Eugene Hütz
Encyclopedia
Eugene Hütz September 6, 1972) is a Ukrainian-born
singer and composer, most notable as the frontman of the critically acclaimed New York
Gypsy punk
band Gogol Bordello
. Hütz is also a DJ and actor.
, to a Russian
father and a mother who was of half Roma ancestry. His father was a butcher who also played guitar in one of Ukraine's first rock bands, Meridian. Hütz grew up learning Hungarian in elementary school and Ukrainian and Russian in high school. He learned English through his musical "mentors" because
Hütz's ride to the United States was a long journey through Poland
, Hungary
, Austria
and Italy
. Descendants of gypsies called the Servo Roma (a tribe known for its blacksmiths, horsetraders and musicians), Hütz and his family fled their hometown after hearing of the Chernobyl meltdown
. Enduring a seven-year trek through East European refugee camps provided Hütz with an immigrant experience that is reflected in his songwriting. However, it is Hütz's Roma and Ukrainian background that is his central inspiration, influencing his lifestyle and the music of his band Gogol Bordello
.
Hütz arrived in Vermont
in 1992 as a political refugee through a resettlement program with his mother, father and cousin Yosef.
, accordionist Yuri Lemeshev
, guitarist Oren Kaplan, drummer Eliot Ferguson and dancers Pam Racine and Elizabeth Sun
.
In 1999, Gogol Bordello released their debut full-length Voi-La Intruder
, produced by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds drummer Jim Sclavunos
. In September 2002 the band released their second album Multi Kontra Culti vs. Irony
. In 2005, the band released the E.P. East Infection
followed later that year by the SideOneDummy debut Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike
, recorded by Steve Albini
. Gogol Bordello’s next offering, Super Taranta!
(produced by Victor Van Vugt
) became one their most critically acclaimed releases with music critic Robert Christgau
calling Gogol Bordello “the world's most visionary band.” Their next album, Trans-Continental Hustle, was released on April 27, 2010, and the LP on May 11, 2010.
Gogol Bordello's live shows and Hütz's stage presence has earned them invitations to places such as The Whitney Museum in New York, The Tate Modern
in London
and the Venice Biennale
in Italy
. Gogol Bordello has played events such as Coachella
, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza
, Glastonbury
, Roskilde Festival, Reading
, Virgin Mobile Fest, Leeds
, Bumbershoot
, Austin City Limits Music Festival
, and A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise
.
.
Hütz made his film debut in the 2005 film Everything Is Illuminated
, playing the character Alex. In addition to starring in Everything Is Illuminated, Hütz wrote and performed (as part of Gogol Bordello) some of the music for the film's soundtrack. Much of Gogol Bordello makes a cameo appearance in an early scene in the movie.
Hütz is also the subject of the 2006 documentary, The Pied Piper of Hützovina. Directed by Pavla Fleischer, The Pied Piper of Hützovina chronicles Hütz’s annual trip across Ukraine and Eastern Europe exploring his musical and cultural roots.
In 2008, Hütz starred as the lead character in Filth and Wisdom
, the film that marks Madonna
’s directorial debut. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival
on February 13, 2008.
Hütz wrote the introduction for the Subculture Books edition of Taras Bulba
, released in December of 2008.
Hütz has also worked with Les Claypool
on various materials; he performed on Claypool's album "Of Fungi and Foe
", on the track "Bite Out of Life".
In the 2006 movie Wristcutters: A Love Story
the character of Eugene (played by Shea Whigham
) is based on Hütz.
In the January 2008 Gucci
menswear show in Milan, Hütz was cited as the key inspiration for the collection.
. Eugene has no siblings, although he refers to his maternal cousin as his brother; his cousin made an appearance in the movie Everything is Illuminated playing the trumpet. Both Eugene and his cousin are 1/4 Romani. His maternal grandmother is his tie to his Romani roots, although this knowledge was kept away from him until he was fourteen. In October 2008, Hütz told the L.A. Weekly that he had moved to Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
. In November 2009, he told Pagina/12 that he had moved to São Paulo
.
