Sofiia Mykhailivna Yevdokymenko-Rotaru (born 7 August 1947), known as Sofia Rotaru ( uk, Софія Михайлівна Ротару ; russian: link=no, Софи́я Миха́йловна Рота́ру; ro, Sofia Rotaru), is a former
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
pop singer of
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
origin.
Rotaru, nicknamed "Bukovinsky Solovey" ("the Nightingale from
Bukovina
Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
"),
emerged in 1966 as a pop folk star in the movie ''
Solovei iz sela Marshyntsi'' (Nightingale from
Marshyntsi
Marshyntsi ( uk, Маршинці; ro, Marșenița) is one of the Romanian-speaking villages of the Chernivtsi Raion (district) of Chernivtsi Oblast (province) in western Ukraine (the historical region of Bessarabia). It belongs to Novoselytsia ...
) in the Romanian and Ukrainian-speaking world after her manager and future husband
Anatoliy Yevdokymenko made her change her music style from folk to pop music
with
Chervona Ruta.
In 1972, she released the multilingual album ''
Sofia Rotaru
Sofiia Mykhailivna Yevdokymenko-Rotaru (born 7 August 1947), known as Sofia Rotaru ( uk, Софія Михайлівна Ротару ; russian: link=no, Софи́я Миха́йловна Рота́ру; ro, Sofia Rotaru), is a former Ukrainia ...
'', re-released three times and covered by numerous singers, establishing herself as a viable pop artist in the countries of the former Soviet Union. She first gained international recognition after participating in 1968 in the International Youth Song Festival in Bulgaria
and winning first prize at the
Golden Orpheus
The Golden Orpheus ( bg, Златният Орфей, ''Zlatniyat Orfey'') was an international song contest, held annually from 1965 to 1999 in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. Alongside its Bulgarian pop song competition, the festival’s rules and regula ...
in 1973 and second prize in the category of Polish songs at the
Sopot International Song Festival
The Sopot International Song Festival or Sopot Festival (later called ''Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix'', ''Sopot Top of the Top Festival'' from 2012–13 and ''Polsat Sopot Festival'' in 2014) is an annual international song contest held in So ...
in 1974. In the former USSR her career was marked by her stage success and numerous controversies. She has been acknowledged
by the
Kyiv Patriarchate.
Rotaru has been performing for more than 40 years. and topped the Moscow airplay with "Ya nazvu planetu imenem tvoim" in 2008.
She reported the highest income of all celebrities in Ukraine in 2008 and 2010.
Her repertoire consists of more than 40 albums and 400 songs recorded in many languages. She has received awards, deemed a Meritorious Artist of the Ukrainian SSR,
People's Artist of Ukraine
People's Artist of Ukraine is an honorary and the highest title awarding to outstanding performing artists whose merits are exceptional in the sphere of the development of the performing arts (theatre, music, dance, circus, cinema, etc.).
Establ ...
, People's Artist of Moldavian SSR, Laureate of the Young Communist League Prize, Hero of Moldova, and Cavalier of the Republican Order of Moldova. In August 2002 former
President of Ukraine
The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma ( uk, Леоні́д Дани́лович Ку́чма; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. Kuchma's presidency saw numerous corrup ...
and
President of Russia
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
gave awards to Sofia Rotaru for her 55th birthday, bestowing upon her the high rank of the
Hero of Ukraine
Hero of Ukraine (HOU; uk, Герой України, ''Heroi Ukrainy'') is the highest national title that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the President of Ukraine. The title was created in 1998 by President Leonid Kuchma and as ...
for her "outstanding personal merits in the sphere of art", and the Russian
order "For merits before the Nation", respectively.
Rotaru's official surname is ''Yevdokymenko-Rotaru'' ( ua, Євдокименко-Ротару). Yevdokymenko was the surname of her late husband.
Yalta
Yalta (: Я́лта) is a resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crimea ...
is her main residence, although she also has homes in Moscow,
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
, and
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the states of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos (river), Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the ...
.
Early life
Sofia Rotaru, who comes from the
Romanian minority in Ukraine, was born in
Marshyntsi
Marshyntsi ( uk, Маршинці; ro, Marșenița) is one of the Romanian-speaking villages of the Chernivtsi Raion (district) of Chernivtsi Oblast (province) in western Ukraine (the historical region of Bessarabia). It belongs to Novoselytsia ...
