At the beginning of the new millennium, the revolutionary of Ukrainian show business will release a new album
Katya, more than a year has passed since your successful performance at the Edinburgh International Arts Festival. Then everyone was talking about the real prospect of performing abroad, that BBC producers had filmed one of your performances and edited a video. Did things really not go beyond talk?
Having performed in front of a very serious audience in England - leading producers, critics, musicians come to the festival - I felt how much more needs to be done to look decent on the European stage. Preliminary arrangements - no set date for the concert. But I also graduated from university, and these are state exams and a diploma.
Few of your listeners know the name of your specialty
I graduated from the Faculty of Philology. My specialty is the culture of the civilization of the ancient Slavs. Dedicated to the same topic graduate work. Now I continue my graduate studies and do scientific work. But I had to work a lot on vocals and other stage sciences.
What about the music?
In parallel with my studies, I recorded my new album. It will be called “Dream”, and was created in collaboration with composers and arrangers Leonid Beley and Alexander Yurchenko at the Asteroid studio. The same one where the Mandry group “lives”.
Is it somehow different from the previous one - “Mermaids in da house”?
The 1997 album was quite revolutionary and even provocative. New job distinguished by grace and delicacy. Stylistically, it is a synthesis of ancient Ukrainian chants and modern musical culture. And the mermaid has become more mature.
Is the album ready yet?
Fully. The circulation is now being prepared for release. But I won’t announce the premiere date yet. I can only say that this will happen in the new millennium.
And when we see you with new program on the stage?..
Since the New Year, I have had a busy schedule of rehearsals and performances, scheduled for six months in advance. But in order not to reveal all the secrets at once, I will say that in the near future I will have an official website on the Internet. There will be all the detailed information about my plans, concert dates and a lot of news.
The recent performance of Katerina Kondratenko, known throughout the music industry not only in Ukraine, but also in Europe and the former CIS countries under the stage name Katya Chilly, plunged the public into a state of total emotional shock. The video with her performance received more than 600 thousand views on the YouTube channel within 24 hours. Music critics are vying with each other to talk about the enchanting “return” of ethno, folk, rock, and trance performers after some absence from the music arena.
Katya first appeared on television at the age of eight, when in 1986 the “Children of Chernobyl” concert took place in one of pioneer camps, was broadcast on one of the national channels. Katya performed a song from the musical about Mary Poppins “Thirty-three cows”.
Throughout her studies in high school, Katya carefully attended the folklore vocal school, sang in the “Orelya” choir, studied piano and cello, and later added folklore arts school to her professional hobbies.
Having received the Grand Prix of the “Fant Lotto Nadezhda” competition in 1992, fate brought Katya together with the talented composer Sergei Ivanovich Smetanin, who supports the work of talented performers, and so her full-scale career began music career, which on May 30, 1996 resulted in a meaningful and clear avant-garde pop project under the name Katya Chilly with the unforgettable debut album “Mermaids In Da House”.
Then came a series of festival performances and participation in music competitions starting from the “Song Vernissage” and ending with “Yalta”, “Chervona Ruta”, and a tour of Eastern Europe with performances in Poland, Germany, Sweden, as well as in the USA.
Prepared and successfully presented in 40 cities in the UK and Russia, the performer’s second album “Dream”, unfortunately, was never released due to the performer’s desire to complete her education at the Taras Shevchenko University and continue her studies in graduate school. However, a clip from Katya’s live performances, filmed by the BBC television company, was in rotation on the TV channel for another year.
In 2006, the long-awaited second album “I am Young” was released, which became a unique and daring combination of folklore and electronic music for that time. 2007 is the year for Katya in an experimental project with the famous Ukrainian jazz group Solominband, and 2008 crystallizes a completely new acoustic program without a single hint of electronics with a completely updated composition of the group Katya Chilly, which includes pianist Maxim Sidorenko, violinist Ksenia Zadorskaya, rhythm section - Alik Fantaeev, double bassist Yuri Galinin and Valentin Bogdanov on darbuka.
Currently, the performer is working on new material, with a developed stylistic sound that sets Katya Chilly apart from the general monotony of the Ukrainian stage. The release date of the new album, as well as its name, has not yet been disclosed, however, Katya’s appearance on the stage of the “Voice of the Country” talent show gives hope for very early official announcements.
Text: Tatyana Savlyeva
- 3 Bereznya, 2017, 17:40
- Rozsilka
VIDPRAVITI
The main facts of Katya Chilly's biography. How the once popular singer in Ukraine announced herself on the show “Voice of the Country”
At one of the broadcasts of the popular TV show “Voice of the Country,” the project’s trainers were impressed by the unusual Ukrainian throat singing of singer Katya Chilly, who left the big stage about 10 years ago. All four presenters turned their chairs to look at the owner of the magical voice.
