Linda (musician)
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| Linda (Линда) | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Svetlana Lyvovna Gejman (Светлана Львовна Гейман) |
| Also known as | Linda (Линда) |
| Born | May 29, 1975 Kentau, Kazakhstan |
| Origin | Moscow, Russia |
| Genre(s) | Pop Trip-hop New age |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician, artist |
| Instrument(s) | vocals |
| Years active | 1993–Present |
| Label(s) | Universal Russia (2003-Present), BMG Russia (2001-2002), Real Records (1999-2001), J.S.P. (1996-1998), C.M.P. (1994-1997) |
| Website | www.lin-da.ru |
Svetlana Lyvovna Gejman (Russian: Светлана Львовна Гейман) (born April 29, 1975, Kentau), known as Linda, is the vocalist of her own band, also named Linda. She is very popular in Russia and is gaining popularity in Europe.
Contents |
[edit] The Beginning
It is said, that Stalin used to deport Greeks to Kentau, thus a mix of Greek and native beliefs formed, making a very strange culture. "I used to live in a very beautiful place, a small town-like village, where people of different nationalities lived, - says Linda, - everyone lived in their own world, expressed their feelings in a special way. It was very interesting watching how people behave, having such different lifestyles and thinking, but understand each other from half-word". Among Linda's most bright memories, is seeing sunrise with her grandmother: "It was a feast of the mountains, of the plains... the never ending sky is above you. I still remember those places - wild and magical". Her grandmother still remains her symbol of pure femininity and wisdom.
When Linda was in second grade her family moved to Tolyatti. There, before moving to Moscow, Linda finished seven grades at School #6 on Kommunisticheskaya street. Comparing to her hometown, Tolyatti looked like a giant megapolis. "When I first took a bus ride, I've experienced a real shock. My hometown didn't have mechanical transportation - only animals. Sometimes trucks, but that was rare". In Tolyatti she lived on Kommunisticheskaya street in Komsomol rayon. At school Linda got almost straight "A"s, though she had behaviour problems: at school she often fought, and at home - a modest and obedient girl. Because of that the behaviour of Moscow teenagers gave the young country-girl a true shock. "When I was 15, We moved to Moscow. And here I first saw, that teenage girls smoke, drink beer, swear... That gave me a horrible impression. I couldn't make friends, with whom I could communicate, for a very long time".
[edit] Path To the Top
Already in high-school Linda started studying music, and after finishing it, she attended Московское музыкальное училище ("Moscow Musical School"/Moskovskoe muzykal'noe uchilishe). That was the first time the obedient daughter had a quarrel with her father, because her parents wanted her to become a lawyer, like her older sister. "That profession didn't attract me, because its formalities would obstruct my own perception of the surrounding world". Her parents insisted her to rethink, but she already made her choice. At first she studied in secret from her father: "I lived in a very strict family and always lived by its laws, which I still respect: be devoted, be sincere, be fair. Although I always realised my fantasies". In the end, her parents agreed with her choice. Her father agreed to support her uneasy beginning, because of that, subsequently, Linda repeatedly got humiliated by the press. However that circumstance doesn't embarrass Linda at all: "I don't see anything wrong in the help my father gave me. In my opinion parents should help their children find their place in life. Now I'm firmly standing on the ground and I earn my own money. But for other people, they can always find a reason to judge someone, who is luckier than them".
After successfully passing the entrance exams, where she had to sing Russian folk music, Linda joined the vocal faculty, to the tutor Vladimir Hachaturov (Владимир Хачатуров). "Linda is a very delicate and pure person, that's what you feel in her music, - that's how the teacher remembers his student, - There are people, who can't be spoiled. It often happens, like in Andersen's story: ugly ducklings learn and then become beautiful swans. The same here. Those, who come to me, are not lazy. Those who are - I put them out the door. It's very hard to learn. Linda endured the burden. It was very hard for her, she had to catch on to something. She did finish a musical school, but she learned more by herself. Already in three years she started to work on her project. We listened many times to famous soviet composers and producers, who offered her joint work. But she felt that that's not for her. And declined, even though there were guarantees, that she will get promoted. But she found her own way".