(''Marșenița''),
Chernivtsi Oblast
Chernivtsi Oblast ( uk, Черніве́цька о́бласть, Chernivetska oblast), also referred to as Chernivechchyna ( uk, Чернівеччина) is an oblast (province) in Western Ukraine, consisting of the northern parts of the regio ...
to a family of brigadiers and wine-growers. Marshyntsi is a village of
Novoselytskyi Raion (''Noua Suliță''), close to the border with
Moldova
Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
and the majority of its population is Romanophone (
Romanian language
Romanian (obsolete spellings: Rumanian or Roumanian; autonym: ''limba română'' , or ''românește'', ) is the official and main language of Romania and the Moldova, Republic of Moldova. As a minority language it is spoken by stable communi ...
speakers). She was the second child in a family of six children. Her siblings are Zina, Lidia, Aurica, Eugen and Anatol. A passport office employee misreported her birthdate on her passport as 9 August; as a result, Rotaru reportedly celebrates her birthday twice.
Her father, Mykhail Fedorovich Rotaru, spent
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
as a heavy
machine gunner
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
and traveled to
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
. Injured, he returned home only in 1946, and was the first person to join the
Communist Party
A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of ''The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A ...
in the village. Her older sister, Zinaida ("Zina"), was born on 11 October 1942. Zina endured severe childhood illness and went blind, but possessed perfect pitch and easily memorized new songs so she taught Sofia folk songs. Sofia said of her elder sister: "We all learned from her – what a musical memory, what a soul!". Zina spent hours listening to the radio and learned numerous songs, as well as the Russian language, which she later taught to her brothers and sisters. At home, the Rotaru family spoke only
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
. As a child, Sofia participated in regional competitions of
pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) ( gr, πένταθλον). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of t ...
and running.
She started singing from the first grade in the school choir, as well as in the church choir. However the latter was not acceptable to the school officials. Hence, she was threatened with an exclusion from the
Young Pioneer
A pioneer movement is an organization for children operated by a communist party. Typically children enter into the organization in elementary school and continue until adolescence. The adolescents then typically join the Young Communist League ...
organization. Rotaru was attracted by the theatre. She practiced in drama classes and sang popular folk songs in vocal classes. In the evenings, she used to take the only
bayan at school and hide in the barn trying to find the proper melodies for her most loved Moldavian songs. Rotaru said:
Career
1962–1964: Career start and Ukrainian pop-folk
Rotaru's victory at a vocal competition of amateur performers opened the door to a regional review in 1962. In 1963 in Chernivtsi, she earned a first degree diploma at the regional amateur art review. In 1964, she won the all-republic festival of popular talents in Kyiv. On this occasion her picture made it on the cover of No. 27 of the magazine ''Ukraine'' in 1965. After graduation from high school, Rotaru decided to become a singer and entered the vocal and conductor department of the Chernivtsi Musical College. In addition, she took lessons at
Chernivtsi Philharmonic from the famed singer and actress
Sidi Tal
Sidi L'vovna Tal' (russian: Сиди Львовна Таль) or Sidy Thal (born yi, Sorele Birkental ''(Сореле Биркенталь)'' on 8 September 1912 – died 17 August 1983) was a prominent, popular Jewish singer and actress in the Y ...
. In 1964, Rotaru performed at the
State Kremlin Palace
The State Kremlin Palace (russian: Государственный Кремлёвский Дворец), formerly and unofficially still better known as the Kremlin Palace of Congresses (Кремлёвский Дворец съездов), is a ...
. The first pop song she performed was "Mama" by Alexander Bronevitskiy.
1968–1973: International recognition
In 1968, after graduation from college, Rotaru performed as a delegate of the IX World Festival of Youth and Students in
the capital of Bulgaria, as a member of an artistic group. She won First Prize in the competition of singers of folk popular songs. Bulgarian newspapers were full of headlines: "21-year old Sofia has conquered Sofia". Her performances of the Ukrainian folk pop song "Na kameni stoyu" (Standing on the Stone), Moldavian folk pop songs and "Valentina" by Gheorghite made headlines. The latter song was dedicated to the first female
cosmonaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
Valentina Tereshkova
Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova ( rus, Валентина Владимировна Терешкова, links=no, p=vɐlʲɪnʲˈtʲinə vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvnə tʲɪrʲɪʂˈkovə, a=Valentina Tereshkova.ogg; born 6 March 1937) is an engine ...
,
who was present in the concert hall. In 1968, Rotaru married Anatoliy Yevdokymenko, who at that time was a student at Chernivtsi University and a trumpet player in a student pop band.
In 1971, producer Roman Alekseev shot a
musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...
''
Chervona Ruta'' for Ukrtelefilm. The plot was about the tender and pure love of a girl from the mountains (played by Rotaru) and her relationship with a man from the industrial city of
Donetsk
Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
. The name of the film means
rue
''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of ''Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Balkan Peninsula. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for its bluis ...
, a flower derived from an ancient
Carpathian
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
legend
A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...
