Zheka Career: Musician
Birth: Russia" Kurgan region" Kurgan, 10/14/1966
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.
Born on October 14, 1966 in the city of Kurgan. After graduation high school entered the university, but without finishing it, he left to serve in the ranks Soviet army.
After the army he returns to a nearby city, where he works at several cooperative enterprises, as a director of a bar, a night club, and as the head of a recording studio, which later becomes a structure of the Kurgan State TV 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 compose 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 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 to record 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 group that would release my album, whether they would listen to it, says Zheka. I was supported only by my friends and my family, who remained in Kurgan. Their help and faith in me helped me to be present and survive in a huge foreign city. I lived in a one-room rented Khrushchev house, without registration, delaying payment all the way, not knowing what I would eat tomorrow, and in general, what would happen tomorrow.
When the songs On Business, Pines-Cedars and Camps were recorded, I began to spend a long time and gruelingly visiting the production companies, in practice I was refused 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.
Only a few months later, the small company Zodiac, which produces Tanya Tishinskaya, took some of Zheka’s songs into its collections. They were put to finish off other chanson performers, but this was already a small achievement, they had a chance to be heard.
In September of the same year, 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 on 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, legendary Alexander Dyumin and the host of the concert, DJ of Radio Chanson, 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 Cedar Pines, 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 Strizh-Time program 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 one hundred percent on the day of release. There is a catastrophic shortage of records; it is impossible to purchase an album. Countless 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 sought-after young performers in programs commissioned by 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 colossal 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 Fellow Traveler, Katya Ogonyok, Alexander Dyumin, Svetlana Piterskaya, Viktor Nochnoy and others.
Zheka performs songs I like autumn leaf and Cedar Pines. 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. Written especially for Svetlana Gray flowers, Sleepers-sleepers, You know, Bird cherry, Black star, Don't believe it girls. 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 more than forty participants: Lube group and Lesopoval, Mikhail Shufutinsky, Lyubov Uspenskaya, Slava Medyanik, Alexander Novikov, Evgeny Kemerovo, 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 ( Cross Ace), and Fedey Karmanov.
Radio station Chanson is releasing a celebratory set of 3 commemorative CDs, which includes Zheka’s songs: Piliat Pila and My spring Moscow.
From September to December, Evgeniy works in the studio, recording songs for a new disc, the one called Nettle. The disc contains 13 new songs of varying content, from wildly cheerful to piercingly sad.
I wanted to make a more adult, more high-quality album, and at the same time, preserve the sound and style that were found when recording the Pine-Cedar record, Zheka reports. 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 presentation of the Worthy Song 2002 awards, established by Radio Petrograd-Russian Chanson Zheka receives nominations for the most best album(Pine-cedars) and 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, Classic Company released the second album by Zheka Krapiva. Two months before this, the same company begins to release the full version of the Cedar Pines album, which adds two songs that were not included in the initial version of the disc. Besides 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 extremely friendly with another festival participant - Viktor Petlyura, says Evgeny, unfortunately, he does not often visit Moscow, but we try to facilitate communication 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 at that end of the day we met: Mikhail Gulko, Vika Tsyganova, Katya Ogonyok, Alexander Dyumin, Anatoly Dneprov, the group Poputchik and others.
From the end of May to August 2003, in the studio of Evgeniy Pozdnyakov, Zheka recorded her third album, the one that received the name Fufaechka. 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 that same gentleman is at the breaking point or peak of some important life event for him, be it a moment of happiness, immense sadness or more of 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 had not sung before , I’m sure this will make the album attractive to connoisseurs of classic criminal songs.
On October 28, 2003, Zheka Sosny-Kedry's song entered the 7th position of the national hit parade Top, compiled by the Chanson radio station based on the results of an Internet vote of listeners. Subsequently, Sosny rises to 4th place and spends 6 weeks in the top ten chanson hits in the country.