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
singer and composer, most notable as the frontman of the critically acclaimed New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Gypsy punk
Gypsy punk
Gypsy punk is the term used to describe a hybrid musical genre that crosses traditional Romani music with punk rock. The origin of the term is unknown, but bands playing Gypsy punk have existed at least since the 1990s. One of the first rock groups to incorporate elements of punk and Eastern...
band Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.Much of the band's sound is inspired by Gypsy music...
. Hütz is also a DJ and actor.
Early life
Hütz was born in Boyarka, near KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, to a Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
father and a mother who was of half Roma ancestry. His father was a butcher who also played guitar in one of Ukraine's first rock bands, Meridian. Hütz grew up learning Hungarian in elementary school and Ukrainian and Russian in high school. He learned English through his musical "mentors" because
Russian rock always had lyrics that were superb and more advanced than the original Western rock ‘n’ roll, I think. Of course, Western rock is much stronger when it comes to performance and production, but Russian song writers were the champions of writing lyrics. So naturally I picked mentors who taught me how to tell a story, like Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
or Nick CaveNick CaveNicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
or Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
or Shane MacGowanShane MacGowanShane Patrick Lysaght MacGowan is an Irish musician and singer, best known as the original singer and songwriter of The Pogues.-History:...
from The PoguesThe PoguesThe Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
. I learned English through my mentors. I feel like they are kind of my uncles in this sense.
Hütz's ride to the United States was a long journey through Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Descendants of gypsies called the Servo Roma (a tribe known for its blacksmiths, horsetraders and musicians), Hütz and his family fled their hometown after hearing of the Chernobyl meltdown
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
. Enduring a seven-year trek through East European refugee camps provided Hütz with an immigrant experience that is reflected in his songwriting. However, it is Hütz's Roma and Ukrainian background that is his central inspiration, influencing his lifestyle and the music of his band Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.Much of the band's sound is inspired by Gypsy music...
.
Hütz arrived in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
in 1992 as a political refugee through a resettlement program with his mother, father and cousin Yosef.
Gogol Bordello
Hütz started his musical career back in Ukraine with the band Uksusnik. While in Vermont, Hütz formed the punk band The Fags. Later, Hütz moved to New York and took on his mother's German maiden name of Hütz. It was in New York where he met members of Gogol Bordello including violinist Sergey RyabtsevSergey Ryabtsev
Sergey Ryabtsev plays violin and provides backing vocals for the Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello.He was born on the 11th September 1958 in Gorky City, now Nizhniy Novgorod, Russia...
, accordionist Yuri Lemeshev
Yuri Lemeshev
Yuri Lemeshev is a Russian accordion player best known as a member of New York-based Gypsy-Punk-Cabaret band Gogol Bordello.-Biography:...
, guitarist Oren Kaplan, drummer Eliot Ferguson and dancers Pam Racine and Elizabeth Sun
Elizabeth Sun
Elizabeth Sun is a musician and actress of Hong Kong Chinese descent. She was raised in Glasgow, Scotland.In 2000, she played Maggie McMullen in the movie Groove. In 2004 she joined the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello as a dancer, percussionist and backing vocalist.-External links:...
.
Voi-La Intruder
Voi-La Intruder is the debut album by Gogol Bordello, released in 1999 by Rubric Records.- Track listing :- Notes :The album is composed in two Movements.*Tracks 1-10 are Movement One -Songs of Immigration , appx. 35.01 min....
, produced by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds drummer Jim Sclavunos
Jim Sclavunos
Jim Sclavunos is an American rock music drummer, percussionist and producer.Sclavunos, a half-Greek and half-Italian from Brooklyn, New York , is well-known for his exceptional height at 6'7". Sclavunos has performed with Sonic Youth, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, Lydia Lunch and was a member of 8...
. In September 2002 the band released their second album Multi Kontra Culti vs. Irony
Multi Kontra Culti vs. Irony
Multi Kontra Culti vs. Irony is the second album from Gogol Bordello, released in 2002 by Rubric Records. The songs "Occurrence on the Border " and "Through the Roof 'n Underground" were featured in the soundtrack of the 2006 film, Wristcutters: A Love Story.-Track listing:...
