switched to various television programs, becoming the host of “Rise” and “Zone of the Night” on the New Channel. The girl has many talents, and one of our favorites is being a mother and being beautiful and successful woman. Once the performer even admitted that the newlyweds, for whom she was a toastmaster at their wedding, live happily and do not even think about divorce.
fb.me Tarabarova
And another participant in the “Star Factory” project, Svetlana Tarabarova, is on our list, but for good reason. The girl is the winner of the national music award “Song of the Year – 2014” and a nominee for national music awards. Previously, she was a colleague of Regina Todorenko in the group Real O, and now she successfully performs solo. The girl strongly supports ATO soldiers and produces her own clothing line called Svitlo V tobi.
tarabarova.com Yulia Dumanskaya
Lvov resident Julia has gravitated toward the creative profession since childhood. At the age of 17, the singer became a member of a local girl group, and stayed there for five years. And in 2013 she met her future producer Vitaly Kozlovsky. The song “Mystery,” which the singer performed together with the producer, became a nominee for the Yuna Award in the “Best Duet” category. Now the girl is collaborating with Alexey Potapenko (Potap) and his team MOZGI Entertainment.
juliadumanska.com Some of these singers have long established themselves as successful and interesting personalities and performers. Others have taken huge steps towards a successful music career just this year; we are confident that a wonderful future in show business awaits them. Which of these young singers do you prefer, which of the genres in which they work do you like the most?
For the first time, NV presents a special project of the Top 100 People of Culture - the highest echelon of the domestic artistic world, which has made a significant contribution to art and literature primarily over the last five years. Within its framework, the editors of NV named the twenty best musicians in the country - not as a rating, but as a selection in alphabetical order
Antony Baryshevsky
Pianist, 25 years old
Antony Baryshevsky is one of the youngest participants in the “cultural” hundred of NV, which does not prevent the capital’s virtuoso pianist from also being among the most titled.
People started talking about Baryshevsky back in 2000, when the 11-year-old (at that time) musician at the International Piano Competition in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz received a special prize in the category Horowitz debut.
Since then, Baryshevsky has participated in many international competitions in different countries, as a result he became a laureate of almost two dozen international competitions.
In 2013-2014 alone, the pianist won five foreign awards at once: he won the international piano competitions in Paris and the Arthur Rubinstein competition in Tel Aviv, brought first prize from the Interlaken Classics competition in Bern, Switzerland, and the Grand Prix international competition music in Morocco, and also received second prize at the European Piano Evenings competition (Luxembourg).
Since 2012, Baryshevsky has been a soloist of the National Philharmonic of Ukraine. He also tours abroad a lot - both solo and with orchestras. The talented Kiev resident performed in concert halls France, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Iceland, Serbia, Romania, Poland, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Morocco, Israel, USA.
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
The adjective cult has been firmly attached to the name of the main Ukrainian rock musician Svyatoslav Vakarchuk for several years now. At a time when the success of musicians was determined by the number of records sold, the albums of Vakarchuk’s group Ocean Elzy sold hundreds of thousands of copies and received platinum status.
Now that the era of listening to music online has arrived, the impressive numbers of attendance at the band’s concerts eloquently speak of popular love. This summer, concerts as part of the tour dedicated to the band’s 20th anniversary, which took place in five cities of Ukraine, were attended by a quarter of a million listeners. And the Kiev show broke a record in the history of Ukrainian show business - listen Oceans at NSC Olympic 75 thousand people came.
In the context of the revolutionary and military events taking place in the country, Vakarchuk’s songs acquired special meaning for most Ukrainians. Millions of his compatriots associate his work with the desire for changes that the country is waiting for, and the musician’s civic position is identified with their own.
In December 2013 Oceani performed on the stage of Euromaidan, and now they perform their songs in front of the Ukrainian military and residents of cities liberated from terrorists in eastern Ukraine.
Evgeniy Gudz
What Emir Kusturica and his No Smoking Orchestra are for the Balkan peoples, Evgeniy Gudz and his punk rock band Gogol Bordello are for the Ukrainians. The Ukrainian, who moved to the United States in the late 1980s, attracted the attention of audiences on both sides of the ocean with an explosive mixture of folk, rock, gypsy punk and carnival-like theatrical concerts.