November 9, 2003 Evgeniy takes part in the third international festival Songs sung by the heart, the one that takes place in Kyiv. The festival was organized by the Ukrainian Adult Radio Chanson. Eight thousand fans of genre songs gathered in the Kiev Sports Palace to notice and hear Garik Krichevsky, Alexander Novikov, Igor Slutsky, Efrem Amiramov, Gennady Zharov and many other artists. Zheka sings the songs Forgive me 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 SK Meteor 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 released the third album by Zheka Fufaechka. 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 awards, participants grand 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.
→Gerard de Nerval (Labrunie) Jehrar de Nerval
ZHEKA (Evgeniy Grigoriev) 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 hometown, where he works at several cooperative enterprises, as a director of a bar, a night club, 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.
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, 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 they helped me to 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 "For Business" were recorded. , “Pines-Cedars” and “Camps”, I began to spend a long and exhausting time going around the production companies, almost everywhere I was refused, no one wanted to include them in compilation records or play them on the radio. I was in complete despair. I don’t know what forces helped. I should finish recording the album."
Only a few months later, the Zodiac company 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 Zvintsov, 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, presenter of the Chanson radio, Ksenia Strizh. The artists' live performances were recorded for the subsequent release of a commemorative CD. Entering 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 he performs 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 sought-after young performers in programs commissioned by 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 Concert Hall "Oktyabrsky" 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 more than forty participants: the groups “Lyube” and “Lesopoval”, Mikhail Shufutinsky, Lyubov Uspenskaya , Slava Medyanik, Alexander Novikov, Evgeny Kemerovsky, Anatoly Cloth, Grigory Leps and others. In the hall there are from 6 to 8 thousand listeners. At the concert, Zheka meets Mikhail Shufutinsky, Vladimir Kozyrev ("Ace of the Cross"), and Fedya Karmanov. Chanson" releases 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 record contains 13 new songs of varying content, from rollickingly 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 during the recording of the “Pines-Cedars” record,” says Zheka. Participating in the work on the album are: a guitarist and an arranger Evgeny Pozdnyakov, keyboard player 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 company released Zheka’s second album, “Nettle.” Two months before this, the same company begins selling the full version of the album “Pines-Cedars”, to which two songs were added 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, the group "Lesopoval", 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 Petliura,” 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 Nikolay Arefiev, guitarist Evgeny Bykov and accordion player Alexander Dolgikh. The album contains 13 songs, authored 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 am sure that 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 festival "Worthy Song 2003", which takes place at the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. Participants of the grandiose show: Alexander Rosenbaum, Trofim, Igor Slutsky, Katya Ogonyok, Lesopoval group, Alexander Domogarov...
In subsequent years, the company "Classic Company" releases the albums: "Blue-Eyed Lakes", " Best songs" in the series " Legends of the Genre ", " A Glass of Vodka on the Table " and the album " Nice? Fu, damn it, Murka!!!" Zheka becomes a participant in the "Four Suits" project together with A. Dyumin, M. Sheleg and Yu. Almazov.
Evgeny Grigoriev was born on October 14, 1966 in the city of Kurgan, RSFSR. The parents of the future musician worked as engineers at one of the enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Kurgan.
Evgeniy began his creative journey in one of the children's music schools city of Kurgan, where he was trained in the domra class. However, already as a teenager, he changed the domra to drums and in this capacity created his first rock band. Already at the age of 15, Evgeniy composed his first songs and independently mastered playing the guitar.
After graduating from high school, Evgeniy entered the university, but without finishing it, he went to serve in armed forces THE USSR. After completing his military service, he returned to music and tried his hand at business. In the early 1990s he opened his own music studio and a bar-restaurant. However, the economic crisis of 1998 did not spare Evgeny Grigoriev.
In 2000, Evgeniy went to the capital of Russia, deciding to engage in musical career professionally. Within a few months, Grigoriev recorded his debut album “Pines - Cedars” in Moscow. Eugene was helped by his fellow countrymen (musicians from the Crystal Music studio).
