Emin Aras oghlu Agalarov ( az, Emin Araz oğlu Ağalarov, russian: Эмин Аразович Агаларов; born December 12, 1979), also known as Emin Arazovich Agalarov, is an
Azerbaijani-
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n singer and businessman. He writes and performs songs in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Azerbaijani and
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 ...
and is widely popular in
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
.
Early life
Emin Arasovich Agalarov was born in
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
, Azerbaijan. He is the son of Azerbaijani–Russian
oligarch Aras Agalarov
Aras Iskanderovich Agalarov ( az, Araz İsgəndəroviç Ağalarov; russian: link=no, Ара́з Исканде́рович Агала́ров; born 8 November 1955) is an Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire real estate developer. Several sources ha ...
, head of the .
Emin's father is Azerbaijani and his mother is
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
. He considers himself a Muslim. His family moved to
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 million ...
when Emin was four years old. When he was 13, his parents sent him to a school in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
Agalarov moved to
Tenafly, New Jersey
Tenafly () is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 census the borough had a population of 15,409, in 1994 and graduated from
Tenafly High School
Tenafly High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school in Tenafly in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Tenafly Public Schools. ...
in 1997.
He graduated from
Marymount Manhattan College
Marymount Manhattan College is a private college on the Upper East Side of New York City. As of 2020, enrollment consists of 1,571 undergraduates with women making up 80.1% and men 19.9% of student enrollment. The college was founded in 1936.
Hi ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Business career
When he came back to Kuala Lumpur in 1995, he was named as commercial director of Crocus Group. In 2011, he was promoted to vice president of Crocus Group. Since 2014, he has held the position of executive vice president of Crocus Group. As part of his responsibilities, he oversees the following ventures:
* The F1RST chain of retail-entertainment complexes. At present there are two locations – VEGAS
Kashirskoe Shosse (480,000 m2) and VEGAS Crocus City complex, also in
Moscow Oblast
Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally "under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Rus ...
, (285,000 m2) – with a third location, VEGAS
Kuntsevo
Kúntsevo (russian: Ку́нцево) is a district in Western Administrative Okrug of the federal city of Moscow, Russia. Population:
History
In the 18th century, a palace and a park were built; they were often visited by the Empress Catheri ...
, which opened in 2017.
* The restaurant portfolio of "Restaurants by Crocus Group," which includes the chain of the legendary
Nobu restaurant
Nobu Hospitality, LLC is an American company founded by Nobu Matsuhisa, Robert De Niro, and Meir Teper in partnerships with Drew Nieporent as an Operator with Myriad Restaurant Group.
Background
In 1987, Nobu Matsuhisa moved to Los Angeles ...
s; the Zafferano franchise, dedicated to modern Azerbaijani cuisine; the Edoko franchise of Japanese of sushi-bars; the Rose Bar franchise; Forte Bello, serving family-style Italian cooking; and Backstage.
* The
Crocus City Mall
Crocus City Mall is a shopping mall located in Krasnogorsk, a western suburb of Moscow, Russia.
Development
Developed by Aras Agalarov's Crocus International, the site is located near the Moscow Oblast Administrative HQ, just outside Moscow's MK ...
luxury shopping center.
* Crocus Fashion Retail, featuring designer boutiques from
Sergio Rossi
Sergio Rossi is an Italian fashion brand which focuses on footwear. Founded in Italy in 1951, the brand was acquired by the Gucci Group in 1999. It then became part of the Kering Group under François Pinault, from 2005 until 2016, when Invest ...
(2), Casadei, Le Silla, Alberto Guardiani, Artioli, Santoni, and
Cesare Paciotti
Cesare Paciotti (born 1 January 1958) is a shoe designer from Italy. His eponymous company makes luxury shoes and other leather goods, including jewelry and watches, and he is famous for its dagger logo.
Biography
Cesare Paciotti was born from ...
, as well as the multi-brand boutique,
Crocus Fashion, three Crocus Stok stores, Crocus Atelier Couture, and the luxury watch-maker UBOAT.