The most famous fan of the rampant Gudz is the pop star Madonna, who invited him to star in leading role in film Dirt and wisdom(2008), where the main soundtrack was the band's music, and the director was the singer herself. She sang with a Ukrainian during her solo concert London Live Earth at London's Wembley, and the music magazine Rolling Stone included the band's music at 50 best albums and 100 best songs of the year.
Since then, Gogol Bordello have recorded four full-length albums (seven in total), the last one is Pura Vida Conspiracy- came out in 2013.
And two years before it, the group’s first non-English-language record appeared My Gypsy, where Gudz included his version of the Dynamo Kyiv fan anthem and song Kiev my. Needless to say, the group’s infrequent tours in Ukraine always cause a stir, because in terms of the level of concert drive, few can compare with Gudzya’s company.
Jamala (Susana Jamaladinova)
Preserving identity, being original and at the same time recognized by a mass audience is not an easy task. On the Ukrainian stage, Jamala copes with it better than anyone else. Since the triumph at the music competition New wave in Jurmala, where in 2009 Jamala received the Grand Prix, she is true to herself in her style of performance, repertoire and closeness to her native Crimean Tatar roots.
The best evidence of Jamala’s creative self-sufficiency is both her solo album(For Every Heart, 2011 and All or Nothing, 2013), which are based on original compositions written by the singer herself. By the way, the singer sings in four languages - Ukrainian, Russian, English and Crimean Tatar.
Jamala tirelessly experiments, performing at large concert venues and in front of sophisticated audiences at music festivals such as Jazz Koktebel. In addition, she participates in opera productions and filming (soundtrack and role in the film Guide Olesya Sanina).
Now a singer, who in 2011 was nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards in the category Best Ukrainian artist, is preparing to release a new album, where he experiments with electronic music.
Alla Zagaykevich
Among modern Ukrainian composers, Alla Zagaykevich is considered, if not a star, then a brilliant talent. And multifaceted. She is known for her works of both classical instrumental music (both symphonic and chamber) and electronic. Moreover, the composer is often called the “godmother” of Ukrainian experimental electronics.
However, Zagaykevich is not limited to just composing; she is the curator and inspirer of many electroacoustic projects and performances in Ukraine, such as the EM-VISIA (since 2005) and Electroacoustics (since 2003) festivals.
A few years ago, Zagaykevich, who heads the Ukrainian Association of Electro-Acoustic Music, founded her own Electro-Acoustic Ensemble, with which she recorded her debut CD Nord/Ouest in 2011.
At the same time, the Ukrainian artist’s creativity has long been noticed abroad. Zagaykevich is the winner of the international competition of contemporary classical and electroacoustic music Musica Nova (2011). Her works are performed in France, Canada, Austria, and she regularly participates in foreign festivals, including the Marathon of New Music in the Czech Republic, E-musika and Gaida in Lithuania, and Takefu International Music Festival in Japan.
Kirill Karabits
At the age of 37, Kiev resident Kirill Karabits has firmly established himself at the top of the international conducting Olympus. For more than five years he has led the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, one of the oldest and most respected in the UK. His resume includes collaborations with leading instrumental groups in America, Europe and Asia.
Great success came to Kirill Karabits, the son of the famous Ukrainian composer Ivan Karabits, with considerable difficulty. He studied in Kyiv and Vienna and won awards at prestigious international competitions several times. And then, having overcome serious competition of 60 people per seat, he received a position as assistant conductor of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Today, Karabits has a contract with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra until 2016 and engagements with the best instrumental groups from Los Angeles to Tokyo. Last year he was recognized the best conductor of the Year according to the Royal Philharmonic Society.
However, in the musician’s busy touring schedule there is always a place for his homeland - several times a year he performs in Kyiv together with local musicians. While abroad, the conductor supports Ukraine in ways accessible to people of culture. For example, last spring he dedicated his concerts with the orchestras of the German Essen and the French Lille to the memory of the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred who died during the confrontations on the Kiev Maidan.
