Alla Pugacheva

Alla Pugacheva

Alla Borisovna Pugacheva (Russian: Алла Борисовна Пугачёва) or Pugachova (more accurately reflecting Russian pronunciation: [ˌpuɡɐˈtɕovə]), born 15 April 1949), is а Soviet and Russian musical performer. Her career started in 1965 and continues to this day. For her "clear mezzosoprano and a full display of sincere emotions", she enjoys an iconic status across the former Soviet Union as the most successful Soviet performer in terms of record sales and popularity. She became the Meritorious Artist of the RSFSR in 1980, People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1985 and People's Artist of the USSR in 1991.

Professional biography

Pugacheva was born to her mother Zinaida Arkhipovna Odegova and father Boris Mikhailovich Pugachëv in Moscow, on 15 April, 1949. In 1956, she enrolled in music school №31, and attended the Ippolitov-Ivanov music college. She went on to study at school №496, finishing her studies there in 1964. She then studied in the choral-conducting department of the college. Pugacheva recorded her first track "Robot" in 1965, for a state radio morning programme.

Pugacheva finished college in 1966 and subsequently toured with the group Yunost' (Youth) in Western Siberia. The following year she began working as a piano accompanist at the State Circus Musical college. She provided the leading vocals to a number of bands, including Novy Elektron (New Electron), part of the Lipetsk State Philharmonic Society, in 1966, Moskvichi (Muscovites) in 1971, Oleg Lundstrem's band in 1972–73, and Vesëlye Rebjata (Merry Folks) in 1974-75. She also recorded songs throughout that period for numerous movies. In 1974, she came in 3rd place in the All-Union competition of musicians, which was somewhat of a disappointment for her. In 1975, she received the Grand Prix of the international contest "Golden Orpheus" performing the song "Harlequin". The Amiga label released her winning song as a single in East Germany. Subsequently in Bulgaria, the Balkanton label released the live recording of "Harlequin" from the festival as a single. One year later, Pugacheva returned to the "Golden Orpheus" to perform a concert outside the competition. The Balkanton released the live tracks as Pugacheva's first album Zolotoy Orfey 76. In that same year, Pugacheva recorded a number of songs for the musical drama-comedy The Irony of Fate as the singing voice of Nadja, the female protagonist.

The Woman Who Sings

Pugacheva went on to work on the musical film Zhenshchina, kotoraya poët (The Woman Who Sings) in cooperation with the band Ritm (Rhythm) in 1977. She played the leading lady, a famous pop singer who sacrifices her personal life for her career. The soundtrack, which was co-written by Pugacheva and composed of pop songs, culminated with the dramatic title ballad "Zhenshchina, kotoraya poët". The Soviet audience, regarding the film as autobiographical, brought the soundtrack to reach record audience of the year in 1979, as it was bought by 55 million people. The soundtrack was first released in 1977 as part of the double album Zerkalo dushi (Mirror of Soul), which was a collection of her songs from 1975–77. The Victor label released a collection album Alla Pugacheva in the same year in Japan. In 1978, performing the song "Vsë mogut koroli" ("Kings Can Do Anything"), Pugacheva received the Amber Nightingale prize at the Sopot International Song Festival which at the time meant automatically winning the Grand Prix of the Intervision Song Contest. In 1980, the Kansan label of Finland released her above listed works as the compilation album Huipulla (At the Top). Tonbandausnahmenkompanie Bayer GmbH did the same in West Germany releasing Alla Pugachova.

Stockholm (1983–1985)

During the 80s, Pugacheva was a frequent visitor to Stockholm. She started out with multiple guest appearances on the popular Swedish radio show Galaxen conducted by Jacob Dahlin, and later frequently appeared on his TV-show Jacobs Stege (Jacob's Ladder), where Dahlin and Pugacheva sang duets. An example can be found in "Superman" where Dahlin did the vocals of the title character. In Stockholm, Pugacheva recorded an album in English, released by the World Record Music label in Sweden as Watch Out and by the Melodiya label in the Soviet Union as Alla Pugacheva in Stockholm.

Today

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Pugacheva expanded her ventures, launching a magazine, a radio station, a line of perfume all called Alla, and the Alla Pugachova shoe line. She also received further awards from the government, which were presented by President Boris Yeltsin, including the Government Award for Achievement in Literature and Arts in 1990, and the highest civilian decoration of the Russian Federation (2nd Class Order For The Service To The Motherland) in 1999. In 1994, Pugacheva also received a plate with her name at Square of Stars in the city of Yalta in Ukraine. In 1997, she represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin and finished 15th with the song "Primadonna". She dedicated her performance to the memory of Jacob Dahlin.

