Zheka's full name. Biography
Born on October 14, 1966 in the city of Kurgan. After graduating from high school, he entered the university, but without finishing it, he left to serve in the ranks of the Soviet Army.
After the army he returns to his hometown, where he works at several cooperative enterprises, as a director of a bar, a nightclub, and as the head of a recording studio, which later becomes a structure of the Kurgan State Television and Radio Company.
Evgeniy has been involved in music since childhood. At the age of fifteen he creates a school rock band. Then he began to write songs, and later studied vocals at a music school.
Evgeniy is married. His wife, Larisa, is interested in astrology and psychology. Son - Gleb, studies in high school. The family has a pet - the cat Kitya - a blue Scottish fold.
In February 2001, Zheka arrived in Moscow. In the Crystal Music studio, where his fellow Kurgan residents work, he begins recording the album “Pines-Cedars”.
Not a penny was spent on recording the 14 songs on this album. Arrangers and musicians worked for free. Recording of instruments and voices took place at night when the studio was not busy.
“I didn’t know whether anyone would like my songs, whether there would be a company that would release my album, or whether they would listen to it,” says Zheka. - Only my friends and my family, who remained in Kurgan, supported me. Their help and faith in me helped me exist and survive in a huge foreign city. I lived in a one-room rented "Khrushchev" apartment, without registration, constantly delaying payment, not knowing what I would eat tomorrow, and in general, what would happen tomorrow.
When the songs “On the Job”, “Pines-Cedars” and “Camps” were recorded, I began to spend a long and exhausting time going around the production companies, and was refused almost everywhere. Nobody wanted to put them on compilation records or play them on the radio. I was in complete despair. I don’t know what forces helped me finish recording the album.”
Best of the day
Only a few months later, the small company “Zodiac”, which produces Tanya Tishinskaya, took several of Zheka’s songs into its collections. They were put on top of other chanson performers, but this was already a small achievement - they had a chance to be heard.
In September of the same 2001, Zheka met producer Oleg Shvedov-Turanov, who works for the company J.R.C. From this moment on, a lot in the life of the artist and his administrator changes. Shvedov undertakes to release Zheka’s debut album on J.R.C, negotiates rotations on radio “Chanson”, places Zheka’s songs in numerous CD collections.
On December 20, 2001, Zheka performed in Moscow for the first time. This happens at a concert in memory of Sergei Nagovitsyn at the Meridian Palace of Culture. Taking part in the concert are: Alexander Dyumin, Gennady Zharov, Anatoly Polotno, Slava Bobkov, Alexander Zventsov, Mikhail Sheleg, Gera Grach and other artists of the chanson genre.
Behind the scenes, Zheka meets chanson performer Svetlana Piterskaya, the legendary Alexander Dyumin and the host of the concert, DJ of Chanson radio, Ksenia Strizh.
The artists' live performances were recorded for the subsequent release of a commemorative CD. Having entered the stage in great excitement, Zheka forgets a line from the song “Pines-Cedars”, replacing it along the way with a meaningless phrase, the listeners in the hall do not notice this, warmly accepting the debutant. The subsequently released record recorded Zheka’s first performance in front of Muscovites and his mistake in the words of the song, which later became a national hit.
In March 2002, Zheka, at the invitation of Ksenia Strizh, participated in her program “Strizh-Time” on radio “Chanson”. Then she performed together with Gennady Zharov, Evgeny Chuzhiy and Sergei Lyubavin at the radio station during the beer festival in Luzhniki.
On May 28, 2002, Zheka’s debut album, “Pines-Cedars,” was released. The entire initial circulation of cassettes and discs is sold in full on the day of release. There is a catastrophic shortage of records; it is impossible to buy an album. Numerous additional print runs are underway. The sale of pirated copies of the disc begins in the regions.
In the summer and autumn of 2002, Zheka became one of the most popular young performers in programs at the request of the Chanson radio stations in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Concerts, radio broadcasts - the wheel started spinning.
On August 10-11, 2002, concerts are held in the St. Petersburg Oktyabrsky Concert Hall in memory of Mikhail Krug, the great chansonnier who was killed on July 1 in Tver. For two days the huge three-thousand hall was overcrowded. St. Petersburg residents came to pay tribute to their favorite artist. Participating in the concerts are: Trofim, M. Krug’s group “The Fellow Traveler”, Katya Ogonyok, Alexander Dyumin, Svetlana Piterskaya, Viktor Nochnoy and others.
