Ruslana
Encyclopedia
Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko is a World Music Award
winning and MTV Europe Music Award nominated artist, and the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
.
She is a singer, songwriter, producer, conductor, and pianist. She writes, composes and produces her own songs and music videos. Since 28 December 1995 she has been married to Oleksandr Ksenofontov
, a Ukrainian record producer. Together they have run the company LuxenBourg Studio since 1993, producing radio and film trailers.
She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
with the song "Wild Dances
" receiving points from 34 of the 35 countries participating in the contest.
As of 2009, despite the fact that she was invited as a Special Guest Star, she nevertheless was awarded two special trophies at the 6th Asia Song Festival
. The first of them was the golden statue of The Best Artist Award of The Asia song festival 2009, the main award of the festival that each participant received and the second special award for the contribution to the cultural exchange between Ukraine
and Asia
in music.
, Ukrainian SSR
(now Ukraine) to Ukrainian parents, Nina and Stepan Lyzhychko. She was raised in the Lviv Oblast
(province
). Encouraged by her mother, Ruslana studied from the age of four at an experimental musical school and sang in different bands, including in the vocal-instrumental band Horizon, the band Orion and the children’s ensemble Smile. After finishing secondary school, Ruslana entered the Lviv Conservatory
where she graduated as a classical pianist and conductor in 1995.
She has a half-sister named Anna.
in 1996 with the song "Oj, letili dyki husi". In the same year, she was among the nominees for the Ukrainian Singer of the Year award and the video for "Dzvinkyi Viter" (Wind Bells) was awarded Music Video of the Year. Since her early career, Ruslana's producer was Oleksandr Ksenpfontov, whom she married in 1995.
In 1997, Ruslana began working on Christmas with Ruslana - the first L'viv Christmas television project of an All-Ukrainian scale including the video clip "Ballad of a Princess" which was the first animated music video
made by a Ukrainian
singer.
Her first album Myt Vesny – Dzvinkyi Viter (A Moment of Spring – Wind Bells), released in 1998, received high praise from the critics.
Still, wider recognition did not come until 1998 with the song "Svitanok" ("Sunrise") and the album Myt' Vesny - Dzvinkyj Viter Live. "Svitanok" was the first Ukrainian big-budget music video
. In 1999, Ruslana was awarded Person of the Year, the song "Svitanok" was awarded Song of the Year and its accompanying music video was awarded Music Video of the Year.
In 1999, she worked on the Christmas musical Ostanne rizdvo 90th (The Last Christmas of the 90's), which won the Ukrainian Movie of the Year award. With the video clip to the song "Znaju ya" ("I Know"), which is about the ancient people of the Hutsuls
living in the Ukrainian
Carpathians, Ruslana set new standards for modern video clip filming.
, the dwellers of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. They have a unique culture with an ancient and rich history which inspired Ruslana to create her concept album Wild Dances. It combines powerful and permeating ethnic drums, trumpet sounds of the trembita
, an ancient Hutsul music instrument, with modern dance beats.
The album Dyki Tantsi (Wild Dances) was released in June 2003 in Ukraine
. It was the first album ever to be certified 5 times Platinum in Ukraine, selling more than 500,000 copies. The English language counterpart, Wild Dances, was released in many European countries in the autumn of 2004. Previously, the lead single "Wild Dances" had brought Ruslana the victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
and entered various European single charts. It was certified Gold in Sweden, Russia, Greece, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. On the single charts in Ukraine, Greece and Belgium, the song peaked at #1.
to represent Ukraine
at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
. Before the contest, she was a hot favorite for victory by the bookmakers. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
, she performed her self-composed song, Wild Dances
and won the contest receiving 280 points. In the semifinal, the song received points from all other participating countries; in the final, Switzerland was the only country not giving any points to the song.
In the days following the contest, the Ukrainian
nation went slightly Ruslana-mad. The singer was widely featured in local media
. She was appointed advisor to the prime minister. The president bestowed one of the country's highest honors on her.
Ruslana opened the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
with the song "Heart on Fire
". As part of the interval act, she performed "The Same Star
". A remixed version of "Heart on Fire
" was released on her 2008 album Wild Energy
.
