Verka Serduchka - interview

eurovision.tv reports:

Verka Serduchka has come to Belgrade to support Ani Lorak, who takes part in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. She presented her new song Do Re Mi at the Ukrainian party on 17 May. After the show she had a short chat with Eurovision.tv in the hotel lobby.

Miss Serduchka, not just Ukraine but the whole Europe are dealing with the same global problem: why are you still single? You are such a beautiful woman, but we only see you around alone.

Serduchka: "I am not really single! I'm married… with art. Have I hit the target? Is it a bull's eye?"

Why do you always travel with your mama only? Where is your father?

Serduchka: "You should ask my mother about this thing!
read more...

Verka Serduchka comments on Eurovision 2008

Verka Serduchka - "Gorbachev"

Verka Serduchka singing "Gorbachev"

Ukraine rehearsal and press conference

Ukrainian representative Ani Lorak delivered a polished and slick performance of her Eurovision Song Contest entry Shady Lady during her first rehearsal.

At the beginning of the song the four male backing dancers are revealed one by one as the individual sections of the wall light up. The dancers then emerge on stage to join Ani. Towards the end of the song, Ani climbs to the top of the wall and is helped back down by the dancers. It seems that we will get more surprises within the performance during the full dress rehearsals.



Press conference

Ani Lorak has worked with composer and former Eurovision Song Contest singer/songwriter Philip Kirkorov for over six years, and a question was raised as to how the Shady Lady project was born. Philip replies "When I heard that Ani Lorak was representing Ukraine I called her and said I had an idea for a song. I had wanted to work with Ani for some time, we met and Ani listened to the song, liked it very much and within three days we were recording it in Greece!".



sources: eurovision.tv ; esctoday.com

Nico and Vlad in Moldova and Ukraine

The Romanian tenor Vlad Mirita and the pop singer Nico have visited Moldova and Ukraine during the promo tour that has been scheduled in order to promote their Eurovision entry "Pe-o margine de lume".

Moldova, their first stop, was full of surprises. On their arrival to Chisinau, the Moldovan capital, they went directly to "Euro TV" show where for a whole hour they talked about their entry and their career.

They also appeared in many TV shows in both countries and gave several interviews in magazines, sites and radio stations.

"We were very warmly welcomed both in Moldova and Ukraine. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to visit Chişinău, but we promised to go back and talk about us and our plans." declared Nico and vlad Mirita.

Nico and Vlad enjoyed massive media coverage in Ukraine, appearing and being interviewed in no less that 10 major media, 1+1TV, MTV Ukraine, M1TV, 24TV, included.

Nico and Vlad enjoyed thoroughly the online conversation with local fans through the e-motion website which gave them the chance to come to closer contact with the local Eurofans.

In Ukraine, the duo was accompanied by Rusalna’s PR manager Maria Dashenko. Maria gave them a nappy toy which they named Masha and promised to take along to Belgrade as a good luck mascot.

Verka Serduchka a.k.a. Andrei Danilko in hospital

Verka Serduchka a.k.a. Andrei Danilko has been hospitalized recently with pains in his back.

Danilko was taken to one of Kyiv's private clinics where he was diagnosed with 'infringement of a back nerve and vegetative dysfunction'. That is to say, that besides the pains in a back, hypertension was added to the medical findings.

Verka's manager Igor Klinkov explains that illness of the actor is typical of fatigue. "Last year was a very difficult one for us, It is no surprise, that Andrey is overtired and got hypertension ".

Doctors tried to get Andrei back on his feet as soon as possible, because he has to be present at Phillip Kirkorov's birthday concerts and on December 1st he has to leave for London to continue shooting of the programme for one of the Ukrainian channels.

Andrey's physicians did not give any guarantees, but have treated the problem successfully for the time being.

Andrey Danilko has been dismissed from hospital.

sources:esctoday.com;unian.net

Verka Serduchka has withdrawn from the parlimentary elections

Second-placed star of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, Verka Serduchka (aka Andrei Danilko) has withdrawn from the parlimentary elections in Ukraine after a brief but well-publicised foray into the world of politics.

Andrei, selected as the number one candidate for the For Our Own! party, had attracted a lot of media attention since the announcement that he would stand for election, with a hint that he would be following fellow Ukrainian Eurovision star Ruslana into a career in politics.