*
Crocus City Hall
The Crocus City Hall (russian: Крокус-Сити-холл) is a music venue administratively located in ''Krasnogorsk Urban Settlement'' (near the city of Krasnogorsk) in the Krasnogorsky District (north-west to Moscow Ring Road). The ven ...
concert venue.
* Vegas City Hall, a concert venue slated to open in
VEGAS Crocus City in 2016.
* Sea Breeze Resort (
Nardaran
Nardaran is a settlement and municipality on the Abşeron Peninsula in Baku, Azerbaijan. It has a population of 8,300. Located 25 kilometers northeast of central Baku, it is politically part of the Baku city-subdivision and treated as a suburb. ...
,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
).
Music career
Emin's interest in music began in
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
whilst in 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 territorie ...
. After graduating from high school, he returned to Russia, where he continued to write songs. In 2005 he began working with his vocal and music teacher, the Azerbaijani singer
Muslim Magomayev, to whom he pays tribute in his concerts.
In 2006 Emin gained attention for his debut studio album ''Still'' which in the first six months sold 70,000 copies in Russia and an additional 30,000 copies in
CIS
Cis or cis- may refer to:
Places
* Cis, Trentino, in Italy
* In Poland:
** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central
** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north
Math, science and biology
* cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
countries.
He then released an album per year: ''Incredible'' in 2007, ''Obsession'' (a set of classic
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
and
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
songs) in 2008;
and in 2009, ''Devotion''. Each of these albums was supported by concerts in Moscow and Baku.
In 2010, Emin relocated to London to work with producer
Brian Rawling
Brian Rawling is a British record producer and songwriter. He is the managing director of publisher and production company Metrophonic. Rawling has produced singles and albums for artists such as Cher, with whom he won a Grammy in 1999 for his w ...
and to focus on the UK music market. Emin's album ''Wonder'' was released in Russia and CIS in November 2010 and in the UK on 21 March 2011. The song "Heart Keeps Beating" was the first single in Russia from his second album ''After the Thunder'' and received good radio airplay on
Russian Radio
"Russian Radio" is a song by the British-American synthpop band Red Flag, released as a single in 1988. The song charted highly on the US '' Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' maga ...
in 2012.
Emin's first single from his 2012 album ''After The Thunder'' was the song "
Baby Get Higher
Baby Get Higher is a song written by Scottish musician, singer and songwriter David Sneddon. This song written by Sneddon with Graham Stack, Mark Read was his fourth single release and it was not featured on his debut album '' Seven Years - Te ...
" written by
David Sneddon
David Sneddon (born 15 September 1978) is a Scottish singer, songwriter, musician and music producer of contemporary pop music. He began his career performing on stage and television, singing lead roles in stage musicals in Glasgow. In 2002, h ...
,
Graham Stack,
Mark Read and was added to the
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
A-List in April 2012.
On May 26, 2012, Emin was the local interval act during intermission on the
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
that was held in Baku. Emin performed "Never Enough", a track taken from the album ''After the Thunder''.
Emin was the opening act for
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...
's September 23, 2012, concert in Baku.
Emin performed "In Another Life" in a music video with
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
and Miss Universe 2013 contestants.
Contestants were required to appear in the video without pay.
In May 2014, Emin won the award for Best-selling Azerbaijan Artist at the
2014 World Music Awards
The 2014 World Music Awards was a music awards ceremony that was held on May 27, 2014, at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo, Monaco. It was the 22nd edition of the show since its start in 1989, and the first ceremony since 2010, after which it ...
.
In 2016, Emin with Grigory Leps and Sergey Kozhevnikov started the
"ZHARA" International Music Festival.
Relationship with Donald Trump
In January 2013, Agalarov and his father visited
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
, after
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
, the beauty pageant's owner, announced at
Miss Universe 2012
Miss Universe 2012 was the 61st Miss Universe pageant, held at the PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on December 19, 2012.