Like most Soviet children, Alexei Kogan attended music school, where I learned the violin without much desire. He did not turn out to be a violinist - Kogan jokes that his playing could only earn enough for an inexpensive lunch. But without exaggeration, he turned out to be the best jazz connoisseur in the country.
Once upon a time, a young Kiev resident began collecting all available recordings of freedom-loving Western music that was then banned in the country. During the years of perestroika, this unique collection made him a sought-after radio presenter - for several years he conducted daily broadcasts in which he played his favorite music from his personal music library.
Now he participates in the organization of the main jazz festivals in Ukraine, including the Koktebel Jazz Festival and the Lviv Alfa Jazz Fest. The latter is only four years old, but world jazz legends like British guitarist John McLoughin or American Larry Carlton have already performed here. The festival's concerts are broadcast by the popular French music channel Mezzo, and the Western press includes it in the list of must-attend events.
Despite the fact that most of Kogan’s adult life is connected with jazz, he still claims that he still doesn’t know enough about this music. The jazz guru is sure: “A person who delves deeply into a topic understands that this is just the beginning. You have to study all your life.”
Alexandra Koltsova (Kasha Saltsova)
The winner of two NePops awards for the best female rock vocal, Alexandra Koltsova has long become an iconic character in Ukrainian pop rock - first with her band Krikhitka Tsakhes, and then, after the death of the band’s guitarist Mikhail Gichan, with the project Krikhitka.
Another evidence of how much the public fell in love with the bewitching voice of the permanent frontwoman and the same soulful lyrics of Krikhitka, in 2010, there was an all-Ukrainian tour in support of the album Recipe (the debut record of the renewed group), which toured 15 largest cities countries.
Although, by Koltsova’s own admission, she cannot be “just a musician.” "You can't sit on the edge of your chair in own country", the singer, whose career began with journalism, is confident. Leader Krichitki, by the way, who was born in Russia, quietly takes on dozens of good deeds in her native Ukraine, from the Eco-Torba environmental initiative, participation in events to combat AIDS and organizing charity concerts to help children with cancer, to supplying equipment to fighters to the ATO zone and the struggle for lustration of power.
“If I were a man and didn’t make music, then the SBU would have a file on me as an extremist,” Koltsova sneers.
Roman Kofman
The British newspaper The Telegraph named him one of the greatest conductors of our time, and the German Sueddeutsche Zeitung ranked him on a par with Evgeny Mravinsky, one of the twenty best conductors of all time according to BBC Music Magazine.
Roman Kofman is worthy of these flattering words. He is the first and only Ukrainian to lead the Western European opera house: in 2003-2008 Kofman was artistic director Bonn Opera and Bonn Symphony Orchestra. Beethoven. With him, the conductor received the prestigious international Echo Klassik award for his recording of an oratorio by Franz Liszt Christ. In total, during his career, Kofman managed to work with 80 foreign orchestras.
And he is known to domestic listeners as the permanent director of the Kyiv Chamber Orchestra of the National Philharmonic, whose chief conductor he has worked since 1990.
During this time, Kofman, who tirelessly updated the orchestra's repertoire, discovered for Ukrainians the music of the best compatriots and contemporaries (including Valentin Silvestrov, Miroslav Skorik, Evgeniy Stankovych), and little-known works of Western classics. Thus, in 2009-2010, he became the first conductor in the world, under whose leadership the orchestra performed all of Mozart’s symphonies in one concert season.
Natalia Lebedeva
Jazz music is an exchange of living energy, Natalya Lebedeva, who is called the best jazz pianist in Ukraine, is convinced. “You see how a person improvises before your eyes, creates a plot, tells a story,” Lebedeva says about jazz. “The public should observe this process. Jazz music exists for its sake.”
Kiev resident Lebedeva is not only a pianist, but a real one-man orchestra - a jazz composer, arranger, teacher and band leader all rolled into one. Jazz band Lebedeva Trio, where, besides her, in different time included Igor Zakus, Konstantin Ionenko (both bass guitar) and Alexey Fantaev (drums), since the mid-2000s they have published three full-length albums and have been performing successfully both in Ukraine and abroad. Thus, in 2008-2010, the trio gave concerts in Poland as part of the Slavic Jazz Festival with a program based on the music of Frederic Chopin, as well as in Slovakia.
