Okean Elzy
Encyclopedia
Okean Elzy is one of the most successful and popular Ukrainian rock
bands. It was formed in 1994 in Lviv
, Ukraine
. The band's vocalist and frontman is Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
. Okean Elzy is the best-loved Ukrainian rock band not only in Ukraine but also in most CIS
countries. In April 2007 Okean Elzy received FUZZ Magazine music awards for “Best rock act”.
, Ukraine
. The original line-up featured a lead vocal, lead guitar, bass guitar and drums. Throughout 1994 the band spent their time preparing themselves for the "big time".
Their first concert took place in front of the majestic Lviv Opera Theatre on 14 January in 1995. Shortly after that breakthrough appearance they released a demo tape called very simply 'DEMO 94-95'. In 1995 they also participated for the first time in the two biggest (at the time) Ukrainian music festivals - Chervona Ruta
and Melodiya, also participated in "Is", a personal project of the famous lviv musician Oleg Sook
, performed song Long time ago]
In 1996 the band establish themselves on the festival circuit in Ukraine and beyond. Okean Elzy participated at Sribna Pidkova Festival, Alternative 2, Perlyny Sezonu, Tavriyski Ihry, Hernsbach (Germany), Trash 96, and R.F.I. 96 (France).
In 1996 Okean Elzy also held their first concert outside Lviv. Their first appearance in Kiev
took place in 1996 where they supported Deep Purple
. In November–December of that year they recorded and released the group's first maxi-single "Budynok zi skla" (House of glass). Shortly afterwards the first movie about these rock stars was made by TV Channel TET (Kiev
, Ukraine
) and was broadcast nationally.
1997 saw tours in the south of France
and West Germany
. Back to Ukraine they held a monster concert in their hometown of Lviv, drawing massive crowds.
The band's big break came in 1998, when they made the decision to move to the capital city of Ukraine - Kiev. There they started working on their first album "Tam, de nas nema
" (There, where we are not). The group's first music video was recorded for the song "Tam, de nas nema". This video will always be remembered as the first Ukrainian music video to make its mark on MTV Russia
, as well as France's MCM
Channel.
At the very beginning of 1999, Okean Elzy started working on their second album "Ya na nebi buv" (I was in the sky). In May the group decided to try and conquer Russia
. Their first concert was at the legendary festival Maxidrom
. There were thousands of people there who already knew their songs, even singing along.
On 16 September they played a solo concert at the MCM Cafe (Paris
, France
).
On 5 February Okean Elzy held a solo concert at legendary Astoria Club
(London
, UK). In March the keyboard player joined the band.
In 2001 Okean Elzy became new face of Pepsi Cola in Ukraine as the new millennium dawned. They have released their third album "Model". They started a big tour around Ukraine called "Ask For More". In August they started working on their fourth album - "Supersymetriya
" (Supersymmetry). The album was eventually released in 2003 and immediately the group embarked on their biggest tour ever.
At the end of 2003 Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
as the frontman of the band became an official Ambassador of Ukrainian Culture.
In 2004 Denys Dudko (one of the best jazz
bass players in Ukraine) and Milosh Jelic (composer from Novi Sad
, Serbia
) joined the band.
During the "Orange Revolution
" Okean Elzy actively supported the democratic changes which the population were demanding, with Slava emerging as a figurehead of the revolution.
On September 22, 2005, Okean Elzy released their new album GLORIA. After that the band went on tour (30 cities in Ukraine
and 10 in Russia
).
In September 2005, Slava became UN’s Ambassador of Good Will
. Also, in September Okean Elzy started joint campaign with IOM
and MTV Europe Foundation
– fighting human trafficking. Svyatoslav Vakarchuk as UN’s Ambassador of Goodwill during 2006 year had different meetings with students at Ukrainian and Poland universities. Now Svyatoslav provides a huge social project running to propagate reading as a natural process. General idea of this project is to draw attention of young people to books and help fight illiteracy.
In November 2006, Okean Elzy visited Kosovo
, Serbia
, where musicians had a concert for peace makers
from Ukraine, Poland
, Germany
, USA and other countries, which include international contingent of peace makers.
During the Football World Cup 2006 in Germany
Okean Elzy actively supported the Ukrainian national team and cheered the fans with their songs.
