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Anna Sergeyevna "Anita" Tsoy (russian: Анна Серге́евна "Анита" Цой; born Kim, russian: Ким; 7 February 1971,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
) is a Russian singer-songwriter of
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
descent.
She is a
Meritorious Artist
Merited Artist of the Russian Federation (russian: link=no, Заслуженный артист Российской Федерации, ''Zasluzhenny artist Rossiyskoy Federatsii'') is an honorary title in the Russian Federation. The title is ...
of Russia (2003).
Early life
Anita's grandfather, seeking free education, emigrated from
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
to the
Russian Far East
The Russian Far East (russian: Дальний Восток России, r=Dal'niy Vostok Rossii, p=ˈdalʲnʲɪj vɐˈstok rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a region in Northeast Asia. It is the easternmost part of Russia and the Asian continent; and is admin ...
. He, his wife and his children were later caught up in the
1937 deportation of the ''
Koryo-saram
Koryo-saram ( ko, 고려사람; russian: Корё сарам; uk, Корьо-сарам) is the name which ethnic Koreans in the post-Soviet states use to refer to themselves. The term is composed of two Korean words: "", a historical name for ...
'' to
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
. Anita's mother was born in 1944 in
Tashkent
Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of 2 ...
,
Uzbek SSR
Uzbekistan (, ) is the common English name for the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR; uz, Ўзбекистон Совет Социалистик Республикаси, Oʻzbekiston Sovet Sotsialistik Respublikasi, in Russian: Уз ...
,
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
and successfully graduated from the
Moscow State University
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...
and became a chemistry
doctor
Doctor or The Doctor may refer to:
Personal titles
* Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree
* A medical practitioner, including:
** Physician
** Surgeon
** Dentist
** Veterinary physician
** Optometrist
*Other roles
** ...
.
Tsoy's mother did everything she could to make her daughter educated in all kinds of arts. Anita's favourite one became music. She began
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...
lessons at a young age; she later studied
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
,
flute, and
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
.
When Tsoy became an adult, her mother was branded a "
class enemy
The term enemy of the people or enemy of the nation, is a designation for the political or class opponents of the subgroup in power within a larger group. The term implies that by opposing the ruling subgroup, the "enemies" in question are ac ...
" in the 1970s in response to her record of speaking out in support of
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...
-winning dissident
Andrei Sakharov
Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov ( rus, Андрей Дмитриевич Сахаров, p=ɐnˈdrʲej ˈdmʲitrʲɪjevʲɪtɕ ˈsaxərəf; 21 May 192114 December 1989) was a Soviet nuclear physicist, dissident, nobel laureate and activist for n ...
. For her dissidence, she was briefly committed to a mental institution and became a permanent invalid.
After leaving school Tsoy attended the
teacher training college
A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...
, then law school at
Moscow State University
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; russian: Московский государственный университет имени М. В. Ломоносова) is a public research university in Moscow, Russia and the most prestigious ...
, where she met her husband
Sergey Tsoy
Sergey Petrovich Tsoy (russian: Сергей Петрович Цой; born 1957) is a well-known Russian politician and journalist of Korean descent. He is a former Moscow City Hall official and is currently working as a deputy chairman of the ...
.
Career
After graduation, rather than becoming a teacher or lawyer, she began saving up money in order to launch a singing career, while her husband began working as a press secretary for
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
mayor
Yury Luzhkov
Yury Mikhailovich Luzhkov ( rus, Ю́рий Миха́йлович Лужко́в, p=ˈjʉrʲɪj mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ lʊˈʂkof; 21 September 1936 – 10 December 2019) was a Russian politician who served as mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010 ...
in 1994. Her first album ''Polyot'' (Полёт; ''Flight'') was released in 1997; she kept it a secret from her husband until after she had already signed the contract with her production company.
In 1998 her second album, named "Черный лебедь" ("The Black Swan") was released and in 1999 a concert show "Черный лебедь или храм любви" ("The Black Swan or a Love Palace") was held in the concert hall "Rossiya". This show was accepted as "Best Show of the Year" and Anita won an "Ovation" She went to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
in 2003 to record an
English-language album, where she worked with cinematic composer
Lee Holdridge
Lee Elwood Holdridge (born March 3, 1944) is a Haitian-born American composer, conductor, and orchestrator. A 18-time Emmy Award nominee, he has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards, two News & Documentary Emmy Awards, and one ...
; while there, she was offered a five-year contract as a solo vocalist in the
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil (, ; "Circus of the Sun" or "Sun Circus") is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world. Located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 Ju ...