. Rue blossoms only on
Ivan Kupala Night and the girl who succeeds in finding a blooming rue will be happy in love. Songs of the composer
Volodymyr Ivasyuk
Volodymyr Mykhailovych Ivasyuk or Volodymyr Ivasiuk ( uk, Володи́мир Миха́йлович Івасю́к) (4 March 1949 – 24–27 April 1979) was a Ukrainian songwriter, composer and poet. He is the author and composer of the wid ...
and other writers were co-performed by Zinkevich, Yaremchuk and other singers. The film enjoyed significant success. After the film was released, Rotaru received an offer to work in the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Society and with a backing ensemble called
Chervona Ruta. Anatoliy Yevdokymenko, Rotaru's husband, became the artistic director of the ensemble.
As a result of collaborating with Volodymyr Ivasyuk, a cycle of songs was written based on the
roots revival
A roots revival (folk revival) is a trend which includes young performers popularizing the traditional musical styles of their ancestors. Often, roots revivals include an addition of newly composed songs with socially and politically aware ly ...
material in an orchestration characteristic of the 1960s and the 1970s in
Continental Europe
Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...
. Resulting works brought Rotaru great popularity in the Soviet Union, especially in Ukraine. This was largely due to the fact that the Soviet authorities eagerly promoted her art as an example of international Soviet culture, as she was an ethnic Moldavian/Romanian singing in Moldavian/Romanian, Ukrainian and Russian languages. Consequently, Rotaru gained regular airplay on state radio and television and was systematically billed for state-organized concerts.
In 1972, Rotaru and Chervona Ruta participated in a tour in Poland with the programme ''Pesni i tantsy Strany Sovetov'' (Songs and Dances of the Country of Soviets).
In the same year Sofia Rotaru collaborated with
Don Backy
Don Backy (real name Aldo Caponi; born 21 August 1939) is an Italian singer, songwriter and actor. He collaborated with Sofia Rotaru for "Grey Bird" – Ukrainian version of Italian song " L'immensità"— "Сизокрилий птах".
Select ...
, performing the Ukrainian version of his hit from the 60s L'immensità - "Syzokrylyi ptakh".
In 1973, she received First Prize at the international contest of
Golden Orpheus
The Golden Orpheus ( bg, Златният Орфей, ''Zlatniyat Orfey'') was an international song contest, held annually from 1965 to 1999 in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. Alongside its Bulgarian pop song competition, the festival’s rules and regula ...
in
Burgas
Burgas ( bg, Бургас, ), sometimes transliterated as ''Bourgas'', is the second largest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast in the region of Northern Thrace and the fourth-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna, with a popu ...
, Bulgaria, performing the song "Moy gorod" ("My city") and Second Prize in the category of foreign performance of a song in the Bulgarian language. In 1973, she also was awarded the Meritorious Artist of the Ukrainian SSR. Later, the songs which she performed in the Moldavian/Romanian language, "Codru" and "Moy gorod", became soundtracks for the film ''Vesenniye sozvuchiya – 73''.
1974–1979: New authors and Moldavian lyricism
In 1974, Rotaru graduated from the Chişinău Art Institute of
Gavriil Musicescu
Gavriil Musicescu (March 20, 1847, Izmail, Bessarabia Governorate, now in Ukraine – December 21, 1903, Iași, Romania) was a Romanian composer, conductor and musicologist, father of the pianist and musical pedagogue Florica Musicescu.
Bo ...
and participated in the
Sopot International Song Festival
The Sopot International Song Festival or Sopot Festival (later called ''Sopot Music Festival Grand Prix'', ''Sopot Top of the Top Festival'' from 2012–13 and ''Polsat Sopot Festival'' in 2014) is an annual international song contest held in So ...
in Poland, performing "Vospominaniye" (''Remembrance'') by B. Rychkov, and "Vodohrai" by Ivasjuk. She received second prize in the category of ''Polish song'' for her performance of "Ktoś" ("Someone"). In 1976, she moved from Chernivtsi to
Yalta
Yalta (: Я́лта) is a resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crimea ...
, transferring from the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Society to the Crimean Philharmonic Society. After the death of Volodymyr Ivasyuk in 1979, a number of songs by Moldavian composers appeared in her repertoire penned by the Teodorovici brothers. By that time, Rotaru had ceased collaboration with Moldavian authors, primarily
Eugen Doga
Eugen Doga (born 1 March 1937) is a Romanian and Russian composer from the Republic of Moldova.
A creator of three ballets "Luceafărul", "Venancia", "Queen Margot", the opera "Dialogues of Love", more than 100 instrumental and choral works – ...
.
Rotaru's songs of the period were created in collaboration with the following composers and lyricists:
Arno Babajanian wrote "Verni mne muzyku" (''Bring Me the Music Back''); Aleksey Mazhukov – "A muzyka zvuchit" (''But the Music Plays'') and "Krasnaya strela" (''Red Arrow''); Pavel Aedonitskiy – "Dlya tekh, kto zhdyot" (''For Those Who Wait'');
Oscar Feltsman
Oscar Borisovich Feltsman (russian: Оскар Борисович Фельцман; 18 February 1921 – 3 February 2013) was a Ukrainian-born composer of Lithuanian Jewish descent. He was the father of Vladimir Feltsman.