" was named the Best of Eurovision
in an internet voting arranged by the German public television broadcaster ARD
. During the television program Grand Prix Hitliste, "Wild Dances
" was presented as the winner, ahead of famous songs, such as "Waterloo" and Germany's only winner (at the time), "Ein Bißchen Frieden
", which finished sixth and twelfth, respectively. The programme was viewed by a television audience of approximately six million people in Germany.
with her Wild Energy show. Azerbaijan made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
.
performance was related to the promotion of the song "Moon of Dreams" but outside the singer has also done a lot of his hits from "Wild Dances" at the helm. During the performances, unfortunately, do not run out of the technical problems that prevented the viewing organizer recital.
which experiences a global energy crisis, far more threatening than lack of oil
and gas
, people are lacking their will for life, their energy of the heart - the fuel for people. Lana, one of the synthetic inhabitants, sets out to find the mystical energy source. After many adventures she discovers that the wild energy comes from her own heart.
Wild Energy
combines the art of music and video production, literature and social commitment in an extraordinary way. In June 2006 Ruslana presented the new single and video "Wild Energy" in a unique fantasy style. In this video clip the singer develops from a synthetic blonde girl into her wild image.
Within the frames of the FIFA World Cup 2006 Ruslana went on tour in Germany to support the Ukrainian national football team. She performed in Hamburg
, Cologne
, Berlin, Leipzig
, and Nuremberg
.
In Grand Theft Auto IV
, Ruslana hosts Vladivostok FM. Her song "Wild Dances
" is featured as one of the songs on Vladivostok.
In March 2008 Ruslana's Ukrainian album Amazonka
was released in Ukraine, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The English album Wild Energy
was released in Canada on 2 September 2008 and was released in several European countries on 10 October 2008 and China in November. The album was recorded at the Hit Factory Studio in Miami and contains two collaborations with American Urban superstars T-Pain
and Missy Elliott
. On this release Ruslana creates her own distinctive technique of incorporating ancient ethnic styles of the Carpathian Mountain people with modern popular music.
in Los Angeles, CA. The song was written by Ruslana in a fruitful cooperation with Oleksandr Ksenofontov
(TFC band leader and the singer's husband) and Vlad Debriansky
(Jack Spade, TFC band lead guitar). The funny and bright single WOW made in a genre of parody.
It's ironic and sarcastic about people who consider themselves "so amazing!" and such traits character as narcissism
, selfishness in love, self-affirmation at the expense of the beloved. This is a competition. A battle between girls and boys - who is better, who is cooler and more amazing. This is the battle of two styles and images: "Ruslana-boy" on a powerful iron horse Harley-Davidson
vs "Ruslana-girl" in a rock glam style on a shiny Lamborghini
. In the final episode we can watch Street Dance Hip Hop Battle between her two alter egos: Ruslana VS Ruslana! The singer showed herself in stylistic contrasts by creating completely different versions of the single WOW: they are original version, ethnic version, rock version (feat. band WHITE), a special version for a big impressive flash mob participating 2000 dancers, and club
remix for hot summer parties.
, to which her song "Dance with the Wolves" was devoted. She declared her support for Viktor Yushchenko
during the disputed Ukrainian presidential elections
. She became one of the prominent figures that addressed the mass crowds rallying in support of Yushchenko's demand that his original defeat be declared fraudulent.
From spring 2006 to summer 2007 she was a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament
for the party Our Ukraine
.
Due to political reasons the music video supporting her second single extracted from the Wild Dances
album, Dance with the Wolves
was censored in Russia
as it contains fragments showing Ruslana in the Independence Square.
Ruslana endorsed Yulia Tymoshenko
during the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election
and actively supported her candidature during the election campaign.
Ruslana was appointed Good Will Ambassador of Ukraine by the UNICEF and combats trafficking in human beings. She released two video clips which aim to make potential victims aware of the dangers of human trafficking
. In February 2008 Ruslana performed at an anti-human trafficking event in Vienna
, Austria, organized by UN.GIFT (The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) in front of 117 international delegations. Her song "Not for Sale" became the anthem of the anti-trafficking campaign.