Zheka performs the songs “I am like an autumn leaf” and “Pines-Cedars”. The St. Petersburg public warmly and cordially welcomes the performance of the young singer-songwriter.
In September of the same 2002, Evgeniy moved to Podolsk near Moscow, ending the musician’s period of wandering around rented apartments and friends’ apartments.
During 2002, Zheka, as an author and sound producer, worked on Svetlana Piterskaya’s album “Black Star”. “Gray Flowers”, “Sleepers-Sleepers”, “You Know”, “Bird Cherry”, “Black Star”, “Don’t Believe Girls” were written especially for Svetlana. The song “Tramp” was performed in a duet with the singer and was included in the albums of both artists. All tracks from the album “Black Star” are included in the broadcast network of radio “Chanson”.
On November 16, 2002, at the Moscow Olympic Sports Complex, Zheka takes part in the grandiose super-show “Happy Birthday, Chanson,” dedicated to the radio station’s second anniversary.
Among the more than forty participants: the groups “Lyube” and “Lesopoval”, Mikhail Shufutinsky, Lyubov Uspenskaya, Slava Medyanik, Alexander Novikov, Evgeny Kemerovsky, Anatoly Polotno, Grigory Leps and others. There are from 6 to 8 thousand listeners in the hall. At the concert, Zheka meets Mikhail Shufutinsky, Vladimir Kozyrev (“Ace of the Cross”), and Fedya Karmanov.
Radio station “Chanson” is releasing a holiday set of 3 commemorative CDs, which includes Zheka’s songs: “Sawing Saws” and “My Spring Moscow.”
From September to December, Evgeniy works in the studio, recording songs for a new disc, which is called “Nettle”. The disc contains 13 new songs of varying content, from wildly cheerful to piercingly sad.
“I wanted to make a more “adult”, higher-quality album, and at the same time, preserve the sound and style that were found when recording the “Pines-Cedars” record,” says Zheka. Taking part in the work on the album are: guitarist and arranger Evgeny Pozdnyakov, Kurgan keyboardist and programmer Yakov Vokhmentsev, backing vocalist Natalya Nemelyainen, bass guitarist Anton Gorbunov and other musicians.
On January 31, 2003, the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall hosts the “Worthy Song 2002” awards, established by Radio Petrograd-Russian Chanson. Zheka receives nominations for the best album (“Pines-Cedars”) and the best song (“I am like an autumn leaf” ). The performance of the beloved artist is accompanied by a stormy ovation from the audience of thousands. Behind the scenes of this grandiose event, Zheka’s warm communication with Willy Tokarev, Trofim and Igor Slutsky takes place.
On April 22, 2003, the Classic Company released Zheka’s second album, “Nettle.” Two months before this, the same company begins selling the full version of the album “Pines-Cedars”, which adds two songs that were not included in the first version of the disc. In addition, the full version differs from the previously published one in design.
On June 14, 2003, as part of the Sochi “Kinotavr”, Zheka became a diploma winner of the “Songs of Cinema” festival. Participants and guests of the festival: Joseph Kobzon, Alexander Rosenbaum, Trofim, Grigory Leps Tanya Tishinskaya, Lesopoval group, Svetlana Piterskaya and others.
Zheka performs the song “Russian Field” from the film “The Elusive Avengers”. “In Sochi, I became very friendly with another festival participant, Viktor Petlyura,” says Evgeniy, “unfortunately, he rarely comes to Moscow, but we try to keep in touch by phone.”
On June 30, 2003, Zheka participates in the 1st Mikhail Krug Festival in Tver. All concert participants sailed on ships to the huge stage. Tens of thousands of Tver residents, despite the rainy weather, enthusiastically received the artists, watching the concert from the embankment of the Volga River. On the stage and at the friendly festival tables that evening we met: Mikhail Gulko, Vika Tsyganova, Katya Ogonyok, Alexander Dyumin, Anatoly Dneprov, the group “Fellow Traveler” and others.