Biography
Feltsm ...
- "Only For You";
David Tukhmanov
David Fyodorovich Tukhmanov PAR (russian: Дави́д Фёдорович Тухма́нов, was born on July 20, 1940, in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union) is a Soviet and Russian composer. People's Artist of Russia (2000), State Prize of Ru ...
– "Aist na kryshe" (''Stork on the Roof''), "V dome moyom" (''At My Home''), and "Val's" (''Waltz'');
Yury Saulsky
Yury Sergeevitch Saulsky (russian: Юрий Серге́евич Саульский) was a Soviet and Russian composer, author
An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" sta ...
– "A Usual Story" and "Osennyaya melodiya" (''Autumn Melody'');
Aleksandra Pakhmutova
Aleksandra Nikolayevna Pakhmutova (russian: Александра Николаевна Пахмутова ; born 9 November 1929) is a Soviet and Russian composer. She has remained one of the best-known figures in Soviet and later Russian popular ...
– "Temp" (''Tempo'');
Raimonds Pauls
Ojārs Raimonds Pauls (born 12 January 1936 in Iļģuciems, Riga, Latvia) is a Latvian composer and piano player who is well known in Latvia, Russia, post-Soviet countries and worldwide. He was the Minister of Culture of Latvia from 1988 to 199 ...
– "Tanets na barabane" (''Dance on the Drum'');
Aleksandr Zatsepin
Aleksandr Sergeyevich Zatsepin (russian: Алекса́ндр Серге́евич Заце́пин; born 10 March 1926) is a Soviet and Russian composer, known for his soundtracks to movies, notably comedies directed by Leonid Gaidai. People's ...
– "Sovsem kak na Zemle" (''Just like on Earth''); Vladimir Migulya – "Zhyzn'" (''Life''), and others.
She was the first performer of
Eugene Martyunov's songs, including "Lebedinaya vernost" ("Swan Fidelity"), "Yabloni v tsvetu" ("Blossoming Apples"), and "Ballada o materi" ("Ballad About Mother"). A patriotic song, "Shchastye tebe, Zemlya moya" ("Be Happy, My Earth"), caused some political controversy.
1980–1983: Acting career and new connections
In 1980, at the international song festival held in Tokyo, Rotaru won first prize for her performance of the
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
n song "Obeshchaniye" (''Promise'') and received the
Order of the Badge of Honor
The Order of the Badge of Honour (russian: орден «Знак Почёта», orden "Znak Pochyota") was a civilian award of the Soviet Union.
It was established on 25 November 1935, and was conferred on citizens of the USSR for outstanding ...
. She continued to experiment and was the first Soviet female singer to appear wearing trousers on stage. While doing this, she performed a
hip-hop style song "Temp" (''Tempo'')
with music composed by
Aleksandra Pakhmutova
Aleksandra Nikolayevna Pakhmutova (russian: Александра Николаевна Пахмутова ; born 9 November 1929) is a Soviet and Russian composer. She has remained one of the best-known figures in Soviet and later Russian popular ...
and lyrics written by Nikolay Dobronravov. The songs "Temp" and "Ozhidaniye" (''Waiting'') were specially written for the cultural programme of the
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...
in Moscow. The song was used as the soundtrack theme for the drama film ''Ballada o sporte'' (''Ode to sports''), produced by
Yuri Ozerov. In the same year, for her performance of "Ozhidaniye", Rotaru won the All-Union Song of the Year award.
In 1980, Rotaru starred in the leading role in a film released by
Moldova-Film and called ''
Gde ty, lyubov'?'' (Where are you, love?). Among other songs in the film, Rotaru performed "Pervy dozhd'" (''First Rain''). The movie featured her riding a motorcycle on a narrow sea embankment without a stunt double. According to the autobiographic plot, a village teacher is invited to join an ensemble and wins the Grand Prix at an international festival with the song "Gde ty, lyubov'?". The music for the song was composed by Raimonds Pauls and lyrics by Ilya Reznik. A double album of the soundtrack was released. More than 25 million movie goers viewed the film in 1980. The title song of the film was banned from state radio by Gennadiy Cherkassov, director of the music department.
In 1981, at the XIVth All-Union Cinema Festival in
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, the film received the jury's prize for popularisation of the singing art of Soviet composers, in the section of drama films. This movie was the first public exposure for Rotaru in a dramatic role. Critics lambasted the film but it garnered support from audiences and some of its themes became popular. Rotaru's next artistic period began with a new style – rock music. The film ''
Dusha
''Dusha'' (russian: Душа, English translation: ''Soul'') is a 1981 Soviet musical drama film written by Alexander Borodyansky and directed by Alexander Stefanovich, starring Sofia Rotaru and Mikhail Boyarsky. The movie features songs perfor ...