Within the frames of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
in Kiev
she gave a charity concert for children suffering from the consequences of the Chernobyl
tragedy. For another charity project Ruslana joined forces with German rock star Peter Maffay
. In April/May 2007 they went together with artists from 14 countries on a four weeks tour through Germany. The funds gathered benefited children in need.
Ruslana has also staged numerous charity concerts benefiting Children's hospitals in Kiev, L’viv and Dnepropetrovsk
With her project Wild Energy Ruslana supports the use of renewable energy
. She regards the energy of the sun, the water and the wind as an energy independence. The project gradually developed into this bigger meaning. Ruslana wants to make people aware of the dangers of global climate change.
After large regions in Western Ukraine were hit by a flood in July 2008 Ruslana set up the co-ordinating and relief centre "Carpathians. Flood. SOS! 2008". The aim of the centre is to create a database of the people in need, to provide emergency humanitarian help and to collect and distribute donations both from the public and from other Ukrainian artists and sportsmen to support the victims of the flood.
Inc. entered the 'danger' zone after the information concerning her participation in the Grand Theft Auto IV
video game was leaked down on the internet in mid- July 2007. The leading Eurovision
related independent news website, esctoday.com, released the information and later removed it when Rockstar Games
discovered the mistake. Any information concerning the Grand Theft Auto IV
video game was supposed to be confidential until April 2008.
|-
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
winning and MTV Europe Music Award nominated artist, and the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
.
She is a singer, songwriter, producer, conductor, and pianist. She writes, composes and produces her own songs and music videos. Since 28 December 1995 she has been married to Oleksandr Ksenofontov
Oleksandr Ksenofontov
Oleksandr Ksenofontov is a Ukrainian record producer and lyricist. He is the husband of the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, Ruslana. Ksenofontov wrote the lyrics to the winning song, "Wild Dances". They have been married since December 28, 1995...
, a Ukrainian record producer. Together they have run the company LuxenBourg Studio since 1993, producing radio and film trailers.
She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
with the song "Wild Dances
Wild Dances
Wild Dances is a 2004 studio album by the Ukrainian singer and winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest Ruslana. The album has been certified 7x platinum in Ukraine, selling 700,000+ copies.-Track listing:Basic album...
" receiving points from 34 of the 35 countries participating in the contest.
As of 2009, despite the fact that she was invited as a Special Guest Star, she nevertheless was awarded two special trophies at the 6th Asia Song Festival
Asia song festival
Asia Song Festival, aka A-Song-Fe or ASF, is an annual Asian pop music festival held in South Korea, since 2004. It is hosted by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange and features artists from Asian countries...
. The first of them was the golden statue of The Best Artist Award of The Asia song festival 2009, the main award of the festival that each participant received and the second special award for the contribution to the cultural exchange between 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 Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in music.
Early life
Ruslana was born on 24 May 1973 in 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...
, Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
(now Ukraine) to Ukrainian parents, Nina and Stepan Lyzhychko. She was raised in the Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast
Lviv Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Lviv.-History:The oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on December 4, 1939...
(province
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
). Encouraged by her mother, Ruslana studied from the age of four at an experimental musical school and sang in different bands, including in the vocal-instrumental band Horizon, the band Orion and the children’s ensemble Smile. After finishing secondary school, Ruslana entered the Lviv Conservatory
Lviv Conservatory
The Lviv National Musical Academy, M. Lysenko is a state conservatory of Ukraine based in Lviv.-History:...
where she graduated as a classical pianist and conductor in 1995.
She has a half-sister named Anna.
Early career
Ruslana started her career as the winner of the Slavyanskiy Bazar song competition in Vitebsk, BelarusBelarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
in 1996 with the song "Oj, letili dyki husi". In the same year, she was among the nominees for the Ukrainian Singer of the Year award and the video for "Dzvinkyi Viter" (Wind Bells) was awarded Music Video of the Year. Since her early career, Ruslana's producer was Oleksandr Ksenpfontov, whom she married in 1995.
In 1997, Ruslana began working on Christmas with Ruslana - the first L'viv Christmas television project of an All-Ukrainian scale including the video clip "Ballad of a Princess" which was the first animated music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
made by a Ukrainian
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.