From the end of May to August 2003, in the studio of Evgeniy Pozdnyakov, Zheka recorded her third album, which is called “Sweatshirt”. Taking part in the recording of the album are: arranger and guitarist Evgeny Pozdnyakov, backing vocalists Natalya Nemelyainen and Nikolai Arefiev, guitarist Evgeny Bykov and accordion player Alexander Dolgikh. The album contains 13 songs written by Zheka. “The songs of this album are textured, in each of them something happens, each of them has its own specific hero, and this person is at the breaking point or peak of some important life event for him, be it a moment of happiness, immense sadness, or even death,” says the author about his new record.
In addition, Zheka is finishing work on Svetlana Piterskaya’s new album, called “Control Shot”. “I wrote 12 songs for Sveta, in two of them I participated as the author of the music, the words belong to the poet Mikhail Grubov,” reports Evgeniy, “in this record, unlike the previous album “Black Star,” I included genre songs-stories, which Sveta has not sung before, I’m sure this will make the album attractive to connoisseurs of classic criminal songs.”
On October 28, 2003, Zheka’s song “Pines-Cedars” ranked 7th in the national hit parade “Vershina” compiled by the radio station “Chanson” based on the results of an Internet vote by listeners. Subsequently, “Pines” rises to 4th place and spends 6 weeks in the top ten chanson hits in the country.
On November 9, 2003, Evgeniy takes part in the third international festival “Songs Sung by the Heart,” which takes place in Kiev. The festival was organized by the Ukrainian “Adult Radio Chanson”. Eight thousand fans of genre songs gathered in the Kiev Sports Palace to see and hear Garik Krichevsky, Alexander Novikov, Igor Slutsky, Efrem Amiramov, Gennady Zharov and many other artists. Zheka performs the songs “Sorry” and “I am like an autumn leaf.” By the decision of “Adult Radio Chanson” Evgeniy is called the best debutant on the waves of “Adult Radio”.
On November 16, on the stage of the Meteor Sports Complex in Dnepropetrovsk, Zheka participates in the chanson festival organized by the Ukrainian Radio Chanson, and then performs in a concert dedicated to the birthday of Adult Radio at the Opera and Ballet Theater in Kharkov.
The artist ends 2003 on a tour in memory of M. Krug, which took place in St. Petersburg, Novgorod and Pskov.
On December 10, 2003, the Classic Company company released Zheka’s third album, “Sweatshirt.” The album is enthusiastically received by fans and positively assessed by critics.
On January 31, 2004, Zheka received a diploma from the “Worthy Song 2003” festival, which takes place at the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. Simultaneously with the presentation of the awards, the participants of the grandiose show: Alexander Rosenbaum, Trofim, Igor Slutsky, Katya Ogonyok, the Lesopoval group, Alexander Domogarov and others congratulate the St. Petersburg chanson program “Night Taxi” and its permanent host Alexander Frumin on its tenth anniversary.
Find out information about the male name Zheka, and you will find out what hidden talents and unknown desires its owner has. You hear the sounds of your name every day; from infancy they influence you in one way or another. Understanding what will attract joy to you, knowing the special aspects of your character, you will achieve a lot.
- Writing in Latin – Zheka
- The element suitable for a person with this name is Fire.
- Lucky color – Violet-blue, Brick
- Attracting success to people with this name, metal – Chrome
- Suitable for this name, the tree is Maple
- Planet talisman – Uranus
- Constellation of prosperity and good luck – Cetus
- According to numerology named after Zhek, numbers bringing good luck – Three
- You better eat food - meat and grains
- Animals are coming for the name Zheka- bear
- Stones - amulets for guys with the name Zheka - Zircon
Decoding the man's name Zheka
To attract financial luck, people named Zheka need a strong Money Amulet, the main thing is that it is encoded personally for you, in your name and your date of birth. I can only recommend This is a verified site!, The Good Luck Talisman really works to create an aura of well-being.
What suits men with names starting with the letter Z – Zheka
- If you just want to call your newborn child this name, then it is better to do so if he was born under the zodiac sign - Libra (09.24 - 10.23)
- It will be most successful if a boy with the name Zheka was born in the eastern year of the calendar - the Dragon - the years 1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036
- It’s best to start things on Sunday and Wednesday
- The most favorable days of the year are February 18, March 14, July 13 and October 16
- Favorable time of day for you is night
- The dangerous age at which you need to be careful is in childhood and adolescence - eleven years; in youth - twenty-eight years old; in and maturity - forty-two years, in old age - seventy-five years
- A name starting with the letter Zheka leaves an imprint on the health of these people; diseases of the lungs and stomach ulcers are especially dangerous.