Considering that the Ukrainian jazz music is just going through the stage of its formation, Lebedeva is doing everything to support this process. She is a participant in many joint projects with aspiring jazz musicians, as well as the organizer of children's jazz festivals O'Keshkin Jazz and Atlant-M
Oleg Mikhailyuta (Bassoon)
It's hard to believe, but in June 2014, the Ukrainian hip-hop group TNMK celebrated its 25th anniversary - the team dates back to 1989.
Growing up with the country, Tanks remain one of the brightest, sincere and uncompromising Ukrainian groups - for which they have been loved by the public all these years. Wherein TNMK They are constantly expanding both the geography and the scale of their activity.
So, in 2012, the group toured more than ten festivals in Ukraine, Poland, Russia and Germany, and in 2013 they realized a long-time dream - they played a series of concerts in Ukrainian cities Symphonic hip-hop together with the Youth Symphony orchestraSlobozhansky. The initiator of the tour was Mikhailiuta, who from time to time takes on the role of both sound producer and video director TNMK.
And although Oleg Mikhailyuta (Fagot), a graduate of the Kharkov Conservatory, joined the musicians only in 1994, along with the founder of TNMK Alexander Sidorenko (Fozzy), he became one of the key figures not only for the group, but for all Ukrainian music of the era of independence.
Like Fozzie, Fagot accomplishes a lot in addition to his musical activity. In recent years, he has repeatedly tried himself as a host and participant in various television shows, and with his popularity he helped the Ukrainian-language film dubbing industry to get on its feet. For example, the blockbuster hero spoke in the voice of Mikhailiuta Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow.
Lyudmila Monastyrskaya
In honor of her great predecessor, she is called the new Solomiya Krushelnitskaya and also the best Aida of our days. The owner of a unique dramatic soprano Lyudmila Monastyrskaya is, without a doubt, one of the world's strongest opera singers modernity.
Since 2010, she has conquered the best foreign stages: the Ukrainian was invited to perform leading roles by the New York Metropolitan Opera, Milan's La Scala, Berlin's Deutsche Oper, and London's Covent Garden. Moreover, in each of these theaters, Monastyrskaya made a splash, collecting enthusiastic responses from the press, colleagues and spectators. Although the parts she performs are leading roles in operas Attila, Nabucco, Longing, Masquerade Ball, Aida, Macbeth, Rural Honor- among the most difficult and responsible for opera singers.
Among Monastyrskaya’s partners are world stars such as the Spaniard Placido Domingo and the Italian Leo Nucci. And the schedule of foreign performances of the Ukrainian, as befits an opera diva, is planned long in advance.
However, she does not miss the opportunity to perform in Ukraine - in National Opera. In one of the interviews, when asked which country Western listeners consider her to represent, the singer replied: “[They are] perceived only as a Ukrainian [singer]. And this gives me incentive and inspiration. That’s how I was brought up.”
Victoria Polevaya
The works of Ukrainian Victoria Poleva are listened to by fans of modern classical music in the best halls - from the USA and Chile in the west to Korea and Singapore in the east. It is appreciated by critics and included in their repertoires by the world's leading instrumental and choral groups. In 2013, the works of the gifted Kiev resident were performed for the first time by the cult American ensemble Kronos Quartet.
Polevaya, who has been repeatedly awarded Ukrainian and international prizes, writes music in choral, chamber-instrumental and symphonic genres. IN early years The aesthetics closest to her was the avant-garde. Today, critics rank it among the popular Western style of sacred minimalism, when deep spiritual themes are revealed through the repetition of simple musical phrases.
Such a creative transformation was quite natural for Polevaya. After all, in her own words, what is most important for a composer is not novelty as such, but simplicity and truthfulness of expression.
Alexander Polozhinsky
Poet, citizen and frontman of the Tartak group Alexander Polozhinsky has always been more than just a musician.
In 2005, barely leaving the stage of the Orange Revolution, the unofficial anthem of which became Tartak’s bitter composition I don't want, the leader of the group, together with other fellow musicians, organized an all-Ukrainian tour Don't be a bad guy.