'' (Soul) with Rotaru's new rock band
Mashina Vremeni
Mashina Vremeni () is a Russian rock band founded in 1969. Mashina Vremeni was a pioneer of Soviet rock music and remains one of the oldest still-active rock bands in Russia. The band's music incorporates elements of classic rock, blues, and b ...
was released in 1981, including songs by
Aleksandr Zatsepin
Aleksandr Sergeyevich Zatsepin (russian: Алекса́ндр Серге́евич Заце́пин; born 10 March 1926) is a Soviet and Russian composer, known for his soundtracks to movies, notably comedies directed by Leonid Gaidai. People's ...
and
Andrei Makarevich
Andrey Vadimovich Makarevich PAR (russian: link=no, Андре́й Вади́мович Макаре́вич; born 11 December 1953 in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union) is a Soviet and Russian rock musician and the founder of Russia's oldest ...
. As she was ill, her doctors recommended she not participate in the movie production and that she cancel all concert performances.
This incident caused
Alexander Borodyansky and
Alexander Stefanovich
Alexander Borisovich Stefanovich (russian: Алекса́ндр Бори́сович Стефа́нович; 13 December 1944 – 13 July 2021) was a Russian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Cavalier of Order of Friendship.
Biography ...
to write an autobiographical scenario for the film using the dramatic situation in the singer's life, characterising her loss of voice with an opening of her soul. This was shown in dialogue on a pier with an older man and included a reevaluation of her values. After having seen the new rewritten scenario and new songs, written in a completely new style, Rotaru agreed to star in the movie and decided to temporarily forego all concert performances. In 1983, Rotaru performed a national concert tour of Canada, organised by the National Concert Agency Inc. The concerts were supported by the issue of an LP, titled ''
Canadian Tour 1983'' and released by Cansov Exchange Inc.
1985–1989: Change of style – Europop and hard rock
The mid-1980s evolved into a turning point in the creation of the singer's image. Contrary to the previous ''Vas priglashaet Sofia Rotaru'' (Sofia Rotaru Invites You) (1985), the new film ''
Monologue of Love'' (1986) explored the aesthetics of the new art.
Only one song, "Techët voda" (''Water Flows'') by Ihor Poklad, carried on the folk music theme, presenting an image of a farm girl who became a star.
A new collaboration began in 1985 with the song "Lavanda" (''Lavender''), written by Vladimir Matetskiy for a duet with
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
n
Jaak Joala
Jaak Joala (26 June 1950 – 25 September 2014) was an Estonian singer, musician and a member of two bands: Kristallid and Virmalised. He began as a flautist, later adding singing and bass guitar.
Biography Early life
Jaak Joala was born i ...
. In 1986, she reversed artistic direction with the relatively unknown Moscow songwriter. He managed the transition of Rotaru to a
Europop
Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...
style ("Bylo no proshlo" (''Once It Was But Now It's Over''), "Luna" (''Moon'')), including elements of
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
"Moya vremya" (''My Time''), "Tol'ko etogo malo" (''That's Not Enough''). During the next 15 years, Matetskiy and his co-author, Mikhail Shabrov, collaborated heavily with Rotaru. They produced songs, most of which became part of her concert programmes in 1990–2000.
1990–1991: Among different cultures
The transition to a repertoire in the Russian language caused a certain amount of animosity in Ukraine. Accusations in betrayal of national culture were supported by the state producer unions, philharmonic societies, and concert companies who were losing control over the financial side of the concert and tour activity of Rotaru as a result of economic reforms.
To avoid large scale provocations, she refused to participate in the Chervona Ruta festival which took place in Chernivtsi in 1989. The diminution of proportion of Ukrainian songs was caused by the absence of high-quality lyrics in Ukrainian. Rare exceptions included the songs of
Mykola Mozghovyi, "
Krai, myi ridnyi krai" (''Homeland''), "Minaie den'" (''Day Passes''); Blizniuk, "Vidlunnia virnosti" (''Echo of Fidelity);'' Rybchinskyi, "Bal razluchennykh serdets" (''Ball of Separate Hearts''); and Kvinta, "Chekai" (''Wait''), "Odna kalyna" (''Lone
Guelder-Rose
''Viburnum opulus'', the guelder-rose or guelder rose () is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Adoxaceae (formerly Caprifoliaceae) native plant, native to Europe, northern Africa and central Asia.
Description
''Viburn ...
''), "Tuman" (''Fog'').