Her first album Myt Vesny – Dzvinkyi Viter (A Moment of Spring – Wind Bells), released in 1998, received high praise from the critics.
Still, wider recognition did not come until 1998 with the song "Svitanok" ("Sunrise") and the album Myt' Vesny - Dzvinkyj Viter Live. "Svitanok" was the first Ukrainian big-budget music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
. In 1999, Ruslana was awarded Person of the Year, the song "Svitanok" was awarded Song of the Year and its accompanying music video was awarded Music Video of the Year.
In 1999, she worked on the Christmas musical Ostanne rizdvo 90th (The Last Christmas of the 90's), which won the Ukrainian Movie of the Year award. With the video clip to the song "Znaju ya" ("I Know"), which is about the ancient people of the Hutsuls
Hutsuls
Hutsuls are an ethno-cultural group of Ukrainian highlanders who for centuries have inhabited the Carpathian mountains, mainly in Ukraine, the northern extremity of Romania .-Etymology:...
living in the Ukrainian
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...
Carpathians, Ruslana set new standards for modern video clip filming.
Wild Dances Project
Ruslana's father is from the West-Ukrainian area of the HutsulsHutsuls
Hutsuls are an ethno-cultural group of Ukrainian highlanders who for centuries have inhabited the Carpathian mountains, mainly in Ukraine, the northern extremity of Romania .-Etymology:...
, the dwellers of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. They have a unique culture with an ancient and rich history which inspired Ruslana to create her concept album Wild Dances. It combines powerful and permeating ethnic drums, trumpet sounds of the trembita
Trembita
The trembita is a Ukrainian alpine horn made of wood.Used primarily by mountain dwellers known as Hutsuls in the Carpathians. It was used as a signaling device to announce deaths, funerals, weddings....
, an ancient Hutsul music instrument, with modern dance beats.
The album Dyki Tantsi (Wild Dances) was released in June 2003 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...
. It was the first album ever to be certified 5 times Platinum in Ukraine, selling more than 500,000 copies. The English language counterpart, Wild Dances, was released in many European countries in the autumn of 2004. Previously, the lead single "Wild Dances" had brought Ruslana the victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
and entered various European single charts. It was certified Gold in Sweden, Russia, Greece, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. On the single charts in Ukraine, Greece and Belgium, the song peaked at #1.
Eurovision Song Contest
2004
Ruslana was internally chosen by the NTUNational Television Company of Ukraine
National Television Company of Ukraine is the national television broadcaster in Ukraine. It is state-run, and operates the television channel Pershyi Nazional'niy, the only Ukrainian TV channel that has a coverage over 97% of Ukraine's territory. It is the only state-owned national channel. Its...
to represent 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...
at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
. Before the contest, she was a hot favorite for victory by the bookmakers. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2004
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
, she performed her self-composed song, Wild Dances
Wild Dances
Wild Dances is a 2004 studio album by the Ukrainian singer and winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest Ruslana. The album has been certified 7x platinum in Ukraine, selling 700,000+ copies.-Track listing:Basic album...
and won the contest receiving 280 points. In the semifinal, the song received points from all other participating countries; in the final, Switzerland was the only country not giving any points to the song.
In the days following the contest, the Ukrainian
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...
nation went slightly Ruslana-mad. The singer was widely featured in local media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
. She was appointed advisor to the prime minister. The president bestowed one of the country's highest honors on her.
2005
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
with the song "Heart on Fire
Heart on Fire
Heart on Fire is the name of one of Ruslana's new songs.It was performed at the opening of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005.-External links:*...
". As part of the interval act, she performed "The Same Star
The Same Star
"The Same Star" is a single by Ruslana, featured on her 2004 studio album Wild Dances. The arrangement and recording were done by EGO WORKS /HIT FACTORY, Miami, USA.Ruslana devoted The Same Star to her husband, the love of her life....
". A remixed version of "Heart on Fire
Heart on Fire
Heart on Fire is the name of one of Ruslana's new songs.It was performed at the opening of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005.-External links:*...
" was released on her 2008 album Wild Energy
Wild Energy (album)
Wild Energy is Ruslana's second English album, released in Canada on 2 September and in Europe on 10 October 2008. Wild Energy is the English version of Amazonka.-About the album:...
