Zakhar May Musician, leader of the group SHIVA, creator of the website baza.com Date of Birth: 25.06.1969 Country: Ukraine

1. Biography of Zakhar Mai
2. Early Life
3. Life as a Migrant
4. Transition from Programming to Music
5. The Formation of Shiva
6. Unique Musical Style
7. Internet Presence
8. Interesting Facts

Biography of Zakhar Mai

Zakhar Mai is a musician, the leader of the band Shiva, and the creator of the website baza.com. He is a singer-songwriter and a former leader of the band Shiva. Zakhar has participated in music festivals such as "Nashestvie," "Krylya," and "Okna Otkroy."

Early Life

Zakhar Mai was born into a family of an engineer-builder and a graduate of the Department of Matlinguistics. His parents later changed their professions, with his father becoming a photo lab assistant and programmer, and his mother working as a photo lab assistant and multimedia producer.

Zakhar studied at Tartu University in Estonia, initially as a mathematics student. However, he dropped out after only a year. Despite not receiving formal music education, Zakhar was known among friends and acquaintances for his intelligence, although also described as lazy.

Life as a Migrant

Throughout his life, Zakhar Mai has lived in various countries. At the age of 19, he moved to the United States with his family and lived in cities such as New York, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Chicago from 1988 to 2002. During this time, he worked as a programmer while pursuing his music career. In 2002, Zakhar Mai relocated to Russia, where he continued his music career.

Transition from Programming to Music

Zakhar Mai wrote his first song, titled "Holodilnik Pust" (Empty Fridge), in 1987 while in Kharkiv. He performed the song at the "Eskhar" festival for original compositions in the eponymous village near Kharkiv. Upon settling in the United States, Zakhar worked as a programmer while maintaining his interest in music. He immersed himself in folk music, covering songs by Soviet and Russian artists while also writing his own compositions. In America, he recorded three albums and performed at intimate venues such as apartment concerts for Russian immigrants.

The Formation of Shiva

In 2002, Zakhar Mai returned to Russia and settled in St. Petersburg, where he founded the legendary but mythical band called Shiva. The band featured renowned musicians such as Andrey "Khudoy" Vasilyev, Sergey "Chizh" Chigrakov, Igor "Dotsa" Dotsenko, Pavel Borisov, Andrey Muratov, Igor Romanov, and others. In 2003, the band recorded the album "Chernye Vertolyoty" (Black Helicopters) and began performing at prestigious festivals such as "Krylya" and "Nashestvie." The lineup of Shiva varied for each concert, with Zakhar assembling a group of talented musicians who were available at the time. Zakhar explained this approach as an effort to shift the focus away from his own name and avoid being labeled as a manufactured pop star.

Unique Musical Style

Zakhar Mai's songs are characterized by a combination of explicit language, drug slang, and literary references. His lyrics draw inspiration from various sources, including Strugatsky Brothers' book "Khi-shchnye Veshchi Veka," Kir Bulychev's stories, and Russian epics. Zakhar believes in finding a balance between colloquial language and acceptable norms when writing his songs, aiming for a style that resonates with everyday conversation. He is celebrated for his powerful guitar playing and beautiful singing voice. Critics describe Zakhar's songwriting as exceptionally good but lament the scarcity of his output.

Internet Presence

In 1994, Zakhar Mai co-founded the website baza.com with his friends. The website features news, articles, reviews, and downloads of his works. Two sections of the website, "Pochemu ne Rabotaet Radio?" (Why Doesn't the Radio Work?) and "Kak Umer Tvoy Homyachok" (How Your Hamster Died), have become cult favorites. In 2002, the website won the Rotor+++ competition for "Music Website of the Year."

Interesting Facts

• Zakhar Mai wrote the song "Russo Matroso," often mistakenly attributed to Chizh, who performed it. Zakhar composed the song in Baltimore in 1991, dedicated to the sailors of the training ship "Kruzenshtern" when it visited the local harbor.
• Zakhar Mai splits his time between Moscow and St. Petersburg.