Fanki Pop group Country: Lithuania

Biography of Funky

Funky is a popular pop group from Lithuania. The group was formed in Vilnius in the mid-1990s and quickly gained recognition for their unique blend of hip-hop and dance music. The members of Funky, Alus, Beata, and Andrey, initially started as a dance group, showcasing their talent in various youth events in Vilnius.

After some time, the group decided to transition from a dance collective to a music and dance group, incorporating rap and singing into their performances. Despite the initial difficulties and lack of vocal training, Alus, Beata, and Andrey were determined to make their idea a reality.

They spent several months honing their vocal skills and recording their first rap album, "All Different, All Equal," which was released in 1995. The album gained attention for its explicit lyrics and faced controversy, leading to a legal battle over its distribution. However, the album's sales exceeded expectations, surprising everyone involved.

Funky continued to make music and released their second album, "From Hell to Heaven," in 1996. This album marked a transition from street rap to a more dance-oriented sound. Despite some criticism of certain tracks, one of the songs, "I Will Wait for You," won first place in a young bands competition in Lithuania.

The group's success continued with the release of their third album, "I Will Stay with You," in 1997. They were invited to perform at the "Liepaja Dzintars" festival in Latvia and received positive feedback from both the audience and organizers. This led to more club performances and a tour in Poland, where they had a mishap with a lost video cassette containing footage for their music video.

Funky's fourth album, "Rain Drops," released in 1998, became a huge success in Lithuania, breaking sales records. The music video for the title track faced challenges during filming due to a lack of hot water in the studio, but the group persevered and completed it. Despite the hardships, the album's popularity remained strong, leading to their fifth album, "Toy," released in 1999.

In 1999, Andrey left the group, and he was replaced by a talented breakdancer named Remis. This change brought new energy to the group and a desire to achieve greater success. Funky had the opportunity to perform with the group "Strelki" in Lithuania, where they performed their hits in Russian for the first time, which was well-received by the audience. This experience led to the group signing a contract with a Moscow-based studio and releasing their first album in Russia, titled "Only for You."

Funky continued to tour and release music, gaining popularity in Russia and other countries. Over the years, the group has gone through various lineup changes, but they have remained active and dedicated to their music. They celebrated their 10-year anniversary in 2005 and released a compilation album titled "History of Ten Years."

Currently, Funky is working on new music, and their lineup now includes professional dancers Laurinas Mikolaitis and Rytis Koreiva. Fans can look forward to more exciting projects from Funky in the future.