The last song of the band called “Veseli, brate, chasy nastaly...” (Oh, brother, merry times came...) as always made a huge splash in Ukraine. The song and the video were released as a single and all money profited would be donated to the child care center treating AIDS
. Charity activities play a major role in OE's life.
In April 2006 OE went on tour, which includes Chicago
, New York
and Toronto
, where thousands sang along their songs.
On April 25, 2007, Okean Elzy released a new album Mira (Measure). After that the band went on a huge nationwide tour. During the month they held tremendous concerts in 27 Ukrainian cities. The outstanding feature about "Mira" was that all the concerts were held at large sites, mostly stadiums and sports palaces. The concerts were attended by more than 120,000 fans, which has become a record for "Okean Elzy". For the two Kiev concerts the attendance was about 24,000 total. In the history of Ukraine
only Okean Elzy "for the second time (after round of "GLORIA") brought so many people in one place in such a short time.
In 2010 Okean Elzy went on their Dolce Vita Tour, in support of their latest album Dolce Vita, which included over one hundred concerts in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Europe and North America.
guitar
Ukrainian rock
Ukrainian rock is rock music from Ukraine. The most popular bands include Komu Vnyz, Plach Yeremiyi, Taras Petrynenko, Vika, Tea Fan Club , Viy, Vopli Vidoplyasova and others. Opalnyi Prynz was, perhaps, the most influential rock band in the late 1980s and early 1990s, followed by its predecessor...
bands. It was formed in 1994 in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, Ukraine
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...
. The band's vocalist and frontman is Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
Svyatoslav Yvanovych Vakarchuk is the lead vocalist of Okean Elzy, the most successful post-Soviet rock band in Ukraine. He is the son of Ivan Vakarchuk, a professor of physics at Lviv University and the former Minister of Education and Science in Ukraine....
. Okean Elzy is the best-loved Ukrainian rock band not only in Ukraine but also in most CIS
CIS
CIS usually refers to the Commonwealth of Independent States, a modern political entity consisting of eleven former Soviet Union republics.The acronym CIS may also refer to:-Organizations:...
countries. In April 2007 Okean Elzy received FUZZ Magazine music awards for “Best rock act”.
1994-1999
The band Okean Elzy was founded in 1994 by 4 young guys from LvivLviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, Ukraine
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...
. The original line-up featured a lead vocal, lead guitar, bass guitar and drums. Throughout 1994 the band spent their time preparing themselves for the "big time".
Their first concert took place in front of the majestic Lviv Opera Theatre on 14 January in 1995. Shortly after that breakthrough appearance they released a demo tape called very simply 'DEMO 94-95'. In 1995 they also participated for the first time in the two biggest (at the time) Ukrainian music festivals - Chervona Ruta
Chervona Ruta (festival)
Chervona Ruta is an art festival in Ukraine. The name of the festival derives to the famous Ukrainian song Červona Ruta. The first festival took place in Chernivtsi in 1989 because this city is situated in the native region of song's author Volodymyr Ivasyuk.Next years the festival occurred in...
and Melodiya, also participated in "Is", a personal project of the famous lviv musician Oleg Sook
Oleg Sook
- Early creative steps:He began his artistic path at the Lviv Polytechnic with sound and the bass guitar experiments. Permanent searches led him to the popular Lviv jazz band Melodrome. As a result he received prizes at the Crystal Lion jazz festival twice in a row in the late 80's. The musician...
, performed song Long time ago]
In 1996 the band establish themselves on the festival circuit in Ukraine and beyond. Okean Elzy participated at Sribna Pidkova Festival, Alternative 2, Perlyny Sezonu, Tavriyski Ihry, Hernsbach (Germany), Trash 96, and R.F.I. 96 (France).
In 1996 Okean Elzy also held their first concert outside Lviv. Their first appearance in Kiev
Kiev
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....
took place in 1996 where they supported Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
. In November–December of that year they recorded and released the group's first maxi-single "Budynok zi skla" (House of glass). Shortly afterwards the first movie about these rock stars was made by TV Channel TET (Kiev
Kiev
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....
, Ukraine
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...
) and was broadcast nationally.
1997 saw tours in the south of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and West Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Back to Ukraine they held a monster concert in their hometown of Lviv, drawing massive crowds.