- Men named Zheka are best suited for professions related to – Creating something new
Character types named by the male name Zheka
Men elevate their children above all. They put family above work, labor and any kind of activity. If an important conference falls on your beloved child’s birthday, make it look like it’s at a children’s party. Sometimes they are overwhelmed by a wave of excesses. If finances allow, he can hire a housekeeper. It's very interesting to be around them. Many consider him cruel and tactless, but this comes from him unintentionally; at heart he is a very kind person, and he can offend someone only due to his inattention. Scandals are not allowed. A man named Zheka is a little secretive and prefers not to show what he considers his weak points. He constantly needs compliments; praise for him is the best incentive, giving a charge of vivacity and self-confidence. If this person has already been able to realize himself in work, achieve recognition and a dominant position, he sets himself the goal of having a family and children. Having set a goal, he will go towards it systematically and persistently, overcoming all obstacles and obstacles on his way. A woman should always calm him down and keep her mouth shut. An emancipated woman is not suitable for him.
It is absolutely unacceptable for a man named Zheka to look like an unpleasant type in the eyes of others. Common sense is more valuable to him than intelligence. Far from being a dreamer with his head in the clouds, he is a pragmatist who stands firmly and confidently on his feet. It is quite difficult for an Aquarius man to decide to tie the knot. A man named Zheka is quite secretive, and despite all his sociability, he never reveals his real feelings. While in a relationship with you, this person will constantly flirt with representatives of the opposite sex, but things will not go further. If you fall into your flow, you will definitely come to success, but if you miss it, then this is not good. It’s as if it penetrates the mind and extracts from there exactly what it needs.
Table of the main character traits of a person named Zheka
The calculation of character traits was carried out on the basis of the name and month of birth, for a more accurate calculation you need to know the full date of birth and first name, patronymic and last name, if you need this, VISIT THIS PAGE.
The vertical column of the table (top), select your (or a person with a name starting with the letter Zheka) month of birth, the horizontal (side) line is aspects of character. Their intersection will show a coefficient from 1 to 100, the higher the value, the better.
January | February | March | ||||
Strength of will | 14 | 83 | 88 | |||
Energy | 29 | 47 | 71 | |||
Learning ability | 54 | 79 | 97 | |||
Hard work | 15 | 54 | 5 | |||
Kindness | 24 | 59 | 69 | |||
Patience | 15 | 14 | 26 | |||
Creation | 56 | 89 | 21 | |||
Intuition | 67 | 81 | 45 | |||
Sociability | 3 | 94 | 83 | |||
Self-esteem | 10 | 55 | 40 | |||
Money | 26 | 85 | 28 | |||
Talent | 33 | 62 | 87 | |||
Spirituality | 45 | 11 | 100 | |||
Determination | — | 30 | — | |||
Stability | 24 | 34 | 56 | |||
Love | 12 | 30 | 76 | |||
Duty | 28 | — | 98 | |||
Mentality | 13 | 1 | 7 | |||
Prudence | 29 | 59 | 5 | |||
Emotionality | 89 | 4 | 67 | |||
April | May | June | ||||
Strength of will | 29 | 25 | 92 | |||
Energy | 51 | — | — | |||
Learning ability | 64 | 61 | 9 | |||
Hard work | 95 | 97 | 12 | |||
Kindness | 49 | 94 | 69 | |||
Patience | 33 | 90 | 60 | |||
Creation | 91 | 70 | 98 | |||
Intuition | 26 | 29 | 91 | |||
Sociability | 15 | 66 | 21 | |||
Self-esteem | 52 | 4 | 55 | |||
Money | 84 | 25 | 70 | |||
Talent | 16 | 34 | 22 | |||
Spirituality | 41 | 23 | 88 | |||
Determination | 6 | 98 | 10 | |||
Stability | 18 | 46 | 7 | |||
Love | 19 | 15 | 48 | |||
Duty | 26 | 29 | 59 | |||
Mentality | 51 | 46 | 32 | |||
Prudence | 51 | 61 | 18 | |||
Emotionality | 19 | 63 | 30 | |||
July | August | September | ||||
86 | 33 | 32 | ||||