. In 2005, the band released the E.P. East Infection
East Infection
East Infection is an EP by Gogol Bordello released in 2005 by Rubric Records. Released prior to the album Gypsy Punks sessions, it consists of leftover tracks from that album's sessions....
followed later that year by the SideOneDummy debut Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike
Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike
Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike is the third album by Gogol Bordello, released in 2005 by SideOneDummy Records.Other songs from the same era and recording sessions appear on the EP East Infection.-Reception:-Track listing:...
, recorded by Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...
. Gogol Bordello’s next offering, Super Taranta!
Super Taranta!
Super Taranta! is the fourth album by gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello released on the July 10, 2007 on SideOneDummy records. This album was #14 on Rolling Stones list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007...
(produced by Victor Van Vugt
Victor Van Vugt
Victor Van Vugt is an award-winning music producer, mixer and engineer. An Australian based in New York, he has had a long association with the careers of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Beth Orton. He has also worked with the likes of P.J...
) became one their most critically acclaimed releases with music critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
calling Gogol Bordello “the world's most visionary band.” Their next album, Trans-Continental Hustle, was released on April 27, 2010, and the LP on May 11, 2010.
Gogol Bordello's live shows and Hütz's stage presence has earned them invitations to places such as The Whitney Museum in New York, The Tate Modern
Tate Modern
Tate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London, England. It is Britain's national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group . It is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world, with around 4.7 million visitors per year...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Gogol Bordello has played events such as Coachella
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
, Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, Roskilde Festival, Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Virgin Mobile Fest, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals, it takes place every Labor Day weekend at the 74-acre Seattle Center, which was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Seattle Center includes indoor theaters,...
, Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day American music festival that takes place in Austin, Texas at the city's central public park, Zilker Park...
, and A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, also known as simply Lowlands, is a music festival, held annually in the Netherlands in August. Lowlands has about 55,000 visitors, over 200 acts and more than ten stages every year which are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet apart from the Grolsch...
.
Other projects
Since moving to New York, Hütz has also made a name for himself as a DJ with a style best represented on his experimental side project J.U.F. (Jüdisch-Ukrainische Freundschaft) and a newer incarnation, MITITIKA. He has also performed and recorded with the Kolpakov TrioSasha Kolpakov
Sacha Kolpakov . Coming from a "Servo" family, a group of Romani people found mostly in Russia and Ukraine, he started playing a seven string guitar at an early age while living in the region of Saratov...
.
Hütz made his film debut in the 2005 film Everything Is Illuminated
Everything Is Illuminated (film)
Everything Is Illuminated is a 2005 adventure/dramedy film, written and directed by Liev Schreiber and starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz...
, playing the character Alex. In addition to starring in Everything Is Illuminated, Hütz wrote and performed (as part of Gogol Bordello) some of the music for the film's soundtrack. Much of Gogol Bordello makes a cameo appearance in an early scene in the movie.
Hütz is also the subject of the 2006 documentary, The Pied Piper of Hützovina. Directed by Pavla Fleischer, The Pied Piper of Hützovina chronicles Hütz’s annual trip across Ukraine and Eastern Europe exploring his musical and cultural roots.
In 2008, Hütz starred as the lead character in Filth and Wisdom
Filth and Wisdom
Filth and Wisdom is the first film directed by Madonna, starring Eugene Hütz, Holly Weston, Vicky McClure and Richard E. Grant. It was filmed on location in London, England from May 14 to May 29, 2007 with additional scenes shot in July 2007....
, the film that marks Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
’s directorial debut. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
on February 13, 2008.
Hütz wrote the introduction for the Subculture Books edition of Taras Bulba
Taras Bulba
Taras Bulba is a romanticized historical novel by Nikolai Gogol. It tells the story of an old Zaporozhian Cossack, Taras Bulba, and his two sons, Andriy and Ostap. Taras’ sons studied at the Kiev Academy and return home...