In recent years, Pugacheva has co-produced the popular television reality talent show Star Factory, the Russian version of the show Star Academy. On 5 March 2009, she announced her retirement from singing after her 60th birthday, citing health reasons as the primary cause stopping her from touring. Additionally, her voice worsened following a series of operations and is no longer capable of "expressing the feelings and intonations as it used to". Pugacheva has announced to her audience a massive goodbye tour across the CIS, Europe and America, entitled "Sny o Lubvi (Dreams about Love)". in

Artistry

In the late 1970s, Pugacheva became one of Russia's most beloved artists for her clear mezzosoprano and a full display of genuine emotions.

President Dmitry Medvedev awarded the 3rd Degree Order of Merit for the Fatherland to Pugacheva on her birthday, 2009.

Legacy

Pugacheva's most notable title is "People's Artist of the USSR", the highest honour that could be bestowed to a musical artist in the state, awarded to her in 1991. While the lesser titles of "Accomplished Artist of the Russian SFSR", and "People's Artist of the Russian SFSR" had been already awarded to her in 1980 and 1985 respectively, the government was hesitant to award her its highest honour for a long time. This was mainly because of numerous statements and actions on her part that were inconsistent with the Party's agenda. At the same time, she grew to represent the government-endorsed pop culture that was forced upon people.

President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev awarded Pugacheva with the 3rd Degree Order of Merit for the Fatherland on her birthday in 2009.

Private life

Pugacheva's personal life has been very public due to her image and popularity, and is often discussed in the tabloid press. Her weight and rumours of extramarital relationships have been particularly popular points of discussion in such publications. However, she has maintained a positive attitude, and on numerous occasions shown that she is willing to discuss personal matters openly and laugh at herself.

In 1969, she married Lithuanian circus performer Mykolas Orbakas, and in 1971 she gave birth to daughter Kristina Orbakaite, who is now also a popular singer. She divorced Mykolas after 4 years of marriage in 1973.

Pugacheva then married film director Alexander Stefanovich in 1976, and starred in a few of his movies. The union was dissolved in 1980, after drawn-out legal proceedings on the division of property, with Pugacheva's luxurious flat in Patriarshy Ponds, Moscow being the heart of the debate.

In 1985, after years of living together, Pugacheva married producer Yevgeniy Boldin, with whom she had numerous professional collaborations. She had a working and romantic relationship with a young musician and singer, Vladimir Kuzmin during this period. In 1993, she divorced Yevgeniy Boldin stating that their professional lives interfered too much with their personal life.

In the early 90's she had an affair with Sergej Chelobanov, with whom she recorded some duets.

In 1994, she married one of the most popular pop singers in Russia, Philipp Kirkorov, who was 18 years her junior and of Bulgarian-Armenian ethnicity. His career is said to have benefited significantly from the marriage. Their divorce was announced in November 2005.

In recent years, comedian Maksim Galkin has been her partner. The two often perform together in large celebrity-studded events, such as New Year's Day shows, and have even had a few musical collaborations.

Pugacheva is friends with former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Discography

Original solo albums

Year (P)	Number	Original title	Title in English	Format	Label, country
1976		Zolotoy Orfey 76	Golden Orpheus 76	Live LP	Balkanton, Bulgaria
1977	C60 09799-2	Zerkalo Dushi	Mirror of Soul	Double LP	Melodiya, USSR
1979	C60 11975-6	Arlekino i drugiye	Harlequin and Others	LP
1980	C60 14429-0	Podnimis' nad suetoy	Rise Above Vanity	LP
1980	C60 14935-6	To li yeshchë budet...	Something's Still to Come	LP
1982	C60 17663-6	Kak trevozhen etot put'	How Unrestful Is This Way	Double
1985	C90 21357-8	Akh, kak hochet'sya zhyt'	Ah, How I Want to Live	LP
1985	WRM LP01	Watch Out	Watch Out	LP	World Record Music, Sweden
1986	C60 24717-8	Schastya v lichnoy zhyzni!	...Happiness in Private Life!	LP	Melodiya, USSR
1986	C60 25059-0	Prishla i govoryu	I Came to Say	LP	Melodiya, USSR
1990	SUCD 60 00122	Alla	Alla	CD	Melodiya, USSR
1991	10191-40191	Rozhdestvenskiye vstrechi 1990	Christmas meetings 1990	2LP	Russian disc, USSR
1992	STEREO R60 00887	Rozhdestvenskiye vstrechi 1991	Christmas meetings 1991	2LP	Russian disc, Russia
1995	SZCD0475	Ne delayte mne bol'no, gospoda	Don't Hurt Me, Gentlemen	CD	Soyuz, Russia
1998	Ex 98073	Da!	Yes!	CD	Extraphone, Russia
2001	АБП 0037	Rechnoy tramvaychik	River Tram	CD	Alla, Russia
2002	АБП 0038	A byl li mal'chik?	Was There a Boy?	CD	Alla, Russia
2003	АБП 0055, МТ 702909-288-1	Zhyvi spokoyno, strana	Live Peacefully, My Country!	CD	Alla & Monolit, Russia
2008	АБП 0055, МТ 702909-288-1	Priglasheniye na zakat	Invitation to a Sunset	CD	Alla