Energy | 100 | 25 | 53 | |||
Learning ability | 84 | 11 | 18 | |||
Hard work | 84 | 32 | 34 | |||
Kindness | 55 | 40 | 23 | |||
Patience | 54 | 46 | 53 | |||
Creation | 12 | 4 | 67 | |||
Intuition | 23 | 48 | 75 | |||
Sociability | 7 | 28 | 92 | |||
Self-esteem | 68 | 37 | 4 | |||
Money | 19 | 34 | 39 | |||
Talent | 25 | 46 | 26 | |||
Spirituality | 31 | 32 | 38 | |||
Determination | 23 | 64 | — | |||
Stability | 39 | 73 | 26 | |||
Love | 41 | 26 | 90 | |||
Duty | 83 | 71 | 20 | |||
Mentality | 63 | 2 | 95 | |||
Prudence | 79 | 71 | 19 | |||
Emotionality | 45 | 57 | — | |||
October | November | December | ||||
Strength of will | 87 | 3 | 41 | |||
Energy | 35 | 30 | — | |||
Learning ability | 88 | 10 | — | |||
Hard work | — | 71 | 71 | |||
Kindness | 34 | 64 | 57 | |||
Patience | 32 | 47 | 92 | |||
Creation | 58 | 89 | 21 | |||
Intuition | 99 | 91 | 98 | |||
Sociability | 40 | 77 | 4 | |||
Self-esteem | 68 | 73 | 82 | |||
Money | 78 | 42 | 14 | |||
Talent | 91 | 36 | 3 | |||
Spirituality | 71 | 10 | 71 | |||
Determination | 18 | 85 | 28 | |||
Stability | 31 | — | 59 | |||
Love | 87 | 64 | 27 | |||
Duty | 62 | 55 | 24 | |||
Mentality | 94 | 67 | 80 | |||
Prudence | 87 | 94 | 19 | |||
Emotionality | 66 | 21 | 76 | |||
Compatibility of men with the name Zheka in relationships
This table shows the love compatibility of people named Zheka, depending on their birthday. The vertical column (on top) is your zodiac sign, the horizontal (on the side) line is your partner’s horoscope sign. Their intersection will put the extent and aspects of the relationship into perspective.
strong will help you Amulet of Love, it will attract the real feelings of the person you need into your destiny and give you the joy of life with your loved one. The main thing is that it is encoded for you personally. I can only recommend this one official site!, where the Amulet of Love is truly made.
Fish | Aries | Taurus | ||||
Pisces (19.02 - 20.03) | passion and jealousy | well-being and prosperity | short-lived love | |||
Aries (21.03 - 20.04) | money will separate you | rich house and joy | good together | |||
Taurus (21.04 - 20.05) | be together for a long time | be together for a long time | wasted worries | |||
Gemini (21.05 - 20.06) | emotionality | it will be better | not a boring life together | |||
Cancer (21.06 - 22.07) | bad | difficulties | nervousness for you | |||
Leo (23.07 - 22.08) | melancholy and routine | be together for a long time | empty worries | |||
Virgo (23.08 - 23.09) | long life | explosion of feelings | melancholy and routine | |||
Libra (24.09 – 23.10) | be together for a long time | family happiness | partnerships | |||
Scorpio (24.10 - 21.11) | financial difficulties | disappointment | Everything will be fine | |||
Sagittarius (11/22 – 12/21) | bad feelings | Everything will be fine | excellent | |||
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) | acrimonious relationship | you shouldn't start a relationship | good family | |||
Aquarius (22.01 - 18.02) | wasted worries | troubles and troubles | common dreams | |||
Twins | Cancer | a lion | ||||
Pisces (19.02 - 20.03) | vain dreams | Everything will be fine | long life | |||
Aries (21.03 - 20.04) | emotionality | good together | peace in the house | |||
Taurus (21.04 - 20.05) | common dreams | short-lived love | partnerships | |||
Gemini (21.05 - 20.06) | be together for a long time | joyful experiences | common dreams | |||
Cancer (21.06 - 22.07) | family happiness | wasted worries | disappointment | |||
Leo (23.07 - 22.08) | long life together | all according to plan | bad | |||
Virgo (23.08 - 23.09) | common dreams | happiness, but not for long | peace in the house | |||
Libra (24.09 – 23.10) | acrimonious relationship | hassle for both | love and happiness | |||
Scorpio (24.10 - 21.11) | part as enemies | often misunderstandings | be together for a long time | |||
Sagittarius (11/22 – 12/21) | hassle for both | good together | long life | |||
