Vitas

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Vitas
Birth name
Vitaliy Vladasovich Grachyov (Виталий Владасович Грачев)
Also known as Vitas
Born February 19, 1981 (1981-02-19) (age 27)
Origin Latvia, Former Soviet Union
Occupation(s) Singer, Composer, Actor, Fashion designer
Years active 2000–present
Website vitas.com.ru

Vitas (born February 19, 1981), is a Latvian-born Russian pop singer, composer, actor and fashion designer. He is most commonly known by his first name Vitas, or Витас in Russian. Much of his music is straightforward pop influenced by techno, and occasionally classical opera.

He has received much of his fame through Russian television and is planning to sign to entertainment labels in countries such as China, Korea, and Japan in order to expand to those markets. Vitas' 2005 video "Opera#2" has been forwarded frequently via the Internet, which accounts for much of his worldwide recognition.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life and success

Vitas was born Vitaliy Vladasovich Grachov on February 19, 1981 in Latvia. He first appeared in Russia in December of 2000 with his hit Opera #2, which was notable for use of Vitas' surprisingly high-pitched and energetic countertenor voice.

He has a brother Vladislav Mironich (Bладислав Mиронич) from the same father living in Tbilisi, Georgia born July 5, 1980.

[edit] 2002-2003: Rise to fame

On March 29, 2002 he gave a solo concert to a packed house at the State Kremlin Palace, becoming the youngest artist to ever perform there. Vitas got an invitation from Lucio Dalla, the composer, who created "In Memory of Caruso", to perform this famous song together with the author at the concert "San Remo in Moscow" held in the State Kremlin Palace. Vitas’ voice enchanted not only the audience but Mr. Dalla himself. So the composer invited Vitas to come to Rome to take part in the rehearsals of "Toska", the modern version of the legendary opera.

Vitas presented his second solo program "The Songs of My Mother" in the Concert Hall "RUSSIA", Moscow in November 2003. Two albums: "The Songs of My Mother" and "Mama" of the artist were released for the premiere. The album "The Songs of My Mother" included the songs which are considered to be the gold reserves of Russian pop-music. Another album "Mama" included only the new songs composed by Vitas. In March 2003 he gave 264 solo concerts in places including Russia, Australia, U.S., Canada, Israel, Germany, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Belarus.[citation needed]

[edit] 2004-2006: Development of music and image

The album A Kiss As Long As Eternity, released on October 8, 2004, had unprecedented record sales in Russia and CIS; more than 2 million copies were sold in less than half a year. The total number of CDs sold during the period of the singer’s creative activity exceeded 10 million copies.

Vitas's producer, Sergey Nickolaevich Poudovkin, signed a contract in August 2005 with the Taiwanese record company Avant Garden Records, which planned to release a Vitas album in Taiwan in September 2005. However, as of November 2005, Pudovkin has broken the contract without explanation, thus canceling the release. Around 2004 to 2005, Vitas became the most popular touring artist in Russia. His premiere "The Songs of My Mother" was acknowledged "the best musical event of the year."[citation needed]

The Production Center Pudovkin organized an unprecedented tour with the program "The Songs of My Mother" in Russia and the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Israel and the Baltic States in 2004-2006. Vitas gave more than 250 performances with the program "The Songs of My Mother" in 2004.

In June, 2006, Vitas was invited by CCTV to take part in the grand event "The Year of Russia in China" in Beijing. Vitas performed two songs, "Star" and "Opera #2," in a CCTV’s program specially devoted to "The Year of Russia in China."

[edit] 2007

Vitas’ premiere "Return Home" took place in March, 2007 on the stage of Kosmos. More than 20 new Vitas' compositions were included in the premiere. Many new songs have become favorites for fans via the Internet such as "Crane's Crying", "Shores of Russia", "I Ask All Saints", "The Little Prince", "I Repeat Your Name" and others.

In October 2007, Vitas was signed with American company Gemini Sun Records. Gemini Sun plans to release his previous DVD and CD releases in the spring of 2008 with new packaging and English subtitles.[1][2]

[edit] Controversy

The sounds from Vitas' recordings exhibit an unusually high vocal register, which has led many to speculate that his recordings are altered and that his live performances are lip synched. These speculations briefly gained media attention in Russia. Vitas and his producer have both denied the rumors. Fans who attend his concerts continue to assert that Vitas sings live. During a 2003 live performance Vitas swung his microphone away from his voice several times in an attempt to prove that he was singing live.

Appropriately, Vitas starred in a murder mystery television series in which he played a pop singer with an unusually high voice.

Although some accuse Vitas of being a castrato, this vocal range is easily within reach of the classically-trained countertenor or male sopranist. Similar to the "whistle register" of the female voice, the countertenor sings in what many describe as a highly developed falsetto register while the sopranist sings in his head register using a different technique.

[edit] Trivia

Vitas established an indisputable record having organized the premiere of his solo concert in the State Kremlin Palace on March 29, 2002. He is the youngest artist who performed a solo concert at the Kremlin. He also presented his collection of the clothes "Autumn Dreams" on the stage of the State Kremlin Palace in September 29, 2002.

Vitas is sometimes known as Bumac which is how his name in Russian cursive appears when compared to letters in the Roman alphabet.

[edit] Awards and achievements

Year Category Recording
2001, 2002, 2003 Best selling single Russian Record Prize "Opera # 2"
2001 "Komsomolskaya Pravda" and Internet Survey "FORUM 2001" Musical Discovery of the Year —
2000, 2001, 2002 Three-time-laureate of the festivals "The Song of the Year-2000", "The Song of the Year-2001" and "The Song of the Year-2002" —
2001, 2002 Two-time-laureate of the People Prize "Golden Gramophone" "Opera # 2", "Smile!"
2001, 2002, 2003 Three-time-laureate of the Musical Prize "PODIUM" for the most stylish achievements in pop music —
2001, 2002, 2003 Russian "People’s HIT" Prize "Opera # 2", "Smile!" ,"The Star"
2001, 2003 Radio station "HIT FM" Prize "100 Per Cent HIT" —
2002 National Musical Prize "Ovation" Soloist of the Year —
2004 Russian Internet portal AFISHA.COM —
2007 Order of Service to the Arts —

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Russian English Year
Философия чуда Philosophy of Miracle 2001
Улыбнись Smile! 2002
Мама Mama 2003
Песни моей мамы The Songs of My Mother 2003
Поцелуй длиною в вечность A Kiss as Long as Eternity 2004
Возвращение домой Return Home 2006
Vitas - Myth of the Shaking Soul Voice The China release with the best of Vitas 2007
Krikom zhuravlinym, Возвращение домой II Crane's Cry,Return Home Part 2 2007

[edit] Singles

Russian English Year
Опера №2 Opera #2 2001
До свидания Good-bye 2001

[edit] Videos

Russian English Year
Опера №2 Opera #2 2000
Опера №1 Opera #1 2001
Блаженный Гуру Blessed Guru 2001
Улыбнись! Smile! 2002
Звезда The Star 2003
Мама Mama 2003
Птица Счастья The Bird of Happiness 2004
Поцелуй Длиною В Вечность Kiss As Long As Eternity 2004
Берега России Shores of Russia 2005
Лючия ди Ламмермур Lucia Di Lammermoorr 2006
Криком Журавлиным Crane's Crying 2006
ЯМАЙКА Jamaica 2007

[edit] External links