Aiming at those voters who have become disillusioned with the political process, Danilko was due to hand out badges to would-be deputies of the party in a light-hearted publicity stunt, but pulled out at the last minute citing that he was "not ready yet".

Ukraine’s election campaign: mired in scandal

source:esctoday.com;RusiaToday.ru

Verka Serduchka releases single and album in Belgium and enter in French Charts

Verka Serduchka, the Ukrainian drag queen who finished second in the Eurovision Song Contest this year, is about to conquer Western Europe.

Following the release of the CD single on the French market, last week, Verka's Ukrainian entry-Danzing- in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest shot to number 6 of the official Top 100 , this week's best entrance.

Now the single Dancing Lasha Tumbai and the album Dancing Europe have also been released in Belgium.

Verka Serduchka – Dancing Europe

01. Dancing (Original Version)

02. Essen (Tim Tim Taram)

03. Vse Bydet Horosho (Everything Will Be Good)

04. Hop Hop

05. Horosho Krasavitsam (Good To Be Pretty)

06. Gorbachev (Stavropol'S Tango)

07. A Ya Smeyus (I Am Smiling)

08. Grosse Liebe

09. Dancing (Pub Version Art)

10. Poppi (Crazy Ringtone)

11. Beri Vse (Take Everything)

12. Evro Vision Queen

All songs on the album – from Dancing Lasha Tumbai to Evro Vision Queen – were written by Andrey Danilko himself.

Vse Bydet Horosho (Everything Will Be Good)



English Lyrics:
translation Svetlana Loboda

If they will tell us: "your train already left"
Than we will simply answer, we wait for another one
And to avoid being bored on the platform
We will cover a table and shal drink for love

And it will be G-O-O-D
Everything will be good
Everything will be good
I know it, know ...

G-O-O-D
Everything will be good
Oh, I have the feeling girls that i'll go on a spree
Oh, i'll go on a spree

If in the morning your head hurts
We'll tell you directly: "you cant drink"
Its not nice to cure yourself alone
Its better to drink a bit in group

It will be G-O-O-D
Everything will be good
Everything will be good
I know it, know...

G-O-O-D
Everything will be good
Oy, i have a feeling girls that i'll for shore go on a spree untill saturday

Life is such a bingo
I fell in love, but it wasnt all that
I won the jackpot in the game of love
I took a closer look - its idiot

I covered the table for all
There are pepper and brine
We shall go now
To fill our glasses and drink

sources:esctoday.com;belgovision.com

youtube.com/svetlanaloboda

picture:bbc.co.uk

60 SECONDS Interview : Verka Serduchka

Drag queen Verka Serduchka is a comedy phenomenon in the former Eastern Bloc. The brainchild of Ukrainian comedian Andrey Danilko, Verka plays sell-out gigs in the former Soviet Union. He was a sensation at this year's Eurovision Song Contest but was pipped at the post by a Serbian female Billy Bunter lookalike. His song, Dancing Lasha Tumbai, is out now.

What are the highs and lows of being a Ukrainian drag queen?

It’s not an easy way to be a Ukrainian star. It’s not an easy way to be a star at all. Occasionally there are people that bother me because I’m too successful. I wasn’t very much loved in the Ukraine before Eurovision and after that there isn’t much love for Verka in Russia either. There was a black PR campaign against me. They said I sang ‘Russia goodbye’ but I was singing ‘lasha tumbai’. It was a huge black PR campaign from the Russian TV stations saying Verka Serduchka f**ked Russia up.

Were you disappointed you didn’t win Eurovision?

After my performance on Eurovision, I knew I would take second place. The Serbian woman [Marija Seritovic] was pretty good, though. There are a lot of benefits to coming second. The winner has to go to six countries and work for free for Eurovision. I do the same tour but I get paid for it.

read more HERE

source:metro.co.uk

Verka the "Ukrainian Cinderella" 2nd in Finnish charts

esctoday.com reports:

This year's Ukrainian Eurovision Song Contest representative may be suffering from deja vu this week, after reaching 2nd place in Finland for a second time this year!

After finishing behind Serbia's Marija Serifovic at the Eurovision Song Contest, the crazy charactrer from Ukraine has entered finland's music charts... at number 2!