Other albums

• 1978 Alla Pugacheva (released in Japan) - compilation
• 1978 Ala Pugachova. Ogledalo na dushata (released in Bulgaria) - compilation
• 1979 Alla Pugacheva i Iosif Kobzon - split
• 1980 Diskoteka A - instrumental remixes
• 1980 Alla Pugatšova. Huipulla (Alla Pugacheva. At the Top; Kansan, Finland)
• 1980 Alla Pugačevova. Zrcadlo duše (Czech version of Zerkalo dushi)
• 1981 Alla Pugačova (Czech version of To li eshche budet...)
• 1981 Alla Pugatšova. Tähtikesä (Alla Pugacheva. Starry summer; Kansan, Finland)
• 1982 U nas v gostjakh maestro (Our Guest is the Maestro) - live / split
• 1982 Parad Planet - split
• 1983 Million Roz (released in Japan) - compilation
• 1983 Alla Pugačova. Davna pisen (a Czech compilation)
• 1984 Alla Pugacheva - Soviet Superstar. Greatest Hits 1976-84 (World Record Music, Sweden) - compilation
• 1985 Alla Pugacheva - Soviet Superstar vol.2 (released by the World Record Music in Finland) - compilation
• 1988 Pesni vmesto pisem (Songs Instead Of Letters) - split with Udo Lindenberg
• 1989 Paromshik - (Ferryman) (Finnish release of Rechnoy paromshchik)
• 1991 Alla (Ritonis, Riga)
• 1994 Veryu v tebya (I Believe In You) - compilation
• 1995 Put' zvezdy (The Path of a Star) - compilation
• 1996 A 13 CD compilation of songs previously released only on LP and MC
• 1996 Poët Alla Pugacheva (Alla Pugacheva Sings (songs by Aleksandr Zazepin) - compilation
• 1997 Dve zvezdy (Two Stars; with Vladimir Kuzmin) - compilation / split
• 1998 Syurpriz ot Ally Pugachevy (Surprise from Alla Pugacheva) - tribute

CD singles

• 1997 Primadonna
• 2000 Bely sneg (White Snow)
• 2000 Madam Broshkina
• 2002 Eto Lyubov' (It's Love)

There is an unknown number of single and EP releases published all over the world.

Films and TV appearances

• 1978 Zhenshchina, kotoraya poët (The Woman Who Sings), Mosfilm
• 1981 Lyubovyu za lyubov' (Love After Love) Mosfilm
• 1984 Vstrechi s Alloy Pugachevoy (Meetings with Alla Pugacheva), USSR TV
• 1985 Prishla i govoryu (I Came and I'm Speaking), Mosfilm
• 1985 Sezon chudes (Season of Miracles), Odessa Film Studio
• 1989-2002 Rozhdestvenskie vstrechi (Christmas Meetings), USSR TV, Ostankino, Public Russian Television, Russian State Television
• 1995 Zhdi i pomni menya (Wait for Me, Remember Me), Public Russian Television
• 2003 Za dvumya zaytsami (Chasing Two Rabbits)

See also

• Best selling music artists - World's top selling music artists chart.

External links

• Alla Pugacheva fan club (in English & Russian)
• Russian Music on the net: Info on Alla Pugacheva with lyrics translated to English
• Alla Pugacheva discography at MusicBrainz
• Alla Pugacheva at IMDb
• Videos of Alla Pugacheva's Concert in Kremlin
• Alla Pugacheva on YouTube