It's hard to find the best symbol of all musical career Polozhinsky than this action, which soon grew into what still exists today social movement for European values for Ukraine.
In each of Tartak's albums - and over the past ten years the band has released five records - the author of all the group's lyrics, Polozhinsky, finds words that are necessary and close to compatriots with an active civic position.
“If we want to give up something, we must formulate what we will build instead,” the leader of Tartak recently noted, analyzing the consequences of Euromaidan, of which he was an activist.
In his work, Polozhinsky never tires of “building.” This spring the musician presented a solo project Buv'є , during which he will perform his own compositions that are not included in Tartak’s repertoire.
Maryana Sadovskaya
A native of Lvov and a resident of Cologne, Maryana Sadovskaya is often compared to the cult Icelandic singer Björk - the singers are related by the energy of their music and the desire to experiment with genres and styles. Both draw inspiration from folk art, making it attractive and understandable to listeners around the world.
I’m always interested in building bridges - between cultures, between what was and what is,” Sadovskaya, whose songs are listened to on all continents, formulates her creative task.
She began her career as an actress at the Lviv Theater. Lesya Kurbasa Sadovskaya is convinced that everyone can sing - you just need to open your heart to music. There is some truth in this, but only a few receive invitations to collaborate from the cult American ensemble Kronos Quartet. The Lviv resident wrote a piece especially for a joint performance with this group Chernobyl. Harvest, presented last year first in Kyiv and then in the famous Lincoln Center hall in New York.
Maryana Sadovskaya - Piemo, piemo (Ukrainian folk Lemk song)
Sadovskaya travels a lot - in Poland she collaborates with the theater Garzhenitsa, in New York - with the experimental troupe Yara Arts Group, and in Germany she has her own band, Borderland. She goes on ethnographic expeditions to Ireland, Egypt and Cuba. Her interpretations of Ukrainian folklore brought the singer the prestigious German RUTH award last year.
Valentin Silvestrov
At the end of the 1950s, an unprecedented incident occurred at the Kyiv Conservatory. A third-year student at the Kyiv Institute of Civil Engineering, Valentin Silvestrov, was transferred to the main music university in Ukraine without exams. Since then, he has given no reason to doubt that his true calling is to be an architect of music, not of stone.
Today Silvestrov is the most famous contemporary Ukrainian composer abroad. Moreover, world fame came to him much earlier than recognition in his native land. While the USSR looked with suspicion at Silvestrov’s avant-garde experiments, from which his unique personal style was later formed, already in the late 60s he became a laureate of the prestigious Sergei Koussevitzky Prize (USA) and the international competition for young composers Gaudeamus (Netherlands).
To this day, the name of the Ukrainian, whose heritage includes symphonies, orchestral works, choral and chamber cantatas, as well as instrumental music, sounds on world stages and music festivals. In addition, Silvestrov’s music, known in the West no less than in Ukraine, becomes part of the soundtracks for films of film celebrities - Kira Muratova and Francois Ozon.
Valentin Silvestrov - Symphony No. 5
Meanwhile, the composer lives in Kyiv and admits that writing music in home country he is quite comfortable. Among what Silvestrov has written recently is music dedicated to the events on the Maidan: a new version of the Ukrainian anthem and music for a poem by Taras Shevchenko Caucasus, which was read on Maidan by deceased protest participant Sergei Nigoyan.
Oleg Skrypka
If Ukraine, like America, had its own Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Oleg Skrypka, without a doubt, would be among the first to be included in it. His main musical creation is the legendary Vopli Vidoplyasova- has been one of the most popular bands in the country for almost 30 years.
Folk melody and powerful energy of live performances made BB in demand both at home and abroad.
However, within the framework of one project, even a successful one, Violin is cramped. Only for Last year, in addition to touring with family BB throughout Ukraine and Europe, he managed to play a number of concerts with his jazz cabaret Fun and travel around North America, performing with violinist Vasily Popadiuk.
Touring does not prevent the artist from holding the festival for 11 years in a row The land is dark. This year, the main ethno-action of the capital changed its location for the first time, moving to a Kiev park Feofaniya, and, according to most guests, it has reached a qualitatively new level.