Verka's Eurovision Song Contest entry, Dancing lasha tumbai was released last week and was pipped to the number one spot by local act Tea with their song Tytöt tykkää. T

The Eurovision Song Contest entry is proving a more commercially successful song than the competition winner, Marija Serifovic and her entry, Molitva.

read more here

sources:esctoday.com;yle.fi

related: Verka Serduchka is ready to hit French charts;

Verka hits Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Ruslana in protective gear of security staff

ruslana.com.ua reports:

On 16 July fifteen carriages of a train with highly poisonous yellow phosphorus derailed in the region of L’viv. Six of them caught fire.

Ruslana (2004) went to the location of emergency.

"In my estimation, the staff at the location of the accident is working professionally and well-organized. I went there out of different reasons. First of all to get information about the situation first-hand. The second reason is connected with the major Ukrainian-Polish project, devoted to the Euro 2012. I am a co-organizer of the event on the Ukrainian side. Within the frames of the event meetings of the delegations of the Ukrainian and Polish football federations are being held, and on 22 July a major cultural event will take place, a joint concert of stars from both countries. The third reason - many friends of mine live in the area and I would like to support them."

read more here

source of news and photo: Ruslana Official Website

Ukraine and Sweden reveal dance styles & music

esctoday.com reports:

Sweden
The first dance to be performed by Cecilia Ehrling and Martin Lidberg is a Paso Doble.

The song they have chosen is a well-known classic from the 1980s: The final countdown by Europe.

The second dance will be a so-called disco fusion, which has been very popular in Sweden lately: it combines no less than nine different dance styles: Cha cha, Samba, Jive and Rumba as well as Street Dance, Hip Hop, Break Dance, Disco and Bugg, which has been added since the second dance has to include typical national elements. The song is called Disco Inferno and was originally performed by The Trummps.

Ukraine
Yulia Okropiridze's and Ilya Sydorenko's first dance will be a Quickstep. The song they have chosen is Istanbul (not Constantinople) by The Trevor Horn Orchestra; it appeared on the soundtrack of the film Mona Lisa smile. Their second performance will be based on a Showdance. The song is Ukrainian composition called Gop-tsya, it was written by Vopli Vidoplyasova.

Verka Serduchka is ready to hit French charts

oikotimes.com reports:

Verka Serduchka, is continuing his/her European success by preparing to hit the French charts.

His single, and Eurovision entry, ''Dancing Lasha Tumbai'' will hit French shelves on July 30, and is already starting to air on music channels and radio stations.

''Dancing Lasha Tumbai'' has been a huge success for the Ukrainian Drag Queen, with it charting at #6 in Sweden, and #28 in the United Kingdom- the first time that a Eurovision entry that didn't win, and wasn't from the UK, had charted on the isles since 1974.

Verka Serduchka is going to the parliamentary election

Ukrayinska Pravda reports:

Guardian Angel for the Next Parliament?

"Verka Serduchka is going to the parliamentary election! We can greet Ukrainian politicians with the revival of their not-so-boring lifestyle. "

"Vera can elegantly dump every one of them into dirt with popular frankness. If the initiators of creating Verka Serduchka Bloc (abbreviated VSB) will move their idea to the stage of active election campaign then we’ll observe in fascination how “respectable politicians” run away in a hurry from a 3rd class carriage conductor not to get into one TV program with her."

"Andriy Danylko started a win-win game for himself. The apogee of the success of Verka Serduchka commercial image would have been the victory at the Eurovision. It didn’t turn out that way. Therefore, new informational reasons for rotation are needed."

Read full article HERE

related: Verka Serduchka runs for Parliament

Verka's song gets commercial release

esctoday.com reports:

Verka Serduchka, the Ukrainian participant and runner-up at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, will release her song Danzing in France at the end of this month.

Verka finished second at the Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki earlier this year and her Album simply untitled Verka, the Album will be released in France with the mention “Number 1 in Ukraine” on the cover, but no mention of the Eurovision Song Contest.

The last Eurovision Song Contest winner to be released commercially in France was Sertab Erener's Every way that I can back in 2003. The country is considered 'closed to Eurovision' with relatively low viewing figures and public interest, although that seems to be slowly changing thanks to music producer and Head of Delegation, Bruno Berberes.

Many believe that the country is not yet ready to support the release of the songs from the Eurovision Song Contest in their market.

This year’s French entry, L’amour à la française by les Fatals Picards was not released.

Can Verka change French musical attitudes?