In 1991, during a concert in
Lviv
Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
, some people from the audience put up a poster in Ukrainian, translating into: "Sofia, a heavy penalty is waiting for you". Due to the incident, Rotaru did not perform in Ukraine until the end of the 1990s, after a personal request by the
President of Ukraine
The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma ( uk, Леоні́д Дани́лович Ку́чма; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. Kuchma's presidency saw numerous corrup ...
. At the same time, Rotaru prepared a new concert program, presented to the public in 1991.
1991–2004: New times
After the collapse of the USSR and commercialisation of post-Soviet music, Rotaru has kept her top position in the market and has a stable public, including the Russian speaking diaspora in Europe, USA, Australia and Israel. In 2000 Rotaru was named the Best Ukrainian Pop Singer of the Twentieth Century. In 2001 Rotaru performed in a new solo concert program ''Zhyzn' moya – moya lyubov (My Life Is My Love). The programme blended new songs with the hits of the previous years in a new manner. In 2002 Sofia Rotaru was awarded the title "Hero of Ukraine".
After the death of her husband in 2002, and the loss of her parents, Rotaru stopped touring for a period and joined a
nunnery
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican C ...
. Following several months of mourning, Rotaru resumed her concert and recording activities and topped the Russian, Ukrainian and Moldavian charts again.
A new period started in 2003 with performances in the ''Koncertny Zal "Rossiya"'' of Moscow, dedicated to the opening of her statue in front of the hall. Composers working with Rotaru included Ruslan Kvinta ("Odna kalyna"), Oleg Makarevič ("Bely tanets") and
Konstantin Meladze
Konstantin Shotayevich Meladze (russian: Константин Шотаевич Меладзе, ka, კონსტანტინე მელაძე) (born 11 May 1963 in Batumi) is a Ukrainian-Russian composer and producer. He is the older b ...
("Ya zhe yego lyubila" and "Odin na svete"), as well as lyricist Vitalij Kurovskij. She released the following albums: ''
Yedynomu'' (''For the Only One'', 2003; with new songs and arrangements in Ukrainian and Moldavian/Romanian languages), dedicated to the memory of her late husband ("
Nebo – eto ya" ("Heaven – It's Me", 2004), and "
Ya zhe yego lyubila" ("Didn't I Love Him", 2005).
2007–2016: 60th Birthday
In 2007, she celebrated her 60th birthday. Hundreds of fans, as well as artists and politicians, came to Yalta to congratulate the singer. The President of Ukraine awarded Sofia Rotaru with the II Degree Order for Merits. Her official reception and birthday party took place at the
Livadia Palace
Livadia Palace (russian: Ливадийский дворец, uk, Лівадійський палац) is a former summer retreat of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, and his family in Livadiya, Crimea. The Yalta Conference was held there in ...
in Yalta, in the presence of the
President of Russia
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
, the
President of Ukraine
The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...
and the
President of Moldova
The President of the Republic of Moldova () is the head of state of Moldova. The current president is Maia Sandu, who assumed office on 24 December 2020.
Duties and functions
The office of the presidency in Moldova is largely ceremonial, w ...
. The event was covered live by Ukrainian and Russian state TV channels. Celebrations for her birthday continued into September in
Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
, where one of the young performers' music festival days, called "Five Stars", was dedicated to Rotaru. In October 2007, more birthday concerts took place in Moscow, at the State
Grand Kremlin Palace
The Grand Kremlin Palace (russian: Большой Кремлёвский дворец - ) was built from 1837 to 1849 in Moscow, Russia, on the site of the estate of the Grand Princes, which had been established in the 14th century on Borovitsk ...
, featuring Russian singers performing her songs.
![Rojdkievsofiar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Rojdkievsofiar.jpg)
2006 and 2007 were busy for Rotaru. Three albums were released: ''
Tuman'' (''Fog'') in Eastern Europe, and two albums exclusively for the German market, ''
Serdtse ty moë'' (You Are My Heart) and ''Kakaya na serdtse pogoda'' (What's the Weather Like in the Heart). The year included participation in numerous TV shows and concert programmes and a documentary made for Ukrainian TV. A Russian Anniversary Tour lasted from March until June 2007. Another TV musical show, ''Krasota Trebuet'' (''Beauty Requires''), with Rotaru singing the song "Lavanda" ("Lavender"), premiered on 8 March 2008.
Anniversary Tour (2012 – 2013)
2017–present
Politics
Rotaru does not support any particular political ideology. Nevertheless, her multicultural identity has both helped and harmed her. Soviet authorities, persecuting her family for celebrating Christmas, simultaneously lauded her as the top singer of the USSR. The German press wrote about her as "The Conductor of the USSR". Some of her albums were recorded in Germany. After recording "
L'immensità" (''Immensity'') in Italian, and "
Wer Liebe sucht" (''Who's Looking for Love'') ("Deine Zärtlichkeit" (''Your Tenderness''), "Es muss nicht sein" (''It Mustn't Be''), and "Nachts, wenn die Nebel ziehen" (''At Night When the Fog Spreads'') in German,
Ariola
Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerat ...
proposed releasing a larger studio album with these and other songs in French and English, and launching a concert tour in Western Europe.
