Eugene Hütz
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| Eugene Hütz | |
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 Hütz performing at Bonnaroo, June 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Evgeny Aleksandrovitch Nikolaev Simonov |
| Born | September 6, 1972 Boiarka, Soviet Union (present day Ukraine) |
| Origin | Kiev |
| Genres | Gypsy Punk |
| Instruments | Guitar, Vocals, Fire Bucket |
| Years active | 1999 - Present |
| Associated acts | Gogol Bordello J.U.F. Les Claypool |
Eugene Hütz (Ukrainian: Євген Гудзь, Êvhen Hudz′; born Evgeny Aleksandrovitch Nikolaev Simonov, September 6, 1972) is the Ukrainian-born singer and composer of the critically-acclaimed New York Gypsy punk rock band Gogol Bordello. He is also a DJ and an actor.
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[edit] Early life
Hütz was born in Boyarka, near Kiev, to a Russian father and a mother who was of half Roma ancestry.[1][2] His father was a butcher who also played guitar in one of Ukraine's first rock bands, Meridian.
Hütz’s road 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 Gogol Bordello.
Hütz arrived in Vermont in 1991 as a political refugee through a resettlement program with his mother, father and maternal cousin Yosef.
[edit] Gogol Bordello
Hütz started his musical career back in Ukraine with the band Uksusnik. While in Vermont, Hütz formed The Fags.[3] 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 Ryabtsev, 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, produced by the indie legend Steve Albini. Gogol Bordello’s latest offering, Super Taranta! (produced by Victor Van Vugt) is shaping up to be one their most critically-acclaimed releases with music critic Robert Christgau calling Gogol Bordello “the world's most visionary band.”[4]
Gogol Bordello's live shows and Hütz's captivating and unpredictable stage presence has earned them invitations to some of the world’s most progressive venues including The Whitney Museum in New York, The Tate Modern in London and the Venice Biennale in Italy. Gogol Bordello has also grown from a grassroots phenomenon into a worldwide sensation on the festival circuit having played events including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury, Reading, Leeds, Bumbershoot, Austin City Limits Music Festival, A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise and many others.
[edit] 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 even recorded with the Kolpakov Trio.
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 which 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.[citation needed]
Hütz has also worked with Les Claypool on various materials and his album "Of Fungi and Foe" on the track "Bite Out Of Life". After that Hutz decided that the best philosophy was to make the money that was possible, within stated profit-lines, but vowed to take at least three shows a year in unknown areas at cost.[citation needed]
[edit] 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 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.[5]
[edit] 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 legendary Bulgarian Bar also known as "Mehanata" in New York or touring with the Russian gypsy group Kolpakov Trio, led by his mentor Sasha Kolpakov. Eugene has no siblings, although he refers to his maternal cousin as his brother; his brother 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.[6] In November 2009, he told Pagina/12 that he had moved to São Paulo.[7]
[edit] Filmography
- Kill Your Idols (2004) as himself
- Kill Your Darlings (2004) as the prince
- Everything Is Illuminated (2005) as Alex
- The Pied Piper of Hützovina (2006) as himself
- Gogol Bordello Non-stop (2007) as himself
- Filth and Wisdom (2008) as A.K.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/interview-eugene-htz-the-moustachioedgypsyrocker-456959.html
- ^ http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/euro-clash/2005/12/08/1133829714720.html?page=2
- ^ http://homepage.mac.com/gogolbordello/iblog/B1231179855/C500651121/E1611269572/index.html
- ^ http://music.msn.com/music/consumerguide/dec07
- ^ Freeman, Hadley (2008-01-17). "How a Gypsy punk inspired a whole new catwalk look". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2241924,00.html. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
- ^ Broadley, Erin. "Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz Talks Festivals, Filth and Wisdom," L.A. Weekly. Retrieved on 2008-10-03
- ^ http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/suplementos/no/12-4368-2009-11-05.html (Spanish)
[edit] External links
- Eugene Hütz at the Internet Movie Database
- Gogol Bordello Non-Stop (2007)
- 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
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