First time Linda appeared on TV in 1993 in the finals of the competition "Pokolenie" (Generation). The seventeen-year-old girl was then noticed by Yuri Isenschpis (Юрий Айзеншпис), who started to work on the young gift. Soon appeared Linda's first song - Игра с Огнем ("Play With Fire"/Igra c Ognem) - the work of Andrey Misin (Андрей Мисин). He also made the arrangement, which was too complicated, and the song - too long. Later, a music video for the song was made (producer Fyodor Bondarchuk (Фёдор Бондарчук)), which looked quite strange for today's Linda: the girl sat on a couch with a painted-on mustache, looked old and cold, vicious - in the long run, not what she really is, the contents of the song didn't really show what's in Linda's mind.
[edit] The Genius Tandem
Through Fyodor Bondarchuk's intermediary it has been decided to involve Maxim Fadeyev (Максим Фадеев). After Linda's meeting with Max, they have been inseparable and worked hard together. Soon Мало Огня ("Not Enough Fire"/Malo Ogna) appeared on the radio and Танцы Под Водой ("Dances Underwater"/Tantsy Pod Vodoy) on TV. Soon after came Linda's debut album - Песни Тибетских Лам ("Songs of Tibetan Lamas"/Pesni Tibetskih Lam), recorded in the "Crystal Music" studio.
On the disc it was written: "This album doesn't carry any religious meaning. Any coincidences are accidental. The name just seemed beautiful and poetic to us". "Songs of Tibetan llamas" - is a refined mixture of the diversified exotics: Eastern and African intonations here peacefully get on with Scottish tunes and Russian spirituality" - that's what the press thought about the album. The symbols became so close with Linda's image, so a question about her perception of the surrounding world. "I'm not a Buddhist, I'm a Christian" - that's what Linda said to the press many times.
The album was compiled in such a manner, that each subsequent song explained the previous. The texts of the songs couldn't be perceived one without the other. The main concept - the joining of a girl in to adult life through attitude to religion. "From innocence and clean consciousness, through sexual and social experiences the girl enters the hell of adults. She becomes a zombie of love, and that passion gets her in "dirty water" - the beds of men and women. The song "Kiska" is the first open-lesbian composition" - that's what the "Om" magazine thought about the album.
The first big concert was in December 1995 in St. Petersburg. Then Linda has gone on her first tour. Already a star, she visited her city of childhood - Tolyatti. The local Hare Krishnas gathered in the entrance hall of the Tolyatti recreation centre. "We don't have anything to do with their religion, they just always come to our concerts in every city, dance and sing - because they like our music" - commented Linda.
Then began the real maturing. "I'm still to young to make my own decisions, not yet ready for serious literature, philosophic judgement", - that's what Linda said to the journalists. Peter Gabriel, Björk, Sinéad O'Connor, and of course ethnic music - Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese became Linda's new predilections.
Thanks to Linda and Fadeyev a new type song texts was born. These verses are based on associative thinking. Today such verses have received a big distribution among many singers. Such texts are filled by abstract formulations in which everyone can find things that mean something to them.
The album of remixes, "Dances of Tibetan Llamas" was published in the same year 1995. The music was written by Maxim Fadeyev. Comparing to modern electronic music these remixes seem primitive and strange, but at that time Maxim considered, that remixes of the songs from Linda's debut album should be like that. However "Dances" were practically unnoticed.
Spring 1996, multiple music videos for Fadeyev's songs see light. The clips were filmed by cameraman Maxim Osadchiy (Максим Осадчий) and director Armen Petrosyan (Армен Петросян). The clip with "sands and the desert" was made near Moscow - making clips outside of Russia was thought to be too much. The symbols on Linda's face were real makeup - CGI was too expensive.
