Anastasia Prikhodko

Anastasiya Prikhodko



Анастасія Приходько



Background information
Born April 21, 1987
Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Origin Kiev, Ukraine
Genre(s) Folk, Folk rock, Rock
Occupation(s) singer
Instrument(s) voice, guitar, flute, piano
Voice type(s) contralto
Years active 2005-present
Website Anastasiya Prikhodko. Mamo ( http://anastasiya-prikhodko.com/?lang=en ) (Russian)/(English)

Official Website ( http://www.anastasya-prikhodko.com/ ) (Ukrainian)


Anastasiya Kostyantynivna Prikhodko (Ukrainian: Анастасія Костянтинівна Приходько; Russian: Анастаси́я Константи́новна Прихо́дько, Anastasiya Konstantínovna Prikhod'ko; born on April 21, 1987 in Kiev, Ukraine[1]) is a Ukrainian folk rock and traditional pop singer, known for her deep contralto. She won the Russian Star Factory contest in 2007. Prikhodko represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 on May 16 2009 in Moscow finishing at the 11th position.[2] Her Eurovision entry song "Mamo" made it to the top 22 of the airplay charts of Latvia, Russia, and Ukraine, and the download chart of Finland.Contents

1 Biography
1.1 Ukrainian national selection for Eurovision Song Contest 2009
1.2 Russian Eurovision selection
1.3 Eurovision Song Contest Final performance
1.4 Chart success
2 Tours
3 Artistry
4 Personality



Biography



Anastasiya Prikhodko was born in Kiev, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Her mother is a theater critic and is working for the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine.[3] Prikhodko graduated from the Kiev National University of Culture and Arts, majoring in folk vocal.

Prikhodko won the seventh edition of the Russian television singing talent contest Star Factory.During the show, Prikhodko was filmed telling another contestant that she did not like the Chinese people and the blacks. She apologized about this shortly after the incident.

Ukrainian national selection for Eurovision Song Contest 2009

Prikhodko entered the Ukrainian national selection for the 2009 Eurovision in the semi-final. She was disqualified for performing the song called "Vsë dlya tebya" from her repertoire of her times of the Star Factory TV show. The National Jury saw it as a violation of Paragraph 4.3 of the Rules of Eurovision Song Competition issued by the National Television Company of Ukraine on 31 October 2008 prohibiting to perform anything else in the semi-final but the Eurovision entry. In excplicit words, the paragraph said:"On 8 February 2009 on the improvised stage set in the NTVU studios, the 30 semi-finalists perform their competition songs live."Prikhodko's interpretation of the rules was that as her Eurovision entry song "Mamo" had been submitted already in the first round of the competition, the rules did not require her to perform the song before the final. In Prikhodko's understanding, the semi final had been just a showcase of the contestant's vocal talents. She and her manager Olena Mozhova (ex-wife of Oleksandr Ponomaryov, one of the members of the Jury) immediately claimed that both broadcaster NTU and the jury members did not use trustworthy methods to choose the contestants for the final. The duo send a letter to the President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko in which Prikhodko stated: "as a citizen of Ukraine, native Kyivan, patriot of the country, I was deeply staggered by the impertinent actions and unethical comments of representatives of NTU, and also members of the so-called "objective, impartial and independent" judges of the competition... I only ask for an honest chance to come forward before an All-Ukrainian audience in the finale of the National selection". The letter was co-signed by Konstantin Meladze and fellow Ukrainian artists Sofia Rotaru, Mykola Mozhovyy and Tina Karol.The Ukrainian national final, held on 8 March (2009), was temporarily suspended by a court based in Kiev due to Prikhodko's protests. Prikhodko claims, the court ruled in favour of her. By that time, she had already applied for participation in the Russian national selection, calling it "the fate".

Russian Eurovision selection

Prikhodko entered the final round of the Russian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 on 7 March, winning with "Mamo" ("Mum") which was both the viewers' and experts' choice at the Russian national preselection on March 7, 2009. Prikhodko sang her entry in both Russian and Ukrainian. "I'm convinced, when representing one's country, one should sing in the native language," she said:"Russian preselection committee has agreed to my principal condition - to perform "Mamo" in the final of Russian preselection in both Ukrainian and Russian languages". After the final, Iosif Prigozhin the producer of the losing finalist Valeriya stated: “A song performed in Ukrainian can’t have anything to do with Russia”. Valeriya herself sang in English. Prikhodko's win of the Russian national selection for the 2009 Eurovision sparked allegations of vote-rigging.

Anastasiya Prikhodko at the dress rehearsal of the Final of the Eurovision Song Contest, 2009. At the background, a video of her ageing is shown.

Eurovision Song Contest Final performance

Prikhodko became the second non-Russian singer (the first being Natalia Podolskaya) to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest. Against the usual Eurovision canons, the final performance did not include choreography but concentrated on Prikhodko's vocal skills and emotions. The giant floating screens at the background of the stage featured a video of her face ageing from a twenty year old to a seventy year old.She finished at the 11th place in 91 points.

Chart success

In May 2009, Prikhodko's "Mamo" peaked at the 12th position of the Ukrainian Airplay Chart, 22nd of the Russian Airplay Chart,[ 22nd of the Finnish Download Chart, and 22nd of the Latvian Airplay Top. In the April monthly Russian Airplay Chart, "Mamo" occupied the 78th place with 13,716 airings. In Kiev April monthly chart, "Mamo" was 24th.

Tours

Prikhodko has announced a tour of ten solo concerts to be performed in ten East Ukrainian cities from 17 to 27 June, 2009.[24]

Artistry

Anastasiya Prikhodko has a rarely deep contralto, combined with her folk vocal training. Her repertoire are atypical songs in a minor key with a touch of folk style, performed in Ukrainian and Russian. Prikhodko composes part of her songs herself. She plays the flute, the guitar and the pianoforte, with the latter as her favourite instrument. Prikhodko pays great attention to the critique, and always tries to improve herself accordingly.

Personality

Prikhodko's positive nature was described by the official site of the Eurovision Song Contest as: "...kind, smart and friendly..." Prikhodko appreciates her financial independence. Her hobbies include chess, horse riding and fashion. Her favourite outfits are black.Politically, she described herself (in a letter to the President of Ukraine) as a "patriot of the country" and at a February 18, 2009 press conference "a true Ukrainian singer". In a later interview she expressed her feelings about Russia, stating there was a: "...spiritual and historical affinity between Russia and Ukraine. It would be a sin to forget about one or the other."