At the end of the event, Leila Lopes of Angola crowned Olivia Culpo of ...
that the next competition would be hosted at
Crocus City Hall
The Crocus City Hall (russian: Крокус-Сити-холл) is a music venue administratively located in ''Krasnogorsk Urban Settlement'' (near the city of Krasnogorsk) in the Krasnogorsky District (north-west to Moscow Ring Road). The ven ...
, owned by Emin's father Aras, in Moscow.
In November 2013, Agalarov's father hosted
Miss Universe 2013
Miss Universe 2013 was the 62nd Miss Universe pageant, held at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow, Russia on November 9, 2013.
At the end of the event, Olivia Culpo of the United States crowned Gabriela Isler of Venezuela as Miss Uni ...
at his Crocus City Hall in Moscow.
Agalarov performed during the evening gown competition section. He also made a music video with Trump and the contestants.
Contestants were required to appear in the video without pay.
Agalarov reportedly "offered to send prostitutes to Trump's hotel room" during Trump's trip to Moscow, "but the repeated offers were rejected by
Keith Schiller
Keith Schiller (born c. 1959) is an American former law enforcement official and security consultant who served as Deputy Assistant to U.S. President Donald Trump and Director of Oval Office Operations. Prior to his appointment in the Trump adm ...
, Trump's longtime bodyguard."
Herman Gref
Hermann Gräf (russian: Герман Оскарович Греф, translit=German Oskarovich Gref, born February 8, 1964), better known as Herman Gref, is a Russian politician and businessman. He was the Minister of Economics and Trade of Russi ...
, who runs
Sberbank of Russia
PJSC Sberbank (russian: Сбербанк, initially a contraction of russian: сберегательный банк, translit=sberegatelnyy bank, lit=savings bank, link=no) is a Russian majority state-owned banking and financial services compan ...
, Agalarov and his father hosted a dinner for Trump on the night of the pageant.
While in Moscow,
Phil Ruffin
Phillip Gene Ruffin (born March 14, 1935) is an American businessman. He owns the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino and Circus Circus Las Vegas, Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, in addition to a number of other enterprises including hot ...
, who is a partner in
Trump International Hotel Las Vegas
The Trump International Hotel Las Vegas is a 64-story hotel, condominium, and timeshare located on Fashion Show Drive in Paradise, Nevada, US, named for owner Donald Trump, who later became US president. It is located down the street from Wynn La ...
, and Trump met with Agalarov and his father at the
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC is an American multinational company that operates the luxury hotel chain known as The Ritz-Carlton. The company has 108 luxury hotels and resorts in 30 countries and territories with 29,158 rooms, in addit ...
.
Agalarov and his publicist,
Rob Goldstone
Robert Ian Goldstone (born 3 December 1960) is a British publicist, music manager, and former tabloid journalist who gained international attention for his activities during the 2016 American presidential election campaign.
Early life and ca ...
, helped arrange the
June 2016 meeting between
Donald Trump Jr.
Donald John Trump Jr. (born December 31, 1977) is an American political activist, businessman, author, and former television presenter. He is the eldest child of Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, and his firs ...
,
Jared Kushner
Jared Corey Kushner (born January 10, 1981) is an American businessman and investor. He served as a senior advisor to 45th U.S. president Donald Trump, his father-in-law. Since leaving the White House, Kushner founded Affinity Partners, a pri ...
,
Paul Manafort
Paul John Manafort Jr. (; born April 1, 1949) is an American lobbyist, political consultant, and attorney. A long-time Republican Party campaign consultant, he chaired the Trump presidential campaign from June to August 2016. Manafort served ...
, Russian lawyer
Natalia Veselnitskaya
Natalia Vladimirovna Veselnitskaya ( rus, Ната́лья Влади́мировна Весельни́цкая, p=nɐˈtalʲjə vʲɪsʲɪlʲˈnʲitskəjə; born 22 February 1975 Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union) is a R ...
, and
Ike Kaveladze
Irakly "Ike" Kaveladze (Georgian: ირაკლი კაველაძე) is a Georgian-American business executive. He is senior vice president at , the real estate development company run by Aras Agalarov. He was one of eight people attend ...