, but turned it down in order to return to Russia and be near her family.
She records her third Russian dance solo-album "1000000 минут" ("1000000 Minutes") in 2003, which was introduced to public in the "Elevator" club, a former factory in Moscow. In 2005 a major show-concert "ANITA" was held in the "Rossiya" Concert Hall, Moscow, featuring high technology decorations like large LCD-screens and fountains on the stage. The show was considered to be one of the most successful ones in Russia and was released on DVD by
Universal Music
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. Tsoy recorded her fourth album "На восток" ("To The East") in 2007 and changed her image greatly since the 2003; she turns to
manga-
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
style. In autumn of the same year she performs with her "To The East" show, which attracted more than ten thousand people. Following the show, the DVD-recording of this live concert was released.
Both "ANITA" and "To The East" shows are considered to be one of the best live-performances in Russia and the recordings of these concerts were shown on
Channel One,
Muz-TV
Muz-TV (russian: Муз-ТВ, from Музыкальное телевидение - Music Television) is a Russian music TV channel, broadcasting since 1996. It is largely modelled after western MTV and predates launching of MTV Russia in 1998. M ...
and other influentable Russian channels.
Anita recorded 5 albums in total and won more than 10 major awards for both performing and charity during her 13-year career as a solo artist.
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._Rusradio.ru._Retrieved_on_5_August_2014.
_Summary_of_music_career
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. Russianlyrics.com. Retrieved on 5 August 2014.[Анита Цой .::. Артисты от А до Я. Музыкальный каталог .::. Русское Радио](_blank)
. Rusradio.ru. Retrieved on 5 August 2014.
Summary of music career
Tsoy is known for regularly changing her music style and image. She began performing as a nearly Rock music">rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
artist in 1997, later turned to dance music, and after 2006 several music styles present in her songs: Viktor Tsoi's rock followed by blues, R&B, and Eastern styled Pop music, pop
1997 – In memory of Viktor Tsoi
The first album "Полет" ('Flight") was recorded in 1997 and was named after Anita's first hit – single "Полет" ('Flight"). Most songs from it are written in
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
style, similar to the
Kino
Kino may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasters
* KINO, a radio station in Arizona, U.S.
* Kino FM (98.0 FM – Moscow), a Russian music radio station
* KinoTV, now Ruutu+ Leffat ja Sarjat, a Finnish TV channel
Fictional entiti ...
band's where
acoustic guitar plays the main role. This is because Anita was a great fan of theirs when she was young. Another hit – "Мама"("Mother") – was dedicated to orphaned children.
"The Black Swan" of Russian pop
In 1998
Anita's second album was released, called "The Black Swan" ("Черный лебедь"). Notable songs from this record are: "Far Away"("Далеко") and "Return"("Возвращайтесь") The second one was remixed in 2009 and became a key – single for the singer's "To Remember so that Life Continues" ("Помнить, чтобы жизнь продолжалась")
charity
Charity may refer to:
Giving
* Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons
* Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing
* C ...
concert tour
A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific to ...
.
[Анита Цой помогла семьям погибших в терактах , Звездный журнал](_blank)
. Zwezda.ru; retrieved 5 August 2014. In this album's tracks mostly
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
,
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
and
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
instruments take place and most songs are written in a
pop-rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...
style.
2003 – Switch to dance music
In 2003 Anita recorded her third
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
album, called "1000000 Minutes" ("1000000 минут"). Her first two records and this one can't be compared at all – almost all songs here are composed in a
Dance style. This album has four singles which became super – hits on radiostations: a title – track "1000000 Minutes" ("Миллион минут"), "Only for You" ("Одному тебе"), "Is that Love?" ("Это ли любовь?") and "Christmas Toys" ("Новогодние игрушки").
2007 – To The East
From 2003 till 2007 there were no recordings released due to large
piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
problems on the
media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass e ...
market
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
*Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
*Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
Geography
*Märket, an ...
in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
.
The album "To The East" ("На восток") was recorded in 2007 by
Universal Music
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
company. It is filled inside out with hit singles: seven of eleven tracks were tuned on radios and two of them: the title song "To The East" ("На восток") and "The Sky" ("Небо") became very popular among
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
people; Anita won two "Golden Gramophone" statuettes for these singles: one in 2006 and the other one – in 2007 (The "To The East" ("На восток") single had been written a year earlier before the album was recorded).
Combinations of
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
instruments and electronic
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
made this album's songs well distinguished from other artists' ones.
