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Katerina GolitsinaSinger
Country:
 Russia |
Content:
- Biography of Ekaterina Golitsyna
- Childhood and Youth
- Music
- Personal Life
- Ekaterina Golitsyna Now
- Discography
Biography of Ekaterina Golitsyna
Ekaterina Golitsyna, also known as the Queen and Iron Lady of Russian chanson, is a renowned singer who has gained fame and the love of listeners through her persistent work, talent, and charisma. Her hit songs are well-known among fans of the genre. Balancing her career with family responsibilities, Ekaterina continues to release new albums and music videos, consistently delighting her fans with her talent.
Childhood and Youth
Ekaterina Yakovleva (the singer's real name) was born on April 5, 1962, in a family of Kuban Cossacks. However, she was born in Omsk, where her parents, Anatoly Yevgenyevich and the baby's mother, worked after graduating from university. According to Ekaterina's recollections, those were challenging times, and the young engineer couple lived in a dormitory room. Due to their demanding work schedules, they sent little Katya to live with her grandmother in Krasnodar. On her official website, the chanson star shared a brief biography and noted that her childhood years in Kuban were happy and carefree. Her parents soon joined her. Since the work of the Yakovlevs was associated with frequent business trips, the girl traveled a lot within the Soviet Union. Katya's love for music came from her father, who played the guitar and taught her how to sing. The family also acquired an old piano, on which Ekaterina learned to play. At the age of seven, she entered a music school, astonishing her teachers by singing "Along the Street a Blizzard Sweeps" while accompanying herself on the piano. After completing music school, the future singer went to apply to the Gnesin Music School but unexpectedly failed the composition stage. Not wanting to be without higher education, she enrolled in the Krupskaya Pedagogical Institute at the Faculty of Foreign Languages. However, her dream of a music education was eventually fulfilled by Ekaterina's determination. Five years later, she conquered the Gnesin Music School and became a student there.
Music
As evident from Ekaterina's biography, she had dreamt of becoming a singer since childhood and persistently pursued her goal. While studying at the pedagogical institute, she did not forget about her creativity and singing. Yakovleva performed in restaurants and started writing her own songs. The talented performer became a member and soloist of various pop groups, such as "Moskvichki," "Devchata," and "Rovesniki." Eventually, she became the leader of the VIA "Katyuha" and recorded the group's first studio album, "Call Me in the Night." Shortly after, the second cassette of the group's songs, "Best Friend," was released. During the difficult times of the Yeltsin era, the singer lived between two countries, regularly flying to America to earn money and perform concerts, gaining valuable experience on stage and in the studio. She soon realized that she did not find creative satisfaction working in the disco pop genre. In the United States, she became fond of country music, which also influenced her own work. When her husband's business started to flourish, and the need for endless touring diminished, Ekaterina had the opportunity to focus on studio work and changed her genre to chanson.
At the same time, the young performer chose a pseudonym and became Ekaterina Golitsyna. According to the singer, she chose the surname of her ancient Cossack ancestors, although she has no direct connection to the noble lineage.
She achieved a new level of success and instant career breakthrough after recording the joint album "Ukhody - ukhodi" in Stas Namin's studio with the leader of "Moral Code" and long-time friend Sergey Mazayev in 1997. The album, made without significant financial investments and promotion, sold millions of copies and topped the music charts, earning the love of listeners and recognition from professionals.
After several more years of hard work in the studio, Ekaterina released her debut album as a singer and songwriter, "Nefraersky Romance," in 2002. As the chanson genre is predominantly male and rough, she earned the title of the Iron Lady of chanson.
Eventually, her compositions became more lyrical and melodic. The star began to participate in various festivals and perform joint concerts with other chanson performers. Concerts with Alexey Bryancev, Alexander Yagya, and others gathered full halls of fans.
The chanson lady collaborated with Valery Kuras, and their duet on the song "You Alone, and I Alone" quickly won the hearts of fans. Her collaboration with Mikhail Bondarev resulted in a music video for the song "Flying to You," which garnered thousands of views. The song performed on stage with Dmitry Khristov, "Snow in the Palms," also became popular among listeners. Fans also enjoyed her duets with Alexander Kalnov on "How We Make Peace," with Garik Krichevsky on "Love Test," and with Mikhail Shufutinsky on "New Year."