[edit] Rise to Popularity
Real popularity came with album Ворона ("Crow"/Vorona), which became superpopular and scandalous. No one has ever done that before Linda. "To Incas the crow was a symbol of well-being, success, bright impressions. I associate the crow to mind and vulnerability. I'm not a white crow, I'm a black one", - says Linda. "The first album just set the fashion, - eyewitnesses remember, - but this - a high-grade, full-scale success: record sales and mad tours". In the recording of Северный Ветер ("The Northern Wind"/Severny Veter) took part a chorus of Scottish grannies. The song Никогда ("Never"/Nikogda) was written together with a child chorus. They, so young, very much tried to sing right. It turned out a pure, happy song. My friends helped me to make the song "Vorona". They are experts on rare folk instruments from Scotland, England, Germany, Norway. Some of them took party in the recording of Enigma's albums. "Vorona" is 80% real music: 17 exotic folk instruments were used, which demand personal approach. For example, to achieve a certain sounding of one exotic pipe, the musician needed to swing, like a pendulum.
Most impressive rumors circulated about Linda's tours. Crowds roared, people swept away security guards. In Odessa during Linda's arrival, there were mass disorders: when Linda appeared on the balcony of the City Hall, the crowd stopped traffic in the center, and then nearly destroyed the most respective club of the city in which Linda performed only once. On one of the concerts of the Ukrainian tour Linda, while dancing, has tripped on the switching wires, hurting her leg. The local doctor, having examined her leg, ascertained a stretching. Nevertheless Linda continued her tour, and only after a more careful examining, in Moscow after the ending the tour showed: three broken toes. But that was just the beginning.
Among the scandals, attributed to Linda by the newspaper "Живой Звук" ("The Live Sound"/Zhuboy Zvuk) in August of 1997, it was written, that she poured a bucket of water on the VIPs, who gloomily settled down on the first rows; pulled a security guard by his hair for stepping on one of the switching wires; nearly broke the leg of a boy, who put his legs on the stage; threw a chair at a photographer in Donetsk for "blinding" her with flashes; repeatedly hit a cameraman with a fresh bouquet, for nearly climbing into her mouth with his camera.
There were enough scandals. All began with Madonna, in whose music video black ravens flew around. It is known, that international agents of the American star do not rest: they search for ideas there, where other "superstars" can't even think of searching. But "Crystal Music", and first of all, Linda didn't sue Madonna: there's still more ideas, here, Madonna, use it! But the other scandal was much less funny and cheerful - Moscow's main newspaper was a title: "The world buried Versache, Moscow mourned over Linda". The newspaper was echoed on a popular radio station: it informed, that in paper you could read, that Linda died from overdose. Alive and healthy Linda, who can't smell tobacco smoke, doesn't drink, and never in her life tried drugs, took her imaginary death with heroic calmness (according to some sources, at that time Linda was in the hospital with bronchitis). She has given a number of interviews, calmed her despaired admirers down, having told, that she is already slightly tired from the rumors. As for drugs, Linda said shortly and clearly: "If you listen closely to the song Марихуана ("Marijuana"/Marihuana), it's sung - don't take it. And in general, "Crow" is intentionally harmless.
In a year, came out the album of dance remixes "Ворона (Remix)" ("Crow"/Vorona), author of which also was Fadeyev. It was a real sensation of 1997's Russian dance music and has fairly got it honorable place in the genre's history.
In summer 1998 came out the live album Концерт ("Concert"/Koncert), in 2 parts. However, Linda didn't like the album herself - she referred to the absence of the "concert drive" and power, inherent in Linda's all live music.
1999 was marked by a long-awaited new studio album, also recorded by "Crystal Music", under the name Плацента ("Placenta"/Plasenta). "Placenta is something sacrificial, that dies off, giving life to the child, - told Linda in her interviews, - "Plasenta" is actually a dark, epic album, but at the same time - very personal and emotional. I'm really proud of this work, because for me "Plasenta", and for the listeners, became a drink of fresh air" - so Linda characterized her next album, before which there was a hard problem: to become better (or, at least not worse) than the magnificent "Vorona".
