Alexander F. Sklyar

Alexander Sklyar
Alexander Sklyar on stage of Nashestviye-2008
Background information
Born	(1958-03-07)March 7, 1958 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Genres	Rock
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1979 –present

Alexander Felixovich Sklyar (Александр Феликсович Скляр, born March 7, 1958, Moscow, USSR; usually stylized as Alexander F.Sklyar) is a Russian rock musician, radio presenter, actor and author. Sklyar, who in the 1980s and early 1990s fronted the popular punk metal band Va-bank, later moved into the traditional Russian singer-songwriter territory covering the vast stylistic spectrum (Alexander Vertinsky, Vladimir Vysotsky, Leonid Utyosov, Mark Bernes).^[1][2]

Biography

Alexander F. Sklyar was born in Moscow, his father Felix Sidorivich a physicist, mother Irina Viktorovna a journalist (a one time Rabotnitsa magazine second editor). Sklyar famously ditched the career of a diplomat for rock music: in 1980–1985 a prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations graduate worked for the Soviet embassy in North Korea. On return in 1985 Sklyar joined Tsentr, fronted by Vasily Shumov (whom he played with in 1979 as a guitarist in 777, the band's first incarnation) and took part in the recording the Priznaki zhizni (Signs of Life) LP.^[2]

In June 1986 Sklyar formed his own band Va-Bank. A year later, having played at the Rock-Panorama event, the band visited Finland to give some concerts and record an eponymous debut album. European tour followed in 1989. In 1991 (along with Alisa, DDT and Brigada S) Va-Bank took part in Rock Against Terror event and released in Lithuania its second album Vypei za menya (Drink for Me), recorded during the 10 days sessions in the Gorbunov Culture Club in Moscow.

In 1991 Sklyar debuted as a children's writer with the book Petrovich and Potapum in the Magic Labyrinth written in co-authorship with Roman Kanushkin. The same year he started his own rock radio series Utchites plavat (Learn to Swim) on Radio Maximum (it later re-surfaced on Station-2000). In 1995 he formed the duo Botsman i brodyaga (The Boatswain and the Tramp) with Garik Sukachov of the Brigada S fame. 1998 saw Sklyar going solo with the album Po napravleniyu k tango (Moving Closer to Tango), starting the long experiment with different retro styles of popular Russian music. In 2001–2009 Sklyar appeared in seven Russian films and tried himself as a TV film and music programs' presenter on TV3 and TV Kultura.^[2]

Views

In January 2015 in the Internet appeared video with song recorded to support supports Russian separatists in the war on East Ukraine. Alexander F. Sklyar and also Ivan Okhlobystin and Garik Sukachovtook part in it.^[3]

Discography

With Va-Bank

• VA-BANK (Ва-Банкъ, 1988)
• Life on Wheels (Жизнь на колесах, 1989)
• Drink for Me (Выпей за меня, 1991)
• At the Kitchen (На кухне, 1993)
• That's How It Should Be! (Так nado!!, 1994)
• Live, What's Alive (Живи - Живое, 1995)
• Homewards! (Домой!!, 1997)
• The Lower Tunrda (Нижняя тундра, 1998, based upon Viktor Pelevin's novel)

Solo

• Getting Closer to Tango (По направлению к танго, 1998)
• Witches and Bitches (Ведьмы и стервы, 2002)
• DendyDiana (ДендиДиана, 2004)
• The X City (Город Х, 2007)
• Songs of Seamen (Песни моряков, 2008)
• Songs of Seamen 2 (2010)
• Vasya the Conscience (Вася-Совесть, 2011)
• The Russian Sun (Русское солнце, 2012, the songs by Alexander Vertinsky)
• The Word and the Deed (Слово и дело, 2013)

Collaborations

• The Botswain and the Tramp (Боцман и Бродяга, 1995, with Garik Sukachyov)
• The Gypsy Rock and Roll (Цыганский рок-н-ролл, 1997, with Zhemchuznye Brothers)
• Brasilian Cruiser. The Stranger Songs by A.N.Vertinsky (Бразильский крейсер. Странные песни Александра Вертинского, 2000, with Irina Bogushevskaya)

References

External links

• Sklyar sings Vertinsky on YouTube