The band's big break came in 1998, when they made the decision to move to the capital city of Ukraine - Kiev. There they started working on their first album "Tam, de nas nema
Tam, de nas nema
Tam, de nas nema is the debut studio album of the popular Ukrainian rock group Okean Elzy. Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is the lead vocalist and songwriter for most of the lyrics on this album. It was released in 1998 by the Kiev-based record label Lavina Music....
" (There, where we are not). The group's first music video was recorded for the song "Tam, de nas nema". This video will always be remembered as the first Ukrainian music video to make its mark on MTV Russia
MTV Russia
MTV Russia is a Russian language free-to-air 24 hour entertainment and music service seen in 22 million households in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Omsk, Voronezh, Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg, among other cities.-History:...
, as well as France's MCM
MCM
-Science and technology:* Thousand circular mils or kcmil, the wire gauge is equivalent cross sectional area * Million cubic metre, the unit of volume...
Channel.
At the very beginning of 1999, Okean Elzy started working on their second album "Ya na nebi buv" (I was in the sky). In May the group decided to try and conquer Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Their first concert was at the legendary festival Maxidrom
Maxidrom
Maxidrom is an annual international musical festival organized by Radio Maximum station.-History:...
. There were thousands of people there who already knew their songs, even singing along.
On 16 September they played a solo concert at the MCM Cafe (Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
).
2000-2004
In 2000 exactly one year after they started working on "Ya na nebi buv" the album was released.On 5 February Okean Elzy held a solo concert at legendary Astoria Club
London Astoria
The London Astoria was a music venue, located at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England. It had been leased and run by Festival Republic since 2000. It was closed on 15 January 2009 and has since been demolished...
(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...
, UK). In March the keyboard player joined the band.
In 2001 Okean Elzy became new face of Pepsi Cola in Ukraine as the new millennium dawned. They have released their third album "Model". They started a big tour around Ukraine called "Ask For More". In August they started working on their fourth album - "Supersymetriya
Supersymetriya
Supersymetriya is a studio album by the Ukrainian alternative rock band Okean Elzy released in 2003.-Track listing:# Кішка# Дівчина # Вільний# Susy.# Мене# Для Тебе# Леді# Майже Весна# Холодно# Віддам# Невидима Сім`я...
" (Supersymmetry). The album was eventually released in 2003 and immediately the group embarked on their biggest tour ever.
At the end of 2003 Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
Svyatoslav Vakarchuk
Svyatoslav Yvanovych Vakarchuk is the lead vocalist of Okean Elzy, the most successful post-Soviet rock band in Ukraine. He is the son of Ivan Vakarchuk, a professor of physics at Lviv University and the former Minister of Education and Science in Ukraine....
as the frontman of the band became an official Ambassador of Ukrainian Culture.
In 2004 Denys Dudko (one of the best jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bass players in Ukraine) and Milosh Jelic (composer from Novi Sad
Novi Sad
Novi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
) joined the band.
During the "Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
" Okean Elzy actively supported the democratic changes which the population were demanding, with Slava emerging as a figurehead of the revolution.
2005–present
In 2005 Petro Cherniavsky joined the band.On September 22, 2005, Okean Elzy released their new album GLORIA. After that the band went on tour (30 cities in Ukraine
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...
and 10 in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
).
In September 2005, Slava became UN’s Ambassador of Good Will
Goodwill Ambassador
Goodwill Ambassador is a collective term sometimes used as a substitute honorific title or a title of honor for an Ambassador of Goodwill; but, most appropriately for a generic recognition, it is a job position or description that is usually indicated following the name of the individual recognized...
. Also, in September Okean Elzy started joint campaign with IOM
IOM
IOM may refer to:* Institute of Medicine, a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970* Institute of Occupational Medicine in the UK* International Organization for Migration, an intergovernmental organization...
and MTV Europe Foundation
MTV Europe Foundation
The MTV Europe Foundation was established in 2003 by MTV Networks Europe to expand its commitment to social issues and human rights. As a result, MTV Networks Europe launched the MTV Europe Foundation, a legally independent, but closely related, corporate charity. The MTV Europe Foundation is...
– fighting human trafficking. Svyatoslav Vakarchuk as UN’s Ambassador of Goodwill during 2006 year had different meetings with students at Ukrainian and Poland universities. Now Svyatoslav provides a huge social project running to propagate reading as a natural process. General idea of this project is to draw attention of young people to books and help fight illiteracy.