The song was a shock chart entry in the United Kingdom, another country notorious for poor record sales for Eurovision Song Contest entries. She became the first entrant for 34 years to score a chart hit without singing for the United Kingdom or winning the competition when the song reached 28th place on the official top 40 chart despite only being available through downloads and not having a CD release.

Listen Dancing Lasa Tumbai -Lullaby version

Verka Serduchka runs for Parliament

Verka Serduchka (Andrei Danilko) In the Spotlight

The Moskow Times reports:

Andrei Danilko revealed that he grew up without a bathroom and never takes off his baseball cap.
............................................................................................................

The love life, and orientation, of Andrei Danilko, aka Verka Serdyuchka, is much more mysterious.

"Something happens about once a month, but I'm happier on my own," he commented obliquely in OK! magazine last month. The intriguing interview also revealed that the reclusive comedian grew up in a house without a bathroom and never takes off his baseball cap.

Far more predictably, newspapers have been reporting on a conspiracy against Serdyuchka after she possibly sang "Russia Goodbye" at Eurovision.

Various reports have said that she was disinvited to festivals in Sochi and Latvia and edited out of a concert shown on Channel One -- which happens to broadcast the Eurovision Song Contest.

It's all rather baffling. In an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets on Wednesday, Danilko was noncommital, saying dismissively that "Russian television shows are reporting on an alleged ban on my concerts" but going on to hint at a negative attitude from "people from a certain channel."

Read full article here

[UPD]Verka Serdyuchka runs for Parliament

Ukrainians ready for elections, polls say

More than 75 percent of Ukraine’s voters are ready to take part in early parliamentary elections, scheduled for Sept. 30, according to the most recent public opinion polls.

Voter turnout is important for these elections, because for the first time since independence, a minimum voter turnout of 51 percent has been established. Coalition and opposition politicians alike have pointed to the minimum voter turnout as one of the ways the elections can be undermined.

On July 8, the man behind pop icon Verka Serdyuchka announced that he would run for parliament. Andriy Danylko, who placed second in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, announced plans to organize the “Against All” electoral bloc. “Against all” is the very last option on voting ballots, as Ukrainian voters are given the choice to vote for “none of the above.” In the 2006 elections, nearly 1.8 percent voted “against all.”

source:Kyiv Post

[UPD] Delfi.lt reports that Verka Serduchka was not allowed to perform in the recent celebrations in Sochi for the appointment of the Russian city as host for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Mr A. Razin, Verka's manager and the organizer of the concert, told delfi.lt that the owner of the venue where the concert was held refused to have Verka perform on his property.

After Verka's participation in the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest and her controversial Russia Good Bye/Lasha Tumbai chorus line, it is reported that Verka is no longer welcome in many Russian venues,

Russian radio stations have stopped playing her songs and TV shows do not accept her video clips any more.

source:esctoday.com

Guardian Angel for the Next Parliament?

Listen Dancing Lasha Tumbai (Lullaby Version)

Ruslana provides voice for computer game

The winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 , Ruslana , will go to New York to record the sound of the popular computer game GTA (Grand Theft Auto).

The character which will use Ruslana's voice is kept a secret. Furthermore, songs from her previous albums and from the new album will be used as soundtracks for the game.

Grand Theft Auto (GTA) was created and primarily developed by Rockstar North, published by Rockstar Games and debuted in 1998. The game allows the player to take on the role of a criminal in a big city, who rises in the ranks of organised crime over the course of the game. Various missions are set for completion by the figureheads of the city underworld, generally criminal, which must be completed to progress through the storyline.

source:Ruslana Official Website;esctoday.com

Verka Serduchka - Final Night Video

Eurovision SC Final 2007 - Ukraine - Verka Serduchka




Listen Verka singing Dancing lasha tumbai (lullaby version)

Verka Serduchka forbidden to act in Russia

The Ucranian singer Andrei Danilko, known as Verka Serduchka, was forbidden to perform in Russia, inform the Russian tabloid “Tvoi Den”.

According to this newspaper, “all the concert promoters received official instructions forbidding Verka to act or perform in Russia territory”.

Verka reached the second place in last Eurovision Song Contest with “Dancing Lasha tumbai”.

Many rumours, before and after the Finnish festival, said that the Ucranian entrant sang “Russia good-bye”, an “offence” to Russian people.

“I’m tired to say to everybody that I never sang “Russia good bye”. I don’t want to gain enemies in Russia”, told Verka to “Tvoi Den”.

source:oikotimes.com