Russian

Staisha is the stage-name for one Nastya Aleksandrina (Настя Александрина), a Moscow-born hip-hop, reggae, and R&B singer/songwriter. Trained as a singer from a young age, she would go on to graduate from the Gnessin State Musical College, where she studied jazz and pop vocal styles. Although she began her career as a backup singer for […]

Roads Change Color (Дороги Меняют Цвет, or ДМЦ) is an alternative Russian-singing folk-rock band from Poltava, Ukraine. Originally a two-piece group composed of vocalist Andrey Grechanik (Андрей Гречаник) and guitarist Sergeу Starostenko (Сергей Старостенко), the band has since expanded to include a keyboardist, bassist, drummer, and, for a brief period prior to her tragic death, a violin […]

Olga Arefyeva (Ольга Арефьева) is a Russian singer, published poet, dancer, theater actress, and educator. Born in a small town (Verkhnyaya Salda/Верхняя Салда) outside of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) in 1964, she—along with her band, The Ark (Ковчег)—has released a staggering 18 albums since the early 1990s and composed more than 400 original songs. She is […]

Grigory Leps (Григорий Лепс) is a Russian singer best known for his contributions to shanson (a genre of Russian music that often tells stories about the criminal underworld). Leps is from Sochi and started playing music when he was young, which initially competed with soccer in his affections—but luckily for us, music won. He studied […]

5’nizza (pronounced “Pyatnitsa,” Russian for “Friday”) is a Russian duet who plays across the genres of hip-hop, reggae, and funk. Originally from Kharkiv, 5’nizza existed from 2000 until 2007 and then, after a long hiatus, re-formed in 2015. They have played shows around Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the United States. 5’nizza consists of Sergei Babkin […]

Dantes and Oleynik (Дантес и Олейник) were a Ukrainian dance-pop duo; they met in 2008 while competing on a reality TV/music competition in Ukraine called Star Factory 2 (Фабрика Звёзд–2). They quickly became friends on set and continued to collaborate beyond their television experience. In 2010, they recorded their one and only studio album, I’m Already […]

Boombox is a Ukrainian band from Kiev that mixes various musical styles, including rock, hip-hop, and funk. Formed in 2004 by vocalist Andrei Khlyvnyuk (Андрій Хливнюк) and guitarist Andrei Samoilo (Андрій Самойло), they have released a steady stream of albums and collaborative projects since their inception and built a loyal following throughout Ukraine, Russia, and […]

Yolka (Ёлка in Russian) is a Ukrainian pop star, actress, and television personality who sings in Russian. Born Yelizaveta Valdemarivna Ivantsiv (Єлизавета Вальдемарівна Іванців), she received the nickname Ёлка (“fir tree”) when a childhood friend mispronounced her name; it amused her, and the name stuck. She has gained wide popularity and critical acclaim for her […]