.
2006
Ruslana's song "Wild DancesWild Dances
Wild Dances is a 2004 studio album by the Ukrainian singer and winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest Ruslana. The album has been certified 7x platinum in Ukraine, selling 700,000+ copies.-Track listing:Basic album...
" was named the Best of Eurovision
Best of Eurovision
The Best of Eurovision was a unique event, held in Hamburg, Germany on May 20, 2006. Its aim was to determine the best song from the Eurovision Song Contest, by means of an opinion poll....
in an internet voting arranged by the German public television broadcaster ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
. During the television program Grand Prix Hitliste, "Wild Dances
Wild Dances
Wild Dances is a 2004 studio album by the Ukrainian singer and winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest Ruslana. The album has been certified 7x platinum in Ukraine, selling 700,000+ copies.-Track listing:Basic album...
" was presented as the winner, ahead of famous songs, such as "Waterloo" and Germany's only winner (at the time), "Ein Bißchen Frieden
Ein Bißchen Frieden
"Ein bißchen Frieden" is a song in German, written by prolific German Eurovision-writing duo Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger for the Eurovision Song Contest 1982 in Harrogate, Yorkshire, England....
", which finished sixth and twelfth, respectively. The programme was viewed by a television audience of approximately six million people in Germany.
2008
Ruslana was a guest performer at the national final of AzerbaijanAzerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest
Azerbaijan made its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008, after İctimai Televiziya became an active member of the European Broadcasting Union...
with her Wild Energy show. Azerbaijan made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
.
2009
Ruslana was a guest performer at the national final of PolandPoland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Although Poland did not become member of the European Broadcasting Union until 1993, the Eurovision Song Contest was often broadcast on Telewizja Polska , the Polish broadcaster - even if delayed....
performance was related to the promotion of the song "Moon of Dreams" but outside the singer has also done a lot of his hits from "Wild Dances" at the helm. During the performances, unfortunately, do not run out of the technical problems that prevented the viewing organizer recital.
2011
Ruslana was the spokesperson for the Ukrainian vote.Wild Energy Project
Ruslana's new project Wild Energy is based on the science fiction novel by Maryna and Sergij Diachenko Wild Energy. Lana. In a future cityCity
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
which experiences a global energy crisis, far more threatening than lack of oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
, people are lacking their will for life, their energy of the heart - the fuel for people. Lana, one of the synthetic inhabitants, sets out to find the mystical energy source. After many adventures she discovers that the wild energy comes from her own heart.
Wild Energy
Wild Energy (album)
Wild Energy is Ruslana's second English album, released in Canada on 2 September and in Europe on 10 October 2008. Wild Energy is the English version of Amazonka.-About the album:...
combines the art of music and video production, literature and social commitment in an extraordinary way. In June 2006 Ruslana presented the new single and video "Wild Energy" in a unique fantasy style. In this video clip the singer develops from a synthetic blonde girl into her wild image.
Within the frames of the FIFA World Cup 2006 Ruslana went on tour in Germany to support the Ukrainian national football team. She performed in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Berlin, Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, and Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
.
In Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, Ruslana hosts Vladivostok FM. Her song "Wild Dances
Wild Dances
Wild Dances is a 2004 studio album by the Ukrainian singer and winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest Ruslana. The album has been certified 7x platinum in Ukraine, selling 700,000+ copies.-Track listing:Basic album...
" is featured as one of the songs on Vladivostok.
In March 2008 Ruslana's Ukrainian album Amazonka
Amazonka
Amazonka is the title of the 2008 album by 2004 Eurovision winner, Ruslana. The album will be released in Eastern Europe, Germany, China and in some other countries....
was released in Ukraine, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The English album Wild Energy
Wild Energy (album)
Wild Energy is Ruslana's second English album, released in Canada on 2 September and in Europe on 10 October 2008. Wild Energy is the English version of Amazonka.-About the album:...
was released in Canada on 2 September 2008 and was released in several European countries on 10 October 2008 and China in November. The album was recorded at the Hit Factory Studio in Miami and contains two collaborations with American Urban superstars T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
and Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
. On this release Ruslana creates her own distinctive technique of incorporating ancient ethnic styles of the Carpathian Mountain people with modern popular music.