In the 90s, the singer released several successful albums and went on tours throughout Ukraine and abroad. But in a decade about talented singer they forgot - she did not release new albums, she practically did not perform anywhere.
A performance on the “Voice of the Country” show gave Katya Chilly a new round of popularity. It turned out that the girl last years, although not often featured in the press, found a new style sound, recorded several songs and is ready to return to the stage.
“Scotch” decided to talk about the most significant facts of the singer’s biography.
Katya Chilly's performance on “Voice of the Country”
How it all began
The real name of the artist is Ekaterina Petrovna Kondratenko. Katya was born on July 12, 1978 in Kyiv.
The singer's love for music began to manifest itself in childhood - in the summer of 1986 she first appeared on TV channels Soviet Union. Her performance during the “Children of Chernobyl” concert in one of the pioneer camps was shown on television. This was the first serious performance where the eight-year-old singer performed the song “33 Cows.”
Since childhood, Katya liked Ukrainian folk singing. While studying in the third grade of a comprehensive school, Katya attended a folklore club and sang in the Orelya children's folk choir.
In addition, she studied at music school in piano and cello classes. Later, in the seventh grade, he joined the folklore department of the art school. Next came the turn of the National Humanitarian Lyceum at the National University. Taras Shevchenko.
Tartak feat. Katya Chilly - “In the gloom”
Even higher education Katya received while studying at Faculty of Philology National University them. Taras Shevchenko (specialization - Folklore).
The first shoots of success
Since the spring of 1996, Katya has focused on a pop-avant-garde project (combining ancient ritual singing with the most modern music). This caused a real stir in the media and a storm of delight among fans. Katya has become a symbol of new Ukrainian music, a new musical alternative.
The ethnic material in the singer’s interpretation charmed even those who were far from folklore. Fans of Katya Chilly gathered under the flags of different people: representatives of generation X who were waiting for unconventional music, adult fans of Ukrainian folklore and admirers of the World Musik phenomenon.
Popularity in Ukraine and abroad
It took the talented girl less than a year to gain confident star status. Numerous interviews, participation in television programs, performances at the largest and most prestigious concert venues in the country, victories at festivals (including the Chervona Ruta festival).
The singer’s work aroused keen interest from the Western community. For example, in 1997, MTV President Bill Rowdy invited the singer to participate in the programs of this channel.
Katya Chilly’s creativity was celebrated at various international festivals. Among them is the Fringe festival, which took place in the Scottish city of Edinburgh.
In 1998, Katya Chilly released debut album“Mermaids in da House”, the appearance of which became a landmark event for the development of Ukrainian musical culture. Media representatives dubbed the singer’s performance style “the singing of a beautiful elf.”
Injury and long recovery
IN tour winners of “Chervona Ruta”, something happened that she doesn’t talk about much: at one of the concerts, Katya fell from the stage, lost consciousness and severely injured her spine.
The only one who helped her was Sashko Polozhinsky. He carried her in his arms to the ambulance and supported her afterwards.
There was a long period of rehabilitation, the singer began to experience depression. She reconsidered her outlook on life, realized that there were very few real friends and loved ones, and because of what happened she began to have stage fright.
I thought about stopping performing altogether, but then I got out of my depression, recorded a new album and went on tour with it in England and Russia.
Tours in England and collaboration with the BBC
Since 2000, Katya has collaborated with composers, arrangers and instrumentalists Leonid Beley (“Mandry”) and Alexander Yurchenko (ex-Yarn, Blemish). The album “Dream”, recorded later, was never released, despite the fact that the program was successfully tested on venues in England and Russia.
At this time, Katya received a higher education and continued her postgraduate studies at Kyiv and Lublin universities.
In March 2001, Katya performed a concert program in London, where she gave more than 40 concerts. Katya's performance in live broadcast by the BBC. This company also shot a video clip (live) of the singer, which was broadcast on the channel for a year.
"Above the gloom"
In 2006, Katya Chilly’s next album, “I am Young,” was released; the album included 13 tracks. Among them are several that have long been known and loved by domestic listeners: the duet with Sashko Polozhinsky “Ponad Khmarami”, the composition “Pivni” released as a single in the fall of 2005, and the song “I am Young”, the video for which was aired on television in mid-February.