On December 20, 2001, as part of a national concert in memory of Sergei Nagovitsyn at the Meridian Palace of Culture, Evgeny Grigoriev appeared on the capital’s stage for the first time. Zheka’s performance was noticed by the presenter of “Chanson” radio, Ksenia Strizh, who invited Grigoriev to take part in one of her radio programs.
Zheka’s songs are included in the rotation of the radio station, and in January 2003, as the author and performer of the best album, he received a diploma from the radio “Russian Chanson - Petrograd”. His song “I am like an autumn leaf” was also recognized as the best and received an award at the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. Zheka becomes a diploma holder of the Kyiv “Adult Radio Chanson”, as well as “Kinotavr” in the city of Sochi. By this time, he was already constantly touring Russia and the CIS countries.
A successful debut with the album “Pines - Cedars” inspires the musician, and soon appears new album- “Nettle”, and in December 2003 another album - “Sweatshirt”. In the summer of 2004, the musician finished his fourth disc, “Blue-Eyed Lakes.” With the release of these albums, Zheka becomes popular artist among admirers of chanson. In 2004, when he produced the album "Taxi big city", the songs written by Evgeniy for this album were performed by such masters of chanson as Alexander Dyumin, Tatyana Tishinskaya, Mikhail Sheleg, Sergei Lyubavin and Anatoly Dneprov.
Family
Evgeniy is married and has two sons and a daughter. Lives in Moscow.
Discography
- Cedar Pines (2003)
- Nettle (2003)
- Sweatshirt (2003)
- Blue-Eyed Lakes (2004)
- Poor Soul (2005)
- -40 with a breeze (2006)
- Let's live (2009)
- When not necessary unnecessary words (2010)
- Breathing each other in (2012)
- In the tunnel of the Third Ring (collection) (2013)
56 chord selections
Biography
ZHEKA (Evgeniy Grigoriev)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.
Only in a few months 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 gone on 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, husking the seeds too loudly. 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 presentation of 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 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 presenter Alexander Frumin on its tenth anniversary.
Zheka (Evgeniy Gennadievich Grigoriev) is a chanson performer, composer and musician better known under the creative pseudonym Zheka, winner of a number of awards given to performers in this genre.
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.
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. Only a few months later, the Zodiac company 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 Zvintsov, 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, presenter of the Chanson radio, Ksenia Strizh. In March 2002, Zheka, at the invitation of Ksenia Strizh, participated in her program “Strizh-Time” on radio “Chanson”. Then he performs together with Gennady Zharov, Evgeny Chuzhiy and Sergei Lyubavin at the radio station during the beer festival in Luzhniki. In 2004, he produced the album “Big City Taxi”. On this record Zheki's songs are sung by: Anatoly Dneprov, Alexander Dyumin, Tatyana Tishinskaya, Mikhail Sheleg, Sergey Lyubavin and many other chanson performers.Zheka is a laureate of the “Chanson of the Year” and “Worthy Song” awards, a winner of chanson festivals in Kyiv, Sochi and Kaliningrad. Evgeniy tours extensively throughout Russia and neighboring countries, writes and records new songs. Zheka becomes a participant in the “Four Suits” project together with A. Dyumin, M. Sheleg and Yu. Almazov. And joint performances Zheki with Viktor Petlyura and Alexander Dyumin are warmly received by the Russians.
On the official website of the Vipartist - you can familiarize yourself with the biography, photos and videos of Grigoriev Zheka, and use the indicated contact numbers to invite Zheka with concert program to the event. To find out the conditions of an invitation to the holiday, call the numbers posted on the website of the concert agent Zheka. Information about the fee and concert schedule will be given to you so that you can invite Zheka to an event or order a performance by Zheka Grigoriev Evgeniy for an anniversary and party. Please check and book available performance dates in advance!