If we add to this the successful jazz-folk festival last summer Montmarte on Andreevsky Spusk and rich in alternative music Rock Sich, DJ sets at parties in Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine, as well as a recently opened restaurant serving haute Ukrainian cuisine Canapa, then it becomes obvious - towards its main goal - to turn Ukraine into a country of dreams - Violin is moving by leaps and bounds.
Evgeniy Filatov
Evgeniy Filatov is one of the most consistent and innovative Ukrainian musicians, equally popular at home and abroad. His music at the intersection of funk, soul, pop-rock and hip-hop is listened to in Europe and Asia; he gathers halls in Ukraine, Russia and the USA. The main stars of domestic show business are eager to collaborate with him.
This native of Donetsk began as a DJ, performing under the pseudonym Dj Major. After some time, he was noticed by producers, and as a result, collaboration with TNMK, Smash, Ani Lorak, Tina Karol and others. His debut album with his own project The Maneken was released on the French label Somekind Records and was sold in many countries around the world, including Japan, which is difficult for Ukrainian musicians to reach.
Today the musician has five records with songs in English and Russian. At his Major Music Box studio, he works together with the best soul singer of Ukraine Jamala, as well as another performer, Nata Zhizhchenko. Together with the latter, Filatov came up with new project Onuka, where modern music technologies are seamlessly combined with folk instruments.
Andrey Khlyvnyuk
X hip-hop and funk rock group Boombox, whose founder, soloist and lyricist is Andrey Khlyvnyuk, is one of the most successful stories in modern times. Ukrainian music. Over the ten years of its existence, the band has released six full-length albums, half of them in the last four years. And one of the first Boombox records Family Business became gold in Ukraine: more than 100 thousand copies were sold.
Quantity did not affect quality: over the decade the group became one of the most popular not only in Ukraine, but also in Russia, where it equally successfully attracted full concert venues, and in 2009 received the famous Russian Muz-TV award in the category Best hip-hop project.
Khlyvnyuk publicly supported Euromaidan, and in the spring all the group’s performances in the Russian Federation were suddenly canceled. But this fall the group will celebrate its tenth anniversary with a tour of Europe - in November Boombox will be heard in Riga, Vienna, Prague, Warsaw, Krakow, Antwerp and Paris.
Khlyvnyuk and his team are no strangers to long-distance tours: in February 2011, the team toured the USA and Canada, and last year, together with Dmitry Shurov (Pianoboy), gave concerts in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Dmitry Shurov
Dmitry Shurov is called the brightest and successful pianist domestic show business. By the age of 32, he participated in the recording of albums by leading bands in Ukraine and Russia and played several thousand live performances
It all started with a collaboration with a cult rock band Ocean Elzy- in the first half of the 2000s, Shurov co-authored albums Model And Supersymmetry, which became perhaps the most successful in the history of the group. Large-scale tours in support of the records were not complete without the virtuoso musician. Shurov was one of those members of the golden cast Oceans, who took the stage at the NSC Olimpiyskiy this summer during a performance dedicated to the team’s 20th anniversary, which attracted a record audience for Ukraine.
The next steps in the pianist’s career were the popular indie band Esthetic Education and a collaboration with the most famous Russian rock singer Zemfira. The singer, known for her high demands on musicians, invited Shurov to record an album Thank you, which stands out among others due to the special splendor of its arrangements. And then she played live concerts with him for three years.
Today, a native of Vinnitsa, Shurov is busy working on a solo project, Pianoboy. However, according to the apt remark of the musician himself, the roles may be different, but the essence does not change. He still plays the keyboard masterfully and writes songs. It’s just that now his music is accompanied by his own voice.
The materials used photos of Alexander Medvedev, Natalia Kravchuk and Elena Bozhko
Special project NV People of Culture:
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Read the TOP 100 People of New Time culture in the special issue of NV No. 20 dated September 26, 2014
It turns out that these famous Russian stars pop singers come from Ukraine.
The Russian stage is rich in talent, but not everyone knows that many of these stars have Ukrainian roots! We decided to find out which famous Russian performers are from Ukraine.