Aside from collaborating with men, Ekaterina Golitsyna also works with female performers in the genre. For example, her song "Kvity" recorded with Athena became popular.
In addition to her stage performances, in 2011, Ekaterina hosted her own author program called "Short Conversation" on the channel "Chanson TV." The Russian chanson star is also a multiple winner of the prestigious "Chanson of the Year" award.
In 2013, she released the hit song "Shamelessly Happy," followed by another undeniable hit, "What a Lady Is Missing."
Her album "One in a Million" was released in 2017, featuring 16 tracks, including the song "Friend," recorded in collaboration with Raisa Otradnaya. The complete discography of the chanson lady is listed on her official website.
In 2018, she premiered a music video for her song "In Personal Space." She also released the track "Love Doesn't Exist..." in collaboration with Alexander Prokofiev.
In 2018, the singer performed at the chanson festival "Ekh, Razgulyai!" held at the Olympic Stadium. She performed her hit song "Shamelessly Happy."
Personal Life
Ekaterina tries not to reveal details of her personal life in the media. It is known that she has been happily married to her husband Yuri for many years. He used to hold leadership positions in companies and banks but has now transitioned to working in government structures.
According to rumors, the singer's husband is a wealthy person. Producers often assumed that Golitsyna could invest a significant amount of money in her own projects and offered her services for exorbitant amounts. However, Ekaterina always declined such offers. By the singer's own admission, her husband has always supported her ambitions and creative plans. During her tours in America, he stayed with their young daughter. As soon as the family's career and earnings grew rapidly, her husband relieved her of the exhausting tours.
The caring wife has given her husband two children—a daughter and a son. Their son Andrey graduated from the Faculty of Management and inherited a bit of his star mother's talent—he writes poetry. Their daughter Yulia received an education in international journalism at the prestigious MGIMO. She once appeared in Ekaterina's music video for the song "Distant Love."
In 2009, Ekaterina became a grandmother when her daughter gave birth to a grandson named Dima. Three years later, another grandson, Marat, was born.
It is evident that the singer's family is close-knit and supportive. According to Ekaterina, the couple has started building another house on their property in the Moscow region, where their children can live nearby, allowing the entire family to be together.
The singer continues to work tirelessly on recording new songs. Ekaterina looks fantastic and is in excellent shape, with a height of 179 cm and a weight of 65 kg. In her free time, she dedicates herself to relaxation and taking care of her family and grandchildren.
It should be noted that Ekaterina does not suffer from celebrity syndrome. The singer happily shares family photos on her Instagram page and engages with her followers in the comments, answering their questions.
Ekaterina Golitsyna Now
In May 2020, Ekaterina Golitsyna attended Yaroslav Sumishevsky's live-streamed home concert, where she performed her famous songs with him.
In July, she appeared as a guest on the show "Direct Line" hosted by Andrey Malakhov. The artist acted as an expert on a high-profile case of murder in her hometown of Omsk, where a 35-year-old man killed his wife's lover after discovering their intimate correspondence on her phone. Golitsyna revealed that she had also lived with a jealous partner, stating, "Have you ever lived with jealous people? I have. Have you ever been beaten because of jealousy? I have." Her partner appeared quiet and polite in public, but at home, he turned into a real monster. "It lasted almost six years. It was horror and a nightmare. But I was lucky, and I left whole and unharmed. I remarried, and thank God, such things never repeated in my life," Ekaterina shared.
In October, the singer appeared in a tribute program to Irina Krug on "Privet, Andrey!" She later became a participant on the show "Zvezdny Zavtrak" on "Radio Chanson."
In the same year, Ekaterina released her new album, "Takaya, Kakaya Est" (The Way She Is). It includes 17 compositions such as "Not Easy for One," "Country of Love," and "Leaving."
Ekaterina Golitsyna is also active in internet blogging. She has opened a children's song YouTube channel called "MultiVarik TV," where she records songs for kids.
The chanson star continues to tour with her solo program. In December, she held a concert in Krasnodar.
Discography
2002 - "Nefraersky Romance"
2003 - "Distant Love"
2004 - "Dekabristochka"
2005 - "Northern Blues"
2006 - "Happy Birthday, Wanderer"
2011 - "Wild Apple Tree"
2012 - "Different"
2013 - "Insomnia"
2015 - "For Two"
2017 - "One in a Million"
2020 - "The Way She Is"