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) | good family | joyful experiences | adoration and love | |||
Aquarius (22.01 - 18.02) | rich house and joy | money will separate you | Not recommended | |||
Virgo | Scales | Scorpion | ||||
Pisces (19.02 - 20.03) | part as enemies | disappointment | wasted worries | |||
Aries (21.03 - 20.04) | contempt | difficult relationships | all according to plan | |||
Taurus (21.04 - 20.05) | bad feelings | melancholy and routine | long life | |||
Gemini (21.05 - 20.06) | contempt | long life | often misunderstandings | |||
Cancer (21.06 - 22.07) | acrimonious relationship | bad feelings | disappointment | |||
Leo (23.07 - 22.08) | all according to plan | part as enemies | often misunderstandings | |||
Virgo (23.08 - 23.09) | good | acrimonious relationship | financial difficulties | |||
Libra (24.09 – 23.10) | empty worries | short-lived love | long life together | |||
Scorpio (24.10 - 21.11) | you shouldn't start a relationship | nervousness for you | not a boring life together | |||
Sagittarius (11/22 – 12/21) | good family | financial difficulties | love and happiness | |||
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) | you shouldn't start a relationship | peace in the house | family happiness | |||
Aquarius (22.01 - 18.02) | good | difficult relationships | good family | |||
Sagittarius | Capricorn | Aquarius | ||||
Pisces (19.02 - 20.03) | hassle for both | excellent | all according to plan | |||
Aries (21.03 - 20.04) | money will separate you | part as enemies | hassle for both | |||
Taurus (21.04 - 20.05) | rich house and joy | acrimonious relationship | passion and jealousy | |||
Gemini (21.05 - 20.06) | all according to plan | good together | part as enemies | |||
Cancer (21.06 - 22.07) | troubles and troubles | partnerships | often misunderstandings | |||
Leo (23.07 - 22.08) | common dreams | it will be better | disappointment | |||
Virgo (23.08 - 23.09) | happiness, but not for long | common dreams | peace in the house | |||
Libra (24.09 – 23.10) | hassle for both | long life together | passion and jealousy | |||
Scorpio (24.10 - 21.11) | rich house and joy | money will separate you | empty worries | |||
Sagittarius (11/22 – 12/21) | hassle for both | money will separate you | all according to plan | |||
Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) | be together for a long time | Everything will be fine | nervousness for you | |||
Aquarius (22.01 - 18.02) | passion and jealousy | adoration and love | partnerships | |||
Zheka (Grigoriev Evgeniy Gennadievich) (b. October 14, 1966) - singer-songwriter in the style of Russian chanson was born in the city of Kurgan. The musician has 6 solo albums and several collections of the best songs. Zheka is a laureate of the “Chanson of the Year”, “Worthy Song” awards, chanson festivals in Kyiv, Sochi, Kaliningrad, etc. Lives in Moscow, married, has a son. Official website: zheka.ru
Zhenya! It’s been three years since the author and performer Zheka appeared in the Moscow expanses. The already legendary album “Pines-Cedars”, which made Zheka a deservedly popular chansonnier, is three years old. Does this date oblige you to anything?
I will answer simply - in the language of numbers. During this time, three more albums were released (“Nettle”, “Sweatshirt” and “Blue-Eyed Lakes”), and they took part in powerful concert events and festivals in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Tver, etc. More than 150 concerts were given at a variety of venues, from posh restaurants and nightclubs to village recreation centers and rural canteens. I performed both in a fancy restaurant in the Arab Emirates and in a simple soldiers’ club. The album “Best Songs” was released, and an MP3 disc was also released, including all my albums. But the most important thing for me is that my songs were noticed and loved by listeners of the genre in Russia, Ukraine, America, Israel...
The debut album was a great launching pad for you. Then why did your “divorce” happen with the JRC company that released it?
