Alena Vinnitskaya
Alena Vinnitskaya (Ukrainian: Альона Ві́нницька Aliona Vinnytska;[1] born Olha Viktorivna Vinnytska (Ukrainian: О́льга Ві́кторівна Ві́нницька) on 27 December 1974, Kiev, in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union – in present-day Ukraine) is a Ukrainian singer. She is an author and performer.
Alena Vinnitskaya | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Olha Viktorivna Vinnytska |
| Born | 27 December 1974 Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) |
| Origin | Ukraine |
| Genres | alternative rock, pop-rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, TV presenter, Actress |
| Years active | 1992–1996 (The Last Unicorn) 2000–2003 (Nu Virgos) 2003–present (solo) |
| Labels | Ukrainian Records, Moon Records |
| Associated acts | The Last Unicorn, Cool Before, VIA Gra |
| Website | |
Career
During six years of solo career, Vinnitskaya released 5 CDs: Sunrise (2004), 007 (2005), Dolls (2006), Electro (2007), maxi-single Envelope (2008), ZaMIXovano. The Best mixes (2008).
She started to write songs in childhood, sending them to the newspaper Pionerskaya Pravda. Some time later Vinnitskaya became a fan of the band Kino and thanks to this started to play the guitar.
In 1993, she created her first group The Last Unicorn, where she appeared as the author of her music and lyrics. The first concerts took place in Kiev Central Hospital. Unfortunately, the first attempt to become an artist collapsed: not enough information and badly developed Ukrainian business forced the group to stop their activity.
During these few years Vinnitskaya worked as the insurance agent, but was always thinking about the creation of her own band. In 1996 she gave up her work in the insurance company in hope of self-actualization. The long searches of her own way have been started. Vinnitskaya has played in the Theater of the Ecology Institute, in Psychological Theatre etc.
"Me together with my brother decided to go and to try ourselves. We have prepared our programs. I was singing aria of Maria Magdalena from Jesus Christ Superstar. So we’ve entered. I was taken to the theatre troupe though I wanted to enter the popular troupe. But I do not regret about it because I have discovered myself as the actress"
A year later the troupe broke up because of not very strong management. Vinnitskaya again was looking for herself and for her own way. At the end of 1997 she discovered a new profession — TV hostess at the music channel Biz TV. Some time later the future singer became a hostess of the other TV program FAN CLUB at the Inter channel. At the same time she was starting to work as a DJ at the radio station. In 1998 she entered the school of journalism INTERNEWS. These times she was very busy. She was working from 8 am to 9 pm — INTERNEWS and 10 pm to 2 am as a radio DJ.
"I don't miss about the stage passed. I have given a lot of my forces but I got much more"
In 2000 Vinnitskaya was invited as the soloist in one popular project that at that time was at the stage of creation — it was VIA Gra. She worked there for 3 years and then made a decision that she had been thinking about for a long time — to create her own band and to sing her own songs.
"Alena has passed a long way to the scene, starting as the insurance agent, continuing as the TV host, and later becoming the participant of mega popular band. But this fame and glory wasn’t enough for her. Alena has always wanted more — to sing her own songs."
Cosmopolitan Ukraine
The debut work Forget It All by Vinnitskaya as the independent artist became a mega hit, and has reached the top of popularity in Ukrainian and Russian hit-parades. Soon the second hit of the singer appeared, Sunrise, and the single Tormented Heart followed it. These mega popular songs became a sunrise of Vinnitskaya as the independent, thinking singer. Some time later she played on the scene together with The Cardigans, who came to Ukraine to give their one concert. Before the concert Nina Person has listened for a few Vinnitskaya's works and remained satisfied, saying during the press-conference that she liked the songs of Alena Vinnitskaya.
In 2004 Vinnitskaya signed an agreement with the representative of world-famous recording company Universal Studios and soon the first album of the singer Sunrise appeared.
A year later the second album 007 represented Vinnitskaya in traditionally male role — as the secret agent. She has coped with a complex and male character, proposing to the audience her own version of James Bond music. The album also contains new visions of singer's hits in performance of popular DJ's in the country.
The premier of the new song Dolls, the main song on Vinnitskaya's third album, took place on 13 February 2006. A video version of this work was released a week later.
Vinnitskaya, as usual, is the author of music and lyrics.
"This song -is a story about women, who are ready for everything just to reach their aim of success, wealth and power. Their willingness of this destroys their personality, and they become tough, insincere to themselves and the people around them…" the singer says.
In spring 2006 Vinnitskaya's third album came out.
"This is one of the most free and courageous works of us", she said.
The album of dance music Electro appeared in January 2007. Electro consists of 12 songs. It has remixes of several of Alena's songs, that shows the popularity of her music not only on radio and TV, but also in clubs.
The singer's latest achievement became a maxi-single Envelope. It had been shown to the public in spring 2008. That autumn on TV channels and radio station appeared the hit Gold Autumn. This song was written by Alexey Bolshoy (former leader band of Cool Before, now her sound producer) had already been known to listeners for 10 years. The song presents new lyrics and arrangement. Gold Autumn is a duet with Vinnitskaya-Bolshoy.
The new edition of Alena Vinnitskaya songs ZaMIXovano. The Best mixes was released in December, 2008. CD content is created for different musical tastes of listeners. Everyone can choose something personal – mixes for dance culture fans, and bonus for live pop-rock music admirers.
February, 2009 the new video I'm here, I'm alongside has appeared on TV channels. This video is a sound-track to the Ukrainian action movie Accidental record. Later, in spring, Vinnitskaya has presented her new video All of it with us (Spring). This song is from the maxi-single Envelope.
Discography
With Nu Virgos
- Popytka No. 5 (2001)
Studio albums
- Rassvet (2004)
- Sunrise (2005)
- Kukly (2006)
Compilation albums
- 007 (2005)
- Electro (2007)
- ZaMIXovano. The Best Remixes (2008)
- Alena Vinnitskaya. Sbornik hitov 2003-2010 (2010)