WOW! I'm so Amazing
Ruslana's new single WOW was produced by Jack Spade (Vlad)Vlad (musician)
Volodymyr Mykhailovich DeBriansky , better known by his stage names Jack Spade or Vlad, is a jazz, blues, rock and classical guitarist, producer as well as an actor....
in Los Angeles, CA. The song was written by Ruslana in a fruitful cooperation with Oleksandr Ksenofontov
Oleksandr Ksenofontov
Oleksandr Ksenofontov is a Ukrainian record producer and lyricist. He is the husband of the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, Ruslana. Ksenofontov wrote the lyrics to the winning song, "Wild Dances". They have been married since December 28, 1995...
(TFC band leader and the singer's husband) and Vlad Debriansky
Vlad (musician)
Volodymyr Mykhailovich DeBriansky , better known by his stage names Jack Spade or Vlad, is a jazz, blues, rock and classical guitarist, producer as well as an actor....
(Jack Spade, TFC band lead guitar). The funny and bright single WOW made in a genre of parody.
It's ironic and sarcastic about people who consider themselves "so amazing!" and such traits character as narcissism
Narcissism
Narcissism is a term with a wide range of meanings, depending on whether it is used to describe a central concept of psychoanalytic theory, a mental illness, a social or cultural problem, or simply a personality trait...
, selfishness in love, self-affirmation at the expense of the beloved. This is a competition. A battle between girls and boys - who is better, who is cooler and more amazing. This is the battle of two styles and images: "Ruslana-boy" on a powerful iron horse Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
vs "Ruslana-girl" in a rock glam style on a shiny Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
. In the final episode we can watch Street Dance Hip Hop Battle between her two alter egos: Ruslana VS Ruslana! The singer showed herself in stylistic contrasts by creating completely different versions of the single WOW: they are original version, ethnic version, rock version (feat. band WHITE), a special version for a big impressive flash mob participating 2000 dancers, and club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
remix for hot summer parties.
Political activities
In autumn 2004 Ruslana actively supported the democratic processes in Ukraine known as the Orange RevolutionOrange 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...
, to which her song "Dance with the Wolves" was devoted. She declared her support for Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
during the disputed Ukrainian presidential elections
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held on October 31, November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union...
. She became one of the prominent figures that addressed the mass crowds rallying in support of Yushchenko's demand that his original defeat be declared fraudulent.
From spring 2006 to summer 2007 she was a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
for the party Our Ukraine
People's Union Our Ukraine
The Our Ukraine is a centre-right political party of Ukraine formed in 2005. The party supports former president President Viktor Yushchenko...
.
Due to political reasons the music video supporting her second single extracted from the Wild Dances
Wild Dances
Wild Dances is a 2004 studio album by the Ukrainian singer and winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest Ruslana. The album has been certified 7x platinum in Ukraine, selling 700,000+ copies.-Track listing:Basic album...
album, Dance with the Wolves
Dance with the Wolves
"Dance with the Wolves" is one of Ukrainian singer Ruslana's singles, released in 2005.Two music videos were made for the song. During the shootings, Ruslana had to be in a cage with wild wolves. One of the videoclips includes frames shot during the Orange revolution in which Ruslana took an active...
was censored 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...
as it contains fragments showing Ruslana in the Independence Square.
Ruslana endorsed Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
during the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election
Ukrainian presidential election, 2010
The Ukrainian presidential election of 2010 is Ukraine's fifth presidential election since declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The first round was held on January 17, 2010...
and actively supported her candidature during the election campaign.
Social commitment
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
. In February 2008 Ruslana performed at an anti-human trafficking event in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria, organized by UN.GIFT (The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) in front of 117 international delegations. Her song "Not for Sale" became the anthem of the anti-trafficking campaign.
Within the frames of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
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....
she gave a charity concert for children suffering from the consequences of the Chernobyl
Chernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
tragedy. For another charity project Ruslana joined forces with German rock star Peter Maffay
Peter Maffay
Peter Alexander Makkay better known as Peter Maffay is a German musician.- Biography :Born in Brasov, Romania, the son of a German , he was 14 when his family relocated to his parents' Germany in 1963. In the same year, he started his first band, The Dukes...