Anita and
Universal Music
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
announced that all the income from the album sales was going to be delivered to orphan asylums.
Charity
Aside from singing Anita Tsoy is known as an active contributor to charity. In 2001 she opened a charity foundation "Anita", which helped many children with congenital disablemen
She also works with such major charity companies as
Save the Children
The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
and
UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
.
In 2009 a concert tour was organized and all the profits from the concerts were sent to families, whose relatives died due to terrorist actions and coal mines collapses. The concerts were held in the cities of
Grozny
Grozny ( rus, Грозный, p=ˈgroznɨj; ce, Соьлжа-ГӀала, translit=Sölƶa-Ġala), also spelled Groznyy, is the capital city of Chechnya, Russia.
The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the 2010 census, it had a po ...
,
Beslan
Beslan (russian: Бесла́н; os, Беслӕн, ''Beslæn'', ) is a town and the administrative center of Pravoberezhny District of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia, located about north of the republic's capital Vladikavkaz, ...
,
Budyonnovsk and many others, located in Caucasian and Siberian areas. The tour was named "To Remember so that Life Continues" ("Помнить, чтобы жизнь продолжалась").
Several months before in the Barvikha Hall,
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
a big concert was arranged, where mostly businessmen and celebrities had been invited to. The income was about €160,000 – this amount of money was delivered to more than 50 children who became victims of the Chechen massacre in
Beslan
Beslan (russian: Бесла́н; os, Беслӕн, ''Beslæn'', ) is a town and the administrative center of Pravoberezhny District of the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania, Russia, located about north of the republic's capital Vladikavkaz, ...
.
Current career
Anita Tsoy was appointed as an "Ambassador of Korean Culture and Tourism" between Russia and South Korea by
South Korean president
The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (often abbreviated to POTROK or POSK; ), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Korea. The president leads the State Council, and is ...
Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun (; ; 1 September 1946 – 23 May 2009) was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the ninth president of South Korea between 2003 and 2008.
Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for ...
during his official visit to Russia in 2004.
It was announced on the singer's official site that a new album, called "Глубина"("Depth") is going to be recorded. The release date is not mentioned. Anita Tsoy is going to play in the upcoming "
Michael Strogoff
''Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar'' (french: Michel Strogoff) is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876. Critic Leonard S. Davidow, considers it one of Verne's best books. Davidow wrote, "Jules Verne has written no better book than t ...
" French musical in 2010 – 2011.
In April and May 2022, Tsoy participated in a series of concerts organized in order to support the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
. In January 2023, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Anita for her support of the invasion.
Albums
* "Полет" ("Flight") – 1997
* "Черный лебедь" ("The Black Swan") – 1998
* "I'll remember you" (Recorded in the USA) – 2000
* "1000000 минут" ("1000000 minutes") – 2003
* "На восток" ("To The East") – 2007
* "Твоя А" ("Your A") – 2011
Live concerts
*"Полет к новым мирам" ("A Flight to New Worlds") – 1998
*"Черный лебедь или храм любви" ("The Black Swan or a Love Palace") – 1999, 2000 (symphonic version)
*"1000000 минут" ("1000000 Minutes") – 2003
*"ANITA" – 2005
*"На восток" ("To The East") – 2007
*"Помнить, чтобы жизнь продолжалась" ("To Remember so that Life Continues") – 2009 (Charity Concert Tour)
* "THE BEST" – 2010
Awards
*"Honoured Worker of
Kuzbass for active participation in charity, 2009
Певица Анита Цой стала почетным работником Кузбасса , РИА Новости
. Rian.ru (27 April 2009). Retrieved on 5 August 2014.
*"Golden Gramophone", 2007
*"Golden Gramophone", 2006
*A True Professional of Russia, 2005
*"Mezenat" for active participation in charity, 2004
*"Pillar" for the artist's talent, 2004
*"For Russia's renewal", 2004
* Meritorious Artist of Russia, 2003
*"Olympia" for active participation in charity, 2002
*National Musical Prize "Ovation" – Best Show of the Year, 1999
*National Musical Prize "Ovation" – A Discovery of the Year, 1998
References
External links
AnitaTsoy.RU
Blog
A fan site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tsoy, Anita
1971 births
Living people
Koryo-saram
Singers from Moscow
Russian people of Korean descent
Russian pop singers
Mezzo-sopranos
Honored Artists of the Russian Federation
Russian television presenters
Russian folk-pop singers
21st-century Russian singers
21st-century Russian women singers
Russian women television presenters
Winners of the Golden Gramophone Award