New period
After active creative life Katya disappears for 10 years from the radars of Ukrainian music lovers. No concerts, no new albums. But this period was not in vain for the singer - she rethought her work, discarded the electronic component and concentrated only on Ukrainian authentic folk singing, and gave birth to a son, Svyatozar.
Today Katya Chilly is working on an acoustic program, which does not contain a drop of electro. And he is preparing a new revolutionary material that is unlike anything else.
Last Sunday there was a screening on channel 1+1 and on our website. The main discovery of this episode was the legendary Ukrainian singer Katya Chilly.
No one has heard of Katya Chilly for more than 10 years. The singer did not appear at social events and rarely gave concerts. And then suddenly, appearing on the stage of a popular vocal show, this charming, fragile girl with a powerful voice literally exploded social media rave reviews.
The editors of “The One and Only” invite you to learn little-known facts from the life of Katya Chilly in order to get to know her better.
- Katya Chilly grew up in a family of doctors. And if it weren’t for her career as a singer, she would have made a good doctor. True, as the girl herself admits, what she does on stage concerns medicine to a certain extent. Unconventional, but still medicine, because previously, only people who knew how to control their consciousness were allowed into the prophetic word. Prophetic word means the art of singing and uttering sound.
- Katya Chilly sees her greatest task in decoding modern man, which is a cog of technogenic civilization, to those closed chakras that unite a person with the inexplicable Universe of nature, so that he (this person) feels part of the world and could live, and not exist.
- In 1998, Chilly Chilly released her debut album “Mermaids in da House”, after which her singing was dubbed “the singing of a beautiful elf”, and she herself began to be called the mermaid of new Ukrainian music.
- As for the stage name "Chilly", the word comes from "chill out" - relaxation area, coolness. Performing her songs, Katya seems to invite her listener into the chill, or rather, into the comfort of wild nature.
- Katya Chilly loves to walk through wild thickets and wild animals, in particular bears and tigers. At home, the singer keeps a cat “with character,” whose name is Aziza.
- Katya also loves adventure and extreme species sports, yoga, dancing, for example, Indian. Loves rollerblading and cycling.
- Katya Chilly has a 3-year-old son, Svyatozar. The boy, whom the singer doted on, supported his mother at the casting of the “Voice of the Country” project.
Photo in the text: press service of channel 1+1
And they found out and turned around...
I'm absolutely delighted! This is incredible. From the first notes I realized that a great musician was standing on stage,” said Jamala.
You are a revolution! You are a revelation for Ukraine, how we all need you – just as you are! Thank you very much for your soul, for your openness,” added Sergei Babkin.
Not only the project trainers, but also the spectators were happy to see Katya. After the broadcast, social networks were literally bursting with comments: she is space, she is our heritage, she is fairy-tale magic...
So a small miracle happened. For the whole country, a little bit of our soul. Thank you “Voice of the Country”... Thank you “1+1” for your love,” Katya herself wrote on her social network page after the broadcast.
For those who were wondering where she disappeared: on March 2, the singer is presenting a big acoustic concert in Kyiv.
Sashko Polozhinsky:
Since I have the whole feed in Katya Chilly, how cool she is and how she “wasn’t heard”, then here’s a reason for you all to hear and give Katya a huge gift with a super-sold-out crowd at her concert.
Kasha Koltsova, soloist of the group “Krikhitka”:
Maya Dvalishvili, senior manager of 1+1 Production, was with Katya in her support group during the broadcast:
My feed is all about two things: updating profile photos and Katya Chilly. I’ve read so much about Katro, “The Voice” and the coaches... They even wrote to me in a personal message. In one comment, the coaches were called presenters. And on the wave of universal admiration for Cathro, they suddenly began to dismiss the coaches. Seriously? When I stood there and worried, I was worried that no one would upset Katya or put pressure on her. And none of the coaches did this. But everyone tried to help as best they could. They were all, without exception, sincere at that moment (I know them better than anyone) - it is impossible to play in the face of the present. It is impossible to persuade Katya to stay in the show; it is generally impossible to persuade her if she is against it. Yes, I found a few correct words, because we have the same source of information. But what is all this for? A person cannot be forced to do what he does not want to do. This is what I say, a master of negotiations and a specialist in persuasion. Katya had and still has concerts - apartment shows - but did you think about them before the show? Look, Katro, I’m trending - I also tagged you in the post.
Yurko Yurchenko, singer:
I have known Katya Chilly since “those times” and she has always been incredible. Unfortunately, how much time and effort was wasted when she was underestimated because they were not mentally prepared for such a level. I really hope that Ukraine will thank her for all these lost years. Now is her time.