, released in December of 2008.
Hütz has also worked with Les Claypool
Les Claypool
Leslie Edward "Les" Claypool is an American musician and writer, best known as the lead vocalist and bassist in the band Primus. Claypool's playing style on the electric bass mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends and slapping.Claypool has also self produced and engineered his...
on various materials; he performed on Claypool's album "Of Fungi and Foe
Of Fungi and Foe
Of Fungi and Foe is the second solo album by Les Claypool. The album was released on the 17th of March, 2009. The album features Eugene Hütz, Paulo Baldi, Mike Dillon, Lapland Miclovik, Sam Bass, Cage Claypool, and Bryonn Bain.Claypool states:...
", on the track "Bite Out of Life".
Influence
In 2006, a documentary film was made about his travel back to Ukraine titled The Pied Piper of Hutzovina.In the 2006 movie Wristcutters: A Love Story
Wristcutters: A Love Story
Wristcutters: A Love Story is a 2006 comedy-fantasy-romance film written and directed by Goran Dukić, starring Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, and Shannyn Sossamon. It is set in a strange afterlife way-station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide.It is based on Etgar Keret's...
the character of Eugene (played by Shea Whigham
Shea Whigham
Franklin Shea Whigham, Jr. , best known as Shea Whigham, is an American actor notably starring as Elias "Eli" Thompson on the HBO dramatic series Boardwalk Empire.-Early life:...
) is based on Hütz.
In the January 2008 Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
menswear show in Milan, Hütz was cited as the key inspiration for the collection.
Personal life
Hütz is an avid supporter of Romani rights, using his music to introduce the gypsy culture to a wider audience. When he’s not touring with Gogol Bordello, Hütz can be found DJ-ing at the Bulgarian Bar also known as "Mehanata" in New York or touring with the Russian gypsy group Kolpakov Trio, led by his mentor Sasha KolpakovSasha Kolpakov
Sacha Kolpakov . Coming from a "Servo" family, a group of Romani people found mostly in Russia and Ukraine, he started playing a seven string guitar at an early age while living in the region of Saratov...
. Eugene has no siblings, although he refers to his maternal cousin as his brother; his cousin made an appearance in the movie Everything is Illuminated playing the trumpet. Both Eugene and his cousin are 1/4 Romani. His maternal grandmother is his tie to his Romani roots, although this knowledge was kept away from him until he was fourteen. In October 2008, Hütz told the L.A. Weekly that he had moved to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. In November 2009, he told Pagina/12 that he had moved to São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
.
Filmography
- Kill Your Idols (2004) as himself
- Kill Your Darlings (2004 short film) as the prince
- Everything Is IlluminatedEverything Is Illuminated (film)Everything Is Illuminated is a 2005 adventure/dramedy film, written and directed by Liev Schreiber and starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz...
(2005) as Alex - The Pied Piper of Hützovina (2006) as himself
- Gogol Bordello Non-StopGogol Bordello Non-StopGogol Bordello Non-Stop is a 2009 adventure/ Music documentary film, written and directed by Margarita Jimeno and starring Gogol Bordello and Eugene Hütz.- Synopsis :...
(2008) as himself - Filth and WisdomFilth and WisdomFilth and Wisdom is the first film directed by Madonna, starring Eugene Hütz, Holly Weston, Vicky McClure and Richard E. Grant. It was filmed on location in London, England from May 14 to May 29, 2007 with additional scenes shot in July 2007....
(2008) as A.K.
External links
- Gogol Bordello Non-Stop (2008)
- Gogolbordello.com
- Mehanata
- Kill Your Idols
- Interview with Eugene Hutz by musicOMH.com, 2008
- Eugene Hütz Interview with L.A. Weekly, October 2008
- Eugene Hütz Interview with Aaron Hillis of IFC News, October 2008
- Eugene Hütz Interview with ION Magazine, July 2010
- Interview with Eugene Hütz and Santeri Ahlgren, December 2010