. In April/May 2007 they went together with artists from 14 countries on a four weeks tour through Germany. The funds gathered benefited children in need.
Ruslana has also staged numerous charity concerts benefiting Children's hospitals in Kiev, L’viv and Dnepropetrovsk
With her project Wild Energy Ruslana supports the use of renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
. She regards the energy of the sun, the water and the wind as an energy independence. The project gradually developed into this bigger meaning. Ruslana wants to make people aware of the dangers of global climate change.
After large regions in Western Ukraine were hit by a flood in July 2008 Ruslana set up the co-ordinating and relief centre "Carpathians. Flood. SOS! 2008". The aim of the centre is to create a database of the people in need, to provide emergency humanitarian help and to collect and distribute donations both from the public and from other Ukrainian artists and sportsmen to support the victims of the flood.
Commercial Activities
For some time Ruslana has been the face of Garnier in Ukraine. In the spring of last year L’Oreal Cosmetics offered Ruslana an endorsement contract where she will become a new face of L’Oreal. She has appeared in various commercials.Ukrainian-language studio albums
- 1998: Myt' Vesny - Dzvinkyj ViterMyt' Vesny - Dzvinkyj ViterМить весни. Дзвінкий вітер is the debut album by Ruslana.There are two albums on this CD. The first is "Myt Vesny", recorded in the studio, and the second is live "Dzvinkyi Viter".- Мить весни :...
- 2001: NajkrashcheNajkrashcheНайкраще is an album by the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 , Ruslana, released in 2001.-Track listing:...
- 2003: Diki TantsiDiki TantsiДикі Танці is an album by the Ukrainian pop music singer Ruslana, released in 2003. Some of the songs featured on this album are also featured on Wild Dances, after she won the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest....
- 2008: AmazonkaAmazonkaAmazonka is the title of the 2008 album by 2004 Eurovision winner, Ruslana. The album will be released in Eastern Europe, Germany, China and in some other countries....
English-language studio albums
- 2004: Wild Dances : Welcome To My Wild WorldWild DancesWild Dances is a 2004 studio album by the Ukrainian singer and winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest Ruslana. The album has been certified 7x platinum in Ukraine, selling 700,000+ copies.-Track listing:Basic album...
- 2005: Club'inClub'inClub'in is the name of Ruslana's remix album that contains remixes of tracks from her 2004 Wild Dances album, and a couple of other songs as well, such as Wind Song and Drum 'n' Dance....
- 2008: Wild EnergyWild Energy (album)Wild Energy is Ruslana's second English album, released in Canada on 2 September and in Europe on 10 October 2008. Wild Energy is the English version of Amazonka.-About the album:...
Awards and nominations
| Year | Presenter | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition... |
1st place "Wild Dances" |
Won |
| Marcel Bezençon Awards Marcel Bezençon Awards The Marcel Bezençon Awards were first handed out during the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 in Tallinn, Estonia honoringthe best competing songs in the final... |
Artistic Award "Wild Dances" |
Won | |
| World Music Awards World Music Awards The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show... |
Best Selling Ukrainian Artist "Wild Dances" |
Won | |
| MAD TV Video Music Awards (Greece) | Best International Video "Wild Dances" |
Won | |
| Arion Music Awards (Greece) | Best Selling International Single "Wild Dances" |
Won | |
| 2005 | Romanian Most Loved Awards | Most Loved International Singer | Won |
| 2009 | Asia Song Festival Asia song festival Asia Song Festival, aka A-Song-Fe or ASF, is an annual Asian pop music festival held in South Korea, since 2004. It is hosted by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange and features artists from Asian countries... |
The Special Award | Won |
| Best Artist | Won |
Music videos
- Ty (1998)
- Myt' VesnyMyt' Vesny - Dzvinkyj ViterМить весни. Дзвінкий вітер is the debut album by Ruslana.There are two albums on this CD. The first is "Myt Vesny", recorded in the studio, and the second is live "Dzvinkyi Viter".- Мить весни :...