However, a directive came from the Soviet government (Goskontsert)
[Profile](_blank)
newlookmedia.ru; accessed 27 June 2015. to sing only Soviet songs. Thus, only the initial single was released "
Deine Zärtlichkeit". The concert administration of the USSR prohibited her from leaving the USSR between 1983 and 1988. This interdiction was put in effect after the 1983 tour in Canada and the release of her
Canadian Tour 1983 album.
During the
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution ( uk, Помаранчева революція, translit=Pomarancheva revoliutsiia) was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate afterm ...
in Ukraine, Rotaru, together with her family, sent food packages to people who came to the ''
Maidan Nezalezhnosti
Maidan Nezalezhnosti ( uk, Майдан Незалежності , literally "Independence Square") is the central square of Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine. One of the city's main squares, it is located on Khreshchatyk Street in the Shevchen ...
'', regardless of their
political affiliation
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...
. In 2006 Rotaru took active part in
parliamentary elections in Ukraine
Ukrainian parliamentary elections determine the composition of the Verkhovna Rada for the next five years.
List of parliamentary elections
* 1918 Ukrainian Constituent Assembly election
* 1938 Ukrainian Supreme Soviet election
* 1947 Ukrainian S ...
, balloting for the deputy chair as a second number in the list of
Volodymyr Lytvyn
Volodymyr Mykhailovych Lytvyn ( uk, Володи́мир Миха́йлович Литви́н, ; born April 28, 1956) is a Ukrainian politician best known for being Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament. Having previously se ...
's political formation
Lytvyn Bloc
The Lytvyn Bloc, formerly Lytvyn's People's Bloc, ( uk, Блок Литвина, formerly Народний блок Литвина) was a centrist political alliance in Ukraine from 2006 till 2012 led by Volodymyr Lytvyn. It is one of successors ...
; however, the bloc could not gather enough votes to enter Parliament, one of the major surprises of the elections. She held an all-Ukrainian charitable campaign tour the same year. Rotaru cited her personal trust of Lytvyn and his steadiness, as well as her own interest in lobbying for arts issues in Ukraine. As a Crimean resident, she refused
Russian citizenship
Russian citizenship law details the conditions by which a person holds citizenship of Russia. The primary law governing citizenship requirements is the federal law "On Citizenship of the Russian Federation", which came into force on 1 July 2002.
...
following Russia's
annexation of the peninsula.
Rotaru refuses Russian citizenship
rosbalt.ru; accessed 21 June 2015.
Personal life
Aurica, Sofia's younger sister, has also performed professionally, combining a solo career with performances as a back-up vocalist, as well as dueting with sisters Lidia and Eugenia. In 1992, Aurica ended her singing career. Sofia's husband, Anatoliy Kyrylovich Yevdokymenko (1941–2002), was a People's Artist of Ukraine. He was the son of a conductor from Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the upp ...
. He first saw Rotaru on the cover of the magazine ''Ukraine'' No. 27 in 1965 and immediately fell in love with her. At the time, Yevdokymenko was a serving his military duty in Nizhny Tagil
Nizhny Tagil ( rus, Нижний Тагил, p=ˈnʲiʐnʲɪj tɐˈgʲil) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, located east of the boundary between Asia and Europe. Population:
History
The prehistor ...
, Ural region
Ural (russian: Урал) is a geographical region located around the Ural Mountains, between the East European and West Siberian plains. It is considered a part of Eurasian Steppe, extending approximately from the North to the South; from the A ...
. After military service, he looked Rotaru up. Yevdokymenko had graduated from a musical high school, played the trumpet, and planned to create his own band. As a student at the University of Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi National University (full name Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, uk, Чернівецький національний університет імені Юрія Федьковича) is a public university in the City o ...
and a trumpeter in the student pop orchestra, he helped Rotaru discover the pop orchestra.
Singing in different languages caused fierce arguments about which culture Rotaru identifies with: Moldavian/Romanian, Ukrainian, or Russian.
Discography
* 1972 ''Chervona Ruta''
* 1973 ''Poet Sofia Rotaru''
* 1974 ''Sofia Rotaru
Sofiia Mykhailivna Yevdokymenko-Rotaru (born 7 August 1947), known as Sofia Rotaru ( uk, Софія Михайлівна Ротару ; russian: link=no, Софи́я Миха́йловна Рота́ру; ro, Sofia Rotaru), is a former Ukrainia ...