Are there too many “divorces” lately? There are persistent rumors that not everything is going smoothly with producer Oleg Shvedov. And just one more question: would your creative collaboration with Svetlana Piterskaya have been possible without Shvedov?
Yes, we broke up with Shvedov. Oleg is undoubtedly a talented administrator and organizer, with all the ensuing consequences. He liked to call himself Zheki’s producer, although by and large he was never one. A producer is a person involved in the artist’s creative work, delving into the intricacies and details of the studio recording process, musical and vocal presentation, and arrangements. Shvedov did not know how to do this, and in my case this was not required of him. Initially, I dealt with all this “disgrace” only myself. I am grateful to Oleg for his support and assistance provided at the initial stage of my professional career. The organization of concerts, festivals, tours is his only merit, but as we worked together, his professional and human qualities began to appear, which did not suit me as a companion and just a person. I won't voice them. If I had been a little more flexible and tolerant, perhaps everything would have continued, but I am who I am.
As for Svetlana Piterskaya. Of course, if there were no Shvedov, there would be no cooperation with Piterskaya. They are husband and wife. And that's it. I wrote two albums for Sveta. I consider this worthy compensation for Oleg’s help in my advancement through the chanson hierarchy. At some point it was interesting for me, at another it was tiring and strained. Despite everything, I wish Svetlana Piterskaya success and new achievements...
Tell us about the tour... The name Zheka has become popular and in demand in the regions. Did you see your audience there “live”? Who is he? Who listens to Zheka's songs today?
It is definitely difficult to identify my listener. Naturally, the majority of them are accomplished adults over thirty. Many women are fans of lyrical songs. It is even more difficult to distribute them according to their professional orientation. These are workers, businessmen, and representatives of local economic management. I think that representatives of law enforcement agencies and the criminal environment are also present among them. It’s also difficult for me to judge because not all of my listeners have the opportunity or desire to attend my performances. Take me, for example, Paul McCartney performs on Red Square. What more can you dream of?! Pay Zhek 100 USD. and enjoy! You have this opportunity... But no, it’s a waste. No, I don’t feel sorry for the money - I don’t want to crowd in lines when going to the site, I don’t want the roar of the crowd right next to my ear, people pushing, half-drunk, etc. I understand that nothing compares to the energy of a live performance, but I’m too lazy, I’d rather go buy a DVD and watch it all on TV. Therefore, I understand well those who listen to my cassettes and CDs but don’t go to concerts.
There is an album “Best Songs” on the table. Is the craving for “the chosen and the best” a feeling of bronzedness? Can you consider yourself one of the classics of the genre?
This is not my craving for the chosen and the best. Apparently, the moment had come when it was necessary to release the “Best Songs” record for the Classic Company. I think it has to do with financial matters. It’s no secret that pirates have been churning out my “bests” for a long time in a variety of compilations, and the publishers who buy albums from me did not have such a record and felt that they were filling the pockets of “music bootleggers” with “black cash.” The release of such a record for me is like an intermediate finish, a successful completion of the first level of a computer game. It’s too early to draw conclusions. There are still hell knows how many of these levels ahead, and with each of them the difficulty of the game increases. Therefore, I don’t feel a sense of bronzedness and I don’t consider myself one of the classics of the genre. Although it is incredibly pleasant to stand on the shelves of kiosks in the same series with A. Severny, M. Krug, I. Kuchin, L. Uspenskaya, M. Shufutinsky, “Lesopoval”, V. Medyanik and many other talented people who created this genre and became - truly his legend.
Your latest album, “Blue-Eyed Lakes,” bears the frank features of a synthesis of the poetics of chanson and pop music. Is this a desire to remake the genre or a betrayal of it with pop?
I'm sure pop music fans will disagree with you. Yes, there are elements of pop and variety in the songs of this record. But you probably haven’t listened to “Hands Up” or “Reflex” for a long time (smiles). In “Ozery” there is more of a mixture of chanson and rock and roll, melodic rock a la 80s. This was done intentionally - I continue to look for a musical framework for my songs and I think that at the moment I need to move in a pop-rock direction.
- Do you feel in demand in Moscow? And in general, have you settled down in the capital?