In November 2006, Okean Elzy visited Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, where musicians had a concert for peace makers
Peace makers
Peace makers are individuals and organisations involved in peacemaking in countries affected by war, violent conflict, and political instability. They engage in processes such as negotiation, mediation, conciliation, and arbitration – drawing on international law and norms...
from Ukraine, 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...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, USA and other countries, which include international contingent of peace makers.
During the Football World Cup 2006 in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Okean Elzy actively supported the Ukrainian national team and cheered the fans with their songs.
The last song of the band called “Veseli, brate, chasy nastaly...” (Oh, brother, merry times came...) as always made a huge splash in Ukraine. The song and the video were released as a single and all money profited would be donated to the child care center treating AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. Charity activities play a major role in OE's life.
In April 2006 OE went on tour, which includes Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, 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...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, where thousands sang along their songs.
On April 25, 2007, Okean Elzy released a new album Mira (Measure). After that the band went on a huge nationwide tour. During the month they held tremendous concerts in 27 Ukrainian cities. The outstanding feature about "Mira" was that all the concerts were held at large sites, mostly stadiums and sports palaces. The concerts were attended by more than 120,000 fans, which has become a record for "Okean Elzy". For the two Kiev concerts the attendance was about 24,000 total. In the history of Ukraine
History of Ukraine
The territory of Ukraine was a key center of East Slavic culture in the Middle Ages, before being divided between a variety of powers. However, the history of Ukraine dates back many thousands of years. The territory has been settled continuously since at least 5000 BC, and is also a candidate site...
only Okean Elzy "for the second time (after round of "GLORIA") brought so many people in one place in such a short time.
In 2010 Okean Elzy went on their Dolce Vita Tour, in support of their latest album Dolce Vita, which included over one hundred concerts in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Europe and North America.
Current members
- Svyatoslav VakarchukSvyatoslav VakarchukSvyatoslav Yvanovych Vakarchuk is the lead vocalist of Okean Elzy, the most successful post-Soviet rock band in Ukraine. He is the son of Ivan Vakarchuk, a professor of physics at Lviv University and the former Minister of Education and Science in Ukraine....
— vocal (1994–present) - Petro Cherniavsky — guitar (2005–present)
- Denys Dudko — bass (2004–present)
- Miloš Jelić — piano, synthesizers (2004–present)
- Denys Hlinin — drums (1994–present)
guitar
Albums
- 1998 - "Tam, de nas nemaTam, de nas nemaTam, de nas nema is the debut studio album of the popular Ukrainian rock group Okean Elzy. Svyatoslav Vakarchuk is the lead vocalist and songwriter for most of the lyrics on this album. It was released in 1998 by the Kiev-based record label Lavina Music....
" (There, where we aren't) - 2000 - "Yananebibuv" (IWasInHeaven)
- 2001 - "Model"
- 2003 - "SupersymetriyaSupersymetriyaSupersymetriya is a studio album by the Ukrainian alternative rock band Okean Elzy released in 2003.-Track listing:# Кішка# Дівчина # Вільний# Susy.# Мене# Для Тебе# Леді# Майже Весна# Холодно# Віддам# Невидима Сім`я...
" (Supersymmetry) - 2005 - "GLORIA"
- 2007 - "Mira" (Measure)
- 2010 - "Dolce Vita"
Singles
- 1996 - "Budynok zi skla" (House of glass)
- 2002 - "Kholodno" (It is cold)
- 2004 - "Dyakuyu!" (Thank You!)
- 2006 - "Veseli, brate, chasy nastaly..." (Oh, brother, merry times came...)
- 2009 – "Ya tak khochu..." (I so want to...)
Compilations
- 2006 - "1221" ("Best of" collection)
- 2010 - "The Best Of"
Solo projects
- 2008 - "Vnochi" (At night) - album released under the name of ideological mastermind Svyatoslav VakarchukSvyatoslav VakarchukSvyatoslav Yvanovych Vakarchuk is the lead vocalist of Okean Elzy, the most successful post-Soviet rock band in Ukraine. He is the son of Ivan Vakarchuk, a professor of physics at Lviv University and the former Minister of Education and Science in Ukraine....