With the coming of the new album Linda, unexpectedly to all turned in to a blonde. "Became similar to a light-haired nymph, living in the river ooze" - said the press. She didn't stay blond for long: the fans of "Vorona" barely recognized their singer. Therefore a new change of image hasn't kept the fans waiting. Instead of dark circles under the eyes - red eyelashes. Instead of black "crow" hair - cheerful red. Linda started showing up more in public, even took part in a fashion display. "These designers are our friends, I couldn't decline". The whole collection Кукольный Дом ("The Doll House"/Kukol'ny Dom) was in natural tones: Grey, white, beige. The main part: the "updated" Linda with long red hair - came to the podium in a knitted light grey ball dress with a skirt "on hoops" and a white jacket with long sleeves. Having made a few steps and hand waves, Linda shoving her naked shoulders with a tattoo, disappeared behind the scenes. So took place Linda's first (in all these years!) showing to Moscow public.
In the same 1999 came out the first official "The Best of" album, under the name Белое на Белом ("White on White"/Beloye na Belom), which contained the best creations by the tandem Linda-Fadeyev in the incomplete five years, also a new song "Beloe na belom". That was the last song written by Max for Linda. Disagreements in the creative collective, the company "Crystal Music", financial problems, absence of success of the last album, compared to "Vorona" and the uncertainty of what will happen tomorrow forced Fadeyev to break the joint work with Linda. Because of this many were perplexed - will there be a continuation? The continuation has followed, and very soon.
[edit] After the Breakup
First the world saw the album of remixes on song from "Plasenta" under the name Эмбрион ("Embryo"/Embrion). The name itself assumed the logical continuation of the previous album, and its concept is based on that. The author of the remixes was a young musical programmer Vlad Zhukov (Влад Жуков). At first Vlad offered Linda his two complete mixes on the songs from "Plasenta". Linda's collective liked them, and Vlad started working on the full album. As a result 16 more tracks were written in the shortest term, which were split in two parts. The disc "Embrion (Wrong)" contained heavy mixes with gloomy content, the second part "Embrion (Right)" had softer, dance mixes. The album came out in the year 2000 and contained two mixes on the recently released song Изнанка света ("The Underside of Light"/Iznanka sveta).
In the autumn of 2000 Linda started to record a new album, accompanied by musician group Конвой ("Escort"/Konvoy), with whom she works for 10 years. In such creative union Linda created her new work, in which she took a big part in writing the texts and music. "Zrenie - is a certain form of life - an emotion, still in time, a photo of a dream", - spoke the singer about the name of the album. At first the album was planned to be named "Sarvanga Sana", which, translated from Sanskrit, means balance. But "Zrenie" (Зрение/literally: growing up, or "sight"), as the name, came after Linda, engaging in the comprehension of unopened human traits, discovered her ability to "see with her skin" - know the color of objects, understand pictures and even read text by touch. It appeared, that under the skin of the fingers are real receivers of light, in a way - organs of visual perception. That has really amazed Linda: it's no wonder it reflected in her creativity.
The new album not only differed by the sounding, but also the contents, and turned out assured and not weak. The diligence not to leave the stylistic flow, set by Fadeyev, didn't just disappear - big experience has an effect. The music for the words was made by Evgeny Pozdnyakov (Евгений Поздняков) and Alexandr Kasyanov (Александр Касьянов), the sound producer was the famous Mihkail Kuvshinov (Михаил Кувшинов). The symbiosis of Linda's conceptual texts and the "hagged up" music still had the feeling of unusualness. "Zrenie" was recorded in the studio of "BMG Russia" - a branch of one of the world's largest sound recording labels "BMG", with which Linda first signed a contract for 3 years as a Russian performer. At the signing of the contract in the beginning of 2001 it was planned to release three albums with accompanying singles, first of which was "Zrenie", released in the spring of the same year.
However, the situation has developed so, that Linda's cooperation with "BMG" didn't receive further development. That was because of both problems of the label itself, and the singer's management. After the tour of "Zrenie" Linda has pleased her fans with only two new songs: Маленькая Девочка ("Little Girl"/Malen'kaya Devochka) (the cover version of the song with the same name of the band Крематорий ("Crematorium"/Krematory) and Леска ("Fishing Line"/Leska), which came out in a commercial collection of pseudo-rock in 2002).