. Goldstone wrote in an email later published by Trump Jr. that the Russian government wanted to leak damaging information on
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
to the Trump campaign.
Personal life
Emin Agalarov is the son of
Aras Agalarov
Aras Iskanderovich Agalarov ( az, Araz İsgəndəroviç Ağalarov; russian: link=no, Ара́з Исканде́рович Агала́ров; born 8 November 1955) is an Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire real estate developer. Several sources ha ...
, an Azerbaijani-Russian billionaire. From 2006 to 2015, he was married to
Leyla Aliyeva
Leyla Aliyeva ( az, Leyla İlham qızı Əliyeva, born 3 July 1984) is the first daughter of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
Early life
According to her personal website, Aliyeva was born in Moscow on 3 July 1985. From 2006 to 2008, ...
, the daughter of the
President of Azerbaijan
The president of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the head of state of Azerbaijan. The Constitution states that the president is the embodiment of executive power, commander-in-chief, "representative of Azerbaijan in home and foreign policies", ...
,
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Heydar oghlu Aliyev ( az, İlham Heydər oğlu Əliyev, ; born 24 December 1961) is the fourth president of Azerbaijan, serving in the post since 31 October 2003.
The son and second child of the former Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev, ...
. The couple had twin sons in 2008 and adopted a girl, Amina, after their divorce, in 2015. In 2018, Agalarov married the former model and businesswoman Alyona Gavrilova and had a baby girl, Afina (Афина) .
The couple divorced in 2020.
Discography
Albums
Singles
*2011: "Any Time You Fall"
*2012: "Heart Keeps Beating"
*2012: "Baby Get Higher"
*2012: "Never Enough"
*2012: "Walk Through Walls"
*2013: "Amor" / "In Another Life"
*2014: "Смотришь в небо" (with
Loboda)
*2015: "Boomerang" (feat.
Nile Rogers)
*2017: "Good Love"
*2018: "Азербайджан" (contains Azerbaijani lyrics)
*2018: "Розы" (with
Grigory Leps
Grigory Viktorovich Lepsveridze (russian: link=no, Григо́рий Ви́кторович Лепсверидзе, ka, გრიგორი ვიქტორის ძე ლეფსვერიძე), known as Grigory Leps (born 16 July ...
)
*2019: "Нежная"
*2019: "Мой Азербайджан" (with
Maxim Fadeev
Maxim "Max" Aleksandrovich Fadeev (russian: link=no, Макси́м Алекса́ндрович Фаде́ев) (born 6 May 1968) is a Russian singer-songwriter, composer and producer.
Biography Early life and career
Maxim Fadeev was born on ...
)
*2020: "MMM"
*2020: "Ну почему?" (with
HammAli & Navai)
*2020: "Камин" (with
JONY Jony is a masculine given name or nickname (often of Jonathan) and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
* JONY (real name — Jahid Afrail oglu Huseynli (; born 29 February 1996, Baku, Azerbaijan), Azerbaijani-Russian singer and ...
)
*2020: "Аперитив" (with
Grigory Leps
Grigory Viktorovich Lepsveridze (russian: link=no, Григо́рий Ви́кторович Лепсверидзе, ka, გრიგორი ვიქტორის ძე ლეფსვერიძე), known as Grigory Leps (born 16 July ...
)
*2022: "О любви"
DVDs
*2012: ''After the Thunder''
Filmography
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agalarov, Emin
Living people
Businesspeople from Baku
People from Tenafly, New Jersey
Tenafly High School alumni
Singers from Moscow
21st-century Azerbaijani male singers
Azerbaijani expatriates in Russia
Azerbaijani pop singers
Azerbaijani singer-songwriters
Musicians from Baku
Russian pop singers
Russian singer-songwriters
Russians associated with interference in the 2016 United States elections
Azerbaijani Shia Muslims
Russian Shia Muslims
Azerbaijani people of Jewish descent
Russian people of Azerbaijani descent
People associated with Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections
Marymount Manhattan College alumni
Agalarov family
1979 births
21st-century Russian male singers
21st-century Russian singers