Christmas tree (Elizaveta Ivantsiv)
Elizaveta Ivantsiv (real name of the singer Yolka), future star Russian pop scene, born on July 2, 1982 in western Ukraine, in Uzhgorod.
Angelica Varum
Angelika Varum - popular Russian pop singer and songwriter. Varum holds the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and is a member International Union figures pop art. Maria Varum (real name popular singer) was born in Ukrainian Lvov,
Ani Lorak
Ani Lorak was born in Kitsman, Chernivtsi region, September 27, 1978. Today Ani Lorak is “ best singer Russia” according to Russian Prize"MUZ TV. Gravity.” And it’s not surprising, because Lorak appears at almost every event in Russia, gives solo concerts, shines at parties, for which she has already received “Samovars” more than once.
Trio from “VIA Gra”
The girls from the trio are all from Ukraine. Anastasia Kozhevnikova is a native of Yuzhnoukrainsk, Misha Romanova is from Kherson, and Erica Herceg is from the Ukrainian village of Malaya Dobran.
Lolita Milyavskaya
The outrageous pop singer was born in Mukachevo, and first appeared on stage in Odessa. There her famous union with Alexander Tsekalo began.
In Kyiv she still has two people dear to her heart - her mother and daughter.
Natasha Koroleva
The artist spent her childhood in Kyiv, about which she has the warmest memories.
At the age of 16, she decided to go to an audition for Igor Nikolaev, with whom fate connected her for a long time.
Vera Brezhneva
Vera was born in the Dnepropetrovsk region and now lives in Kyiv. But lately she appears more and more often in Russian projects, so she spends a lot of time in Moscow.
Stas Kostyushkin
The Russian singer and poet was born in Odessa, but at the age of one he moved with his parents to what was then Leningrad.
Despite this, he often visited his grandparents and claims that there is something special in Odessa, so he happily returns there again and again.
Anna Sedokova
The pop singer, known to us from the “golden” line-up of the group “VIA Gra”, was born in Kyiv, where her parents moved from Tomsk. Therefore, it is not strange that fate connected Anna’s life so tightly with Russia.
Anastasia Stotskaya
The Russian pop singer and actress was born in Kyiv, but all of her creative life associated mainly with Russia.
Anastasia now often visits Kyiv, visiting relatives and friends.
Joseph Kobzon
The pop singer was born in the Donetsk region, after which his family lived in Dnieper, Kramatorsk and Lvov, and musical education he received in Odessa.
In the middle of the last century, the singer moved to Moscow, where he lives to this day. By the way, Kobzon has the title People's Artist Ukraine.
Taisiya Povaliy
Soviet and Ukrainian singer was born in the Kyiv region. In the early 2000s, she became popular outside of Ukraine, and in 2011 she received the Order of Friendship for Development Russian culture and connections between Russia and Ukraine.
Tatiana Ovsienko
It turns out that the Honored Artist of Russia was born in Kyiv and even graduated from the Kiev College of Hotel Management, after which she worked as an administrator.
But fate is an amazing thing: Tatyana Ovsienko became famous as a wonderful Russian singer.
Alexander Serov
People's Artist of the Russian Federation was born in the village of Kovalevka, Nikolaev region.
He received his musical education in Nikolaev, and later moved to Chernivtsi, where he directed the VIA Cheremosh.
Serov has been living in Moscow for a long time, but with age he remembers his homeland more and more often.
Svetlana Loboda
Although Svetlana was born in Kyiv and initially connected her career with Ukraine, now she frequent guest popular Russian programs and performs in all post-Soviet countries.
Lyudmila Senchina
Senchina was born in the Nikolaev region, but received her musical education in Leningrad.
The People's Artist of Russia believes that her talent as a singer developed in her homeland: “In Ukraine, everyone sings.”
Alina Grosu
Most recently, the Ukrainian singer boasted about how she was working on Russian project. Now the artist is taking part in the filming of the Russian musical program “Property of the Republic”, dedicated to Leps. Filming of the program took place at the Ostankino television center. As Alina herself enthusiastically reported, she is in the company of “brilliant people - songwriters Leps, who supported Putin’s policies.”
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