[edit] The New Linda
In 2003, Linda signed a contract with an even bigger record company, Universal Music Russia. The result of this agreement, would be a maxi-single, for a new song called Цепи и Кольца ("Chains and Rings"/Tsepi i Kol'tsa). The song also featured an English version of the song, which was called, of course: "Chains & Rings." It featured several remixes for both the Russian, and English tracks. The last song on the single was the song "White Birch." Another English song, which was the English counterpart for her epic song Берёза (Beryoza) from "Zrenie." The music was different, but the general feel was the same. This song was done by Linda, exclusively.
A long wait passed between the Maxi-Single's output, and the album. During this time, Linda performed at many festivals, and clubs. Promoting the new material. One by one, almost all of the new songs from the album (under the working name "Pulya" ) were performed, and heard. In October of 2004, Linda finally released the album. The name changed to АтакА ("Frankness [Japanese]"/Ataka) and had a very different style from her last studio album, Zrenie. It seemed like a natural follow up to her smash hit "Vorona." In the album's first 2 weeks, 100,000 copies were sold in Moscow, alone. Very good for an area where pirated CD sales are not prohibited by the law.
Autumn 2005 saw Linda in London promoting her album. There were some talking about working with Moby and Björk, but unfortunately it still hasn't been confirmed.
In 2005, Linda released another greatest hits album. The album was called Почти Близнецы ("Nearly Twins"/Pochti Bliznetsy) because the album was released as a dual disc collection, which had album version songs, and remixed songs; which were "Almost Twins" to each other. On disc one, a new song called Тай! ("Melt Away!"/Tay!) was placed. On disc two, the song "Vstrecha" (Meeting) was placed. Linda was working on a new album, with the famed Greek producer, Stefanos Korkolis. Korkolis was given the opportunity to pick an artist from Universal Music's catalog to work with. Strangely enough, he picked Linda. The collaboration couldn't have worked out better. The two hit it off, and showed a general interest in making an artistic, creative album. Linda has been quoted as saying that "Stefanos is the best producer she has ever worked with."
Linda's first song from her new album was released in March of 2006, and unveiled as Я Украду! ("I'll Steal You Away!"/Ya Ukradu). This song became the biggest radio single, since Linda released Беги ("Run"/Begi) from her 2004 AtakA album. During this time, Linda began to take part in the new international creative project "Nazorei." This project gathered creative people from around the world, in the fields of art direction, computer graphics, music producers (Korkolis) singers (Linda) and others. The first output for this project would be Linda's new album, which was given no working name. However, it wasn't long before the album name was given. "AleAda" was the name of the new album, which was a made up word by Linda. "Ale," coming from Linda's mother Alexandra, and Stefanos' mother Ada. The album saw a new look for Linda: natural blonde hair. Nothing shocking, just something very simple and beautiful. Linda's videos for "Ya Ukradu" & МеченаЯ ("I'm Stigmatized"/Mechenaya) were both shot in Greece, as well as Толкай на Любовь ("Push Me To Love"/Tolkay na Lyobov) which was shot in a studio.