'' (aka ''Ballada o skripkakh'')
* 1976 ''Sofia Rotaru'' (aka ''Lebedinaya vernost'')
* 1977 ''Sofia Rotaru poet pesni Vladimira Ivasyuka
Sofia Rotaru poёt pesni Vladimira Ivasyuka (literally: Sofia Rotaru Performs Songs of Volodymyr Ivasyuk) - is a studio album of Sofia Rotaru, recorded at Melodiya in the USSR in 1978. Sofia Rotaru was awarded the grand prix of the Central Committ ...
''
* 1978 ''Sofia Rotaru'' (aka ''Rodina moya'')
* 1979 '' Tolko tebe''
* 1981 '' Where Has Love Gone?
* 1981 '' Sofia Rotaru and Chervona Ruta''
* 1985 '' Tender Melody''
* 1987 '' Monologue of Love''
* 1987 ''Lavanda''
* 1988 '' Heart of Gold''
* 1991 ''Caravan of Love''
* 1995 ''Khutoryanka''
* 1998 ''Lyubi menya''
* 2002 ''Ya tebya po-prezhnemu lyublyu''
* 2004 '' Nebo – eto ya''
* 2005 '' Ya zhe yego lyubila''
* 2008 '' Ya – tvoya lybov'!''
* 2010 ''Ya ne oglyanus''
Awards
Rotaru is a Meritorious Citizen of Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
and Yalta
Yalta (: Я́лта) is a resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crimea ...
. She has received numerous awards, including Meritorious Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, People's Artist of Ukraine
People's Artist of Ukraine is an honorary and the highest title awarding to outstanding performing artists whose merits are exceptional in the sphere of the development of the performing arts (theatre, music, dance, circus, cinema, etc.).
Establ ...
, People's Artist of Moldavian SSR, People's Artist of USSR
People's Artist of the USSR ( rus, Народный артист СССР, Narodny artist SSSR), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to artists of the Soviet Union.
Nomenclature and significan ...
, Laureate of the YCL Prize, Hero of Moldova, and Cavalier of the Republican Order of Moldova. In August 2002, President of Ukraine
The president of Ukraine ( uk, Президент України, Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, condu ...
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma ( uk, Леоні́д Дани́лович Ку́чма; born 9 August 1938) is a Ukrainian politician who was the second president of Ukraine from 19 July 1994 to 23 January 2005. Kuchma's presidency saw numerous corrup ...
and President of Russia
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...
honoured Rotaru on her 55th birthday, bestowing upon her the high rank of Hero of Ukraine
Hero of Ukraine (HOU; uk, Герой України, ''Heroi Ukrainy'') is the highest national title that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the President of Ukraine. The title was created in 1998 by President Leonid Kuchma and as ...
for her "outstanding personal merits in the sphere of art",[Presidential decree bestowing "Hero of Ukraine" on Rotaru](_blank)
zakon.rada.gov.ua; accessed 4 January 2016. and the Russian order, ''"For merits before the Nation"''.
She is an Honorary Citizen of Chisinau, Moldova[Dorin Chirtoacă i-a înmânat Sofiei Rotaru însemnele de cetățean de onoare al Chișinăului](_blank)
unimedia.info; accessed 27 June 2015 (in Moldovan)
, -
! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" , Slavianski Bazaar
The International Festival of Arts “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk” ( be, Міжнародны фестываль мастацтваў «Славянскі базар у Віцебску», uk, Міжнародний фестиваль мист ...
, -
, -
! colspan="3" style="background: pink;" , Golden Orpheus
The Golden Orpheus ( bg, Златният Орфей, ''Zlatniyat Orfey'') was an international song contest, held annually from 1965 to 1999 in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. Alongside its Bulgarian pop song competition, the festival’s rules and regula ...
, -
, -
! colspan="3" style="background: cyan;" , Muz-TV Music Awards
, -
, -
See also
* Russian pop music
* Pop music in Ukraine
* Melancolie, Moldavian/Romanian song
References
External links
*
*
Sofia Rotaru profile
Forbes.ua
News about Sofia Rotaru
yandex.ru (in Russian)
Rotaru lyrics
rotarusofia.ru
Lyrics of Sofia Rotaru
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotaru, Sofia
1947 births
Living people
Musicians from Chernivtsi
Bulgarian-language singers
English-language singers from Ukraine
French-language singers
German-language singers
Italian-language singers
People's Artists of the USSR
Polish-language singers
Romanian-language singers
Serbian-language singers
Soviet actresses
Soviet women singers
20th-century Ukrainian women singers
Ukrainian pop singers
Ukrainian people of Romanian descent
Ukrainian people of Moldovan descent
Recipients of the title of Hero of Ukraine
Fabrika Zvyozd
Soviet pop singers
Russian folk-pop singers
Ukrainian folk-pop singers
Chernivtsi University alumni
People's Artists of Moldova
Winners of the Golden Gramophone Award
Russian-language singers