As for concert activities, Moscow is overfed with former and present stars of all sizes and nationalities. Thousands of performances and concerts are announced every day, so representatives of the genre song, without exception, have a difficult time here. This fully applies to me. “Custom parties” don’t count for holidays and birthdays; many people feed on this, but personally I wouldn’t want to limit myself to this. I think that Moscow accepted me. She is like a capricious woman, spoiled by attention and money - it is impossible to conquer her at once, brazenly and rudely. You need to study it, know its sometimes absurd disposition, which is unacceptable for a provincial, and, worst of all, honestly love it. When she feels that you did it, she will reciprocate. But again, this doesn’t mean anything. She will demand from you daily proof of your love, crazy energy and actions for her sake. Otherwise, he will turn away, stop loving you, and drive you away.
Zheka! What kind of rumors are there about a certain musical? Is it true that you decided to surpass Notre Dame and Chicago?
You are well informed - apparently you have your sources in the chanson community. I cannot now reveal all the details of this work, but I will say that so far only a record in this genre has been ordered for me and the musicians who work with me. On which I have been working for three months now as an author and producer. What it will eventually be called - a musical, an audio series, whether it will later result in a stage production - I have no idea. The content of the record is chanson stories, united by one common outline, performed by a wide variety of chanson representatives. Alexander Dyumin, Anatoly Dneprov, Gennady Zharov, Tanya Tishinskaya, Zheka, “Vorovaiki”, Katya Ogonyok and a dozen other equally talented artists are taking part in the project. Whether we will surpass Kirkorov's Chicago will depend on the financial capabilities of the customers.
- By the way, excuse the banality, but I want to ask your opinion about the scandal around Kirkorov.
Are you talking about the scandal involving the taxation of cases on a journalist? In general, I am not aware of the details, at least I had no time to read the transcript of that press conference, but I am inclined to think that both Bedrosovich and this aunty benefited from all this hype. Filya realized that even sitting in a box every day, he was losing ratings, and the journalist promoted herself to the fullest.
The masters of chanson Rosenbaum and Novikov ended up on opposite sides of the barricades. Was this an accident or was something brewing behind the scenes?
How did you guess? This is their relationship, but I personally saw that it was at zero. The masters are both on “pathos”, which does not allow anyone to take the first step towards reconciliation.
- Did your departure from radio “Chanson” also have its skeleton in the closet? Is it possible to know the details?
I didn’t leave “Chanson” - I was “left”! There are no secrets here; since the fall of 2003, Zheka has been absent from the air of this Moscow radio station. I will speak only for myself, although you are well aware that I am not the only “lucky” person, or rather persona non grata. I believe that this is due to the radio station’s management’s vision of the composition of its artists and the conflict between my former producer and the same management. Negotiations were held with me, conditions were proposed under which my songs would be returned to the air, but I had to sign a contract, which was not entirely correct in relation to myself, with the Chanson Records company created at the radio station. I couldn’t do this - independence in show business came at too high a price. By the way, both “Chanson-Petrograd” and regional radio stations continue to play me. Many thanks to them for this. At the Moscow “Chanson” I have many good friends and just comrades with whom I maintain warm relations. It’s unpleasant to become a hostage to someone’s ambitions or political will, but this is again the cost of my independence. I hope that sooner or later common sense will show itself and everything will return to its place. Personally, I am ready to meet halfway.
- What can the viewer and listener expect from Zheka in the near future?
But this is a question that is very difficult for me to answer now. It is clear that a new album should be expected from me for some foreseeable time. But what will it be like? I want to point my finger at the sky - only He knows! In general, the concept of the future record begins to emerge in the brain somewhere in the middle of the work. Some songs scheduled for recording are removed, I urgently write new ones, I shovel and rework those already recorded, I think about and change the order of songs... This, or almost like this, happened while working on all four of my albums. But now I wanted something different. I don't want to rush anywhere. Until a more or less clear outline of the future album is created in my head, I will not cross the threshold of the studio. I’ll sit, sort through the pieces of paper with the texts, rearrange the lines, fold the pieces of paper into piles and hum their melodies to the guitar. But until everything settles down in my head, I won’t budge. So I decided - I’ll do it. How long this will last - a year or a week - I don’t know. I don’t even know approximately what the result will be.
Vladimir Oleynik, AiF-Kurgan No. 37, August 2004.