Linda continues to perform the new songs from "AleAda" at various clubs throughout Russia, and plans to record songs from "AtakA", and "AleAda" in English. Most recently, she has asked the fans themselves which songs they want to hear in English. Linda is literally an artist of the people. She announced that the two songs from "AleAda" that are already being worked into English are Любовь в Конверте ("Love In an Envelope"/Lyobov' v Konverte) and Белый Шторм ("The White Storm"/Bely Shtorm). In addition, the song Агония ("Agony"/Agoniya) was recorded into the English version "Just Agony," and the song По Рельсам Любви ("On the Rails of Love"/Po Rel'sam Lyobvi) from "AleAda" is being recorded in Greek.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Album | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Песни Тибетских Лам ("Songs of Tibetan Lamas"/Pesni Tibetskih Lam) | CD |
| 1995 | Танцы Тибетских Лам ("Dances of Tibetan Lamas"/Tantsy Tibetskih Lam) | CD (Remix) |
| 1996 | Ворона ("Crow"/Vorona) | CD |
| 1997 | Ворона (Remix) ("Crow"/Vorona) | CD (Remix) |
| 1998 | Концерт ("Concert"/Kontsert) | Double-CD (Live) |
| 1999 | Плацента ("Placenta"/Plasenta) | CD |
| 1999 | Белое на Белом ("White on White"/Beloye na Belom) | CD (Best Of) |
| 2000 | Эмбрион Правильный ("Embrion (Right CD)"/Embrion Pravil'ny) | CD (Remix) |
| 2000 | Эмбрион Неправильный ("Embrion (Wrong CD)"/Embrion Nepravil'ny) | CD (Remix) |
| 2001 | Зрение ("Sight"/Zreniye) | CD |
| 2001 | Линда ("Linda"/Linda) | CD (Best Of) |
| 2004 | АтакА ("Frankness [Japanese]"/Ataka) | CD |
| 2004 | Жизнь ("Life"/Zhizn) | CD (Best Of) |
| 2005 | Почти Близнецы ("Almost Twins"/Pochti Bliznetsy) | CD (Best Of) + DVD |
| 2006 | АлеАда ("AleAda"/AleAda) | CD |
| 2007 | ΑλεΑδα ("AleAda"/AleAda) | CD (Greek Edition) |
| 2008 | Скор-Пионы ("Scorpions"/Skor-Piony) | CD |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Игра с Огнем ("Play With Fire"/Igra s Ognem) | |
| 1994 | Мало Огня ("Not Enough Fire"/Malo Ognya) | Pesni Tibetskih Lam |
| 1994 | Танцы Под Водой ("Dances Underwater"/Tantsy Pod Vodoy) | |
| 1996 | Северный Ветер ("The Northern Wind"/Severnyj Veter) | Vorona |
| 1996 | Ворона ("Crow"/Vorona) | |
| 1996 | Марихуана ("Marijuana"/Marihuana) | |
| 1997 | Круг от Руки ("Terms of Hands"/Krug ot Ruki) | |
| 1999 | Взгляд Изнутри ("Looking From the Inside"/Vzglyad Iznutri) | Platsenta |
| 1999 | Отпусти Меня ("Let Me Go"/Otpusti Menya) | |
| 2000 | Изнанка Света ("The Underside of Light"/Iznanka Sveta) | Embrion Pravilniy |
| 2001 | Шоколад и Слеза ("Chocolate and Tears"/Shokolad i Sleza) | Zreniye |
| 2003 | Цепи и Кольца ("Chains and Rings"/Tsepi i Kol'tsa) | AtakA |
| 2004 | Беги ("Run"/Begi) | |
| 2004 | Агония ("Agony"/Agoniya) | |
| 2005 | Тай! ("Melt Away!"/Taj!) | Pochti Bliznetsy |
| 2006 | Я Украду! ("I'll Steal You Away!"/Ya Ukradu) | Aleada |
| 2006 | Толкай на Любовь ("Push Me To Love"/Tolkaj na Lyubov) | |
| 2006 | МеченаЯ ("I'm Stigmatized"/Mechenaya) | |
| 2007 | Любовь в Конверте ("Love In an Envelope"/Lyobov' v Konverte) | |
| 2007 | Чёрно-Снежная ("Black Snow"/Chyorno-Snezhnaya) | Skor-Piony |
| 2008 | Скор-Пионы ("Scorpeonies"/Skor-Piony) |
[edit] Trivia
- The release of Linda's seventh studio album "AleAda" was delayed when a demo of Любовь в Конверте ("Love In an Envelope"/Lyobov' v Konverte) was submitted to the record company before the album's release. Universal Music Russia thought it was so impressive that Linda and Stefanos Krokolis head back to recording and complete the song for inclusion on "AleAda."
[edit] External links
- Official Website (Russian)
- Fan-run Website