(1998) - Svitanok (1998)
- Balada pro princessuBalada pro princessuBalada pro pryntsesu is a song of Ukrainian singer Ruslana released in 1998.- Clip :Balada pro pryntsesu clip was the first animated videoclip in Ukraine....
(1998) - Kolyskova (1998)
- Znaju JaZnaju Ja"Znayu Ya" is a song of Ukrainian singer Ruslana released in 2001.- Music video :Znayu Ya is a work about Ukrainian Carpathians, the first video clip filmed and arranged for demonstration in modern movie theaters. Personnel of 250 workers...
(2000) - Proschannya z disko (2001)
- Dobrij vechir, tobi... (2002)
- KolomyjkaKolomyjka (song)"Kolomyika" is a song of Ukrainian singer Ruslana released in 2003 on the Diki Tantsi album.-More information:Kolomyika is the first work of Ruslana in wonderful ethnic genre. This time all the impressive production is combined with comic style and pure eclecticism...
(2003) - Oj, Zagraimy, MuzychenkuOj, Zagraimy, MuzychenkuOi, Zahraimy, Muzychenku is a song of Ukrainian singer Ruslana released in 2003.-Clip:Clip is made for Ukrainian version of the song, but the song was changed for the clip a little....
(2003) - Wild DancesWild DancesWild Dances is a 2004 studio album by the Ukrainian singer and winner of the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest Ruslana. The album has been certified 7x platinum in Ukraine, selling 700,000+ copies.-Track listing:Basic album...
(2004) - Dance with the WolvesDance with the Wolves"Dance with the Wolves" is one of Ukrainian singer Ruslana's singles, released in 2005.Two music videos were made for the song. During the shootings, Ruslana had to be in a cage with wild wolves. One of the videoclips includes frames shot during the Orange revolution in which Ruslana took an active...
(2004) - Ring Dance with the WolvesDance with the Wolves"Dance with the Wolves" is one of Ukrainian singer Ruslana's singles, released in 2005.Two music videos were made for the song. During the shootings, Ruslana had to be in a cage with wild wolves. One of the videoclips includes frames shot during the Orange revolution in which Ruslana took an active...
(2005) - The Same StarThe Same Star"The Same Star" is a single by Ruslana, featured on her 2004 studio album Wild Dances. The arrangement and recording were done by EGO WORKS /HIT FACTORY, Miami, USA.Ruslana devoted The Same Star to her husband, the love of her life....
(2005) - V rytme serdtsa (2005)
- Dyka Enerhija (2006)
- Moon of Dreams (feat. T-PainT-PainFaheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
) (2008) - Vohon‘ chy lid (Vse ne te)(2008)
- Silent Angel (2008)
- Wow (2011)
- ShaLaLa (2011)
Controversies
Ruslana's contract with Rockstar GamesRockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
Inc. entered the 'danger' zone after the information concerning her participation in the Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
video game was leaked down on the internet in mid- July 2007. The leading Eurovision
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
related independent news website, esctoday.com, released the information and later removed it when Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
discovered the mistake. Any information concerning the Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
video game was supposed to be confidential until April 2008.
See also
- Eurovision Song Contest 2004Eurovision Song Contest 2004The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
- Ukraine in the Eurovision Song ContestUkraine in the Eurovision Song ContestUkraine has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest eight times, debuting in 2003 with a 14th place finish for the popular singer Oleksandr Ponomaryov. The country won in their second year of Eurovision being represented by the famous singer Ruslana at the 2004 contest, and finished in joint...
- Ruslana's Charity ConcertRuslana's Charity ConcertThe Heart Of Europe Concert was a concert held on May 18, 2005 in Kiev's Maidan Nezalezhnosti as part of Eurovision Song Contest 2005 opening. It was translated live on at least two national TV channels 1+1 and Inter - Ruslana sang the following songs:...
- Wild Energy.LanaWild Energy (book)Wild Energy. Lana is a 2006 fantasy novel, written by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko and published in the Ukraine. The authors were named the best European fantasy writers in 2005....
- Ultratop 50 number-one hits of 2004Ultratop 50 number-one hits of 2004These hits topped the Ultratop 50 charts in 2004 ....
Listening
- Ruslana interview from NPR All Things Considered program, April 7, 2008
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