Vitas

2.1. Birth and Childhood

Vitaliy Vladasovich Grachev was born on February 19, 1979, in Daugavpils, which was then part of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. While some sources suggest his birth year as 1981, legal documents indicate 1979. He soon relocated with his parents to Odesa, Ukraine, where he spent his formative years. Vitas is of diverse heritage, with Russian, Lithuanian, and Ashkenazi Jewish roots. His mother, Lilia Mihailovna Gracheva, was a Russian costume designer, and his father, Vladas Arkadevich Grachev-Marantzman, had Lithuanian and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Arkadiy Davydovich Marantzman, an Ashkenazi Jew, was a singer in an army choir during World War II, while his paternal grandmother was of Lithuanian descent.

2.2. Musical Education and Talent Development

Vitas displayed a keen interest in music from a very young age. His paternal grandfather, Arkadiy Davydovich Marantzman, introduced him to music, teaching him to play the accordion at the age of five. Vitas later claimed to have composed at least 1,000 songs by the time he was 12 years old. He attended an art school in Odesa starting from age seven, and during his teenage years, he actively participated in various theatrical productions. His dean at the Odesa art school reportedly praised him as "a gift from God," acknowledging his extraordinary talent. He adopted the stage name "Vitas" during his teen years, finding his birth name, Vitaliy Grachev, to be too long. His dedicated and often late-night rehearsing habits sometimes led to clashes with his father, who reportedly threatened to report him to the police for "behaving not quite adequately." At the age of 21, Vitas, along with his 15-year-old girlfriend and future wife Svetlana, left Odesa for Moscow. They traversed the border into Russia by train, with Svetlana lacking the necessary documents, and endured a period of significant poverty before Vitas achieved public recognition for his music.

3.1. Debut and Early Activities (1999-2005)

After being unable to attend a private musical institution due to financial constraints following his rejection from a musical college in Odesa, Vitas began performing at night clubs under his chosen pseudonym. Initially, he started as a Michael Jackson tribute act, but also incorporated parodies and his own original songs into his performances. To support himself and his girlfriend in Moscow, he also engaged in various odd jobs, including selling leftover bread from stores and offering photography services. His night club acts were diverse, featuring dancing, singing, comedy, and even magic tricks like spoon bending. He also worked as an actor in an experimental theater. In 1997, his application to perform his own Ukrainian songs at the Chervona Ruta festival was rejected due to a lack of Ukrainian-language repertoire.

In 1999, the Odesan regional television station Elan produced a music video for his song "Opera #1," which was recorded in Odesa. During one of his night club performances of "Opera #2," Vitas was noticed by a Russian producer, who suggested he move to Moscow. He had been considering this move around 1998-1999. Later, while performing in an experimental theater play, he was discovered by producer Sergey Pudovkin, to whom he gave a cassette of his music. A week later, Vitas and Svetlana departed Odesa for Moscow.

Working with Pudovkin, Vitas prepared for his debut to the Russian audience, also working for the youth channel TV-6 to earn money. They filmed a music video for "Opera #2," which premiered in December 2000. In the video, Vitas portrayed an eccentric, lonely man with fish gills, living in a bathtub surrounded by jars of fish and playing the accordion naked. This unusual video garnered significant public attention. Vitas subsequently performed the song with artificial gills, leading the Russian media to liken him to Ichthyander, a character from the novel Amphibian Man.

On February 27, 2001, Vitas presented an abridged version of his solo concert show, "Opera #...", at the "Russia" Concert Hall in Moscow. This served as a preview for the first leg of his "Philosophy of Miracle" tour, which was filmed by TV-6 and later broadcast as part of the music program "Nasha muzyka". While exact details vary, official sources state the tour began on April 7, 2001, possibly in Naro-Fominsk, though other reports confirm it started by March 2001. During this initial tour, Vitas performed in a variety of venues, including concert halls, TV shows, festivals, stadiums, casinos, and nightclubs. In March 2002, Vitas embarked on his first tour of the United States.

On March 29, 2002, Vitas premiered the second leg of his "Philosophy of Miracle" concert tour with a sold-out performance at the State Kremlin Palace in Moscow, marking him as the youngest artist to hold a solo concert at this prestigious venue. This concert was filmed by Channel One Russia and later released on DVD.

In late 2002, Lucio Dalla, the composer of "Caruso," invited Vitas to perform the song with him at the "Sanremo in Moscow" concert at the State Kremlin Palace on November 23, 2002. Dalla was so impressed by Vitas's voice that he invited him to Rome for rehearsals of Toska, a modern adaptation of Puccini's opera.

In 2003, Vitas dedicated two albums to his mother, who had passed away in 2001: "Mama" and "The Songs of My Mother." The latter featured classic Soviet songs that were his mother's favorites. During the recording of "The Songs of My Mother," Vitas formed a friendship with Soviet and Russian composer Alexandra Pakhmutova, even featuring in the music video for her song "The Bird of Happiness."

His first concert tour, "Philosophy of Miracle," concluded on October 21, 2003, with a final performance in Kaliningrad. On November 1, 2003, Vitas launched his second concert tour, "The Songs of My Mother", at the "Russia" Concert Hall in Moscow. This tour adopted a more conservative style compared to the flamboyant "Philosophy of Miracle," focusing on classic Russian songs. From 2004 to 2006, Vitas's management, the "Pudovkin" Production Center, continued "The Songs of My Mother" tour across Russia, the United States, Germany, Kazakhstan, Israel, and the Baltic states.

Beyond his singing, Vitas also acted in a murder mystery television series titled "Сволочь ненаглядная" ("Beloved Scoundrel"), playing a pop singer with an unusually high voice. He also appeared in the comedy film Crazy Day in 2005.

3.2. Asian Breakthrough and International Success (2006-2014)

In June 2006, Vitas's international presence expanded significantly when China Central Television invited him to participate in The Year of Russia in China, a major event in Beijing. His performances of "The Star" and "Opera #2" at this event marked the beginning of his substantial popularity in China. In subsequent years, he toured extensively in China and performed at a concert celebrating the kickoff of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Vitas's Return Home tour, which commenced in 2006, mirrored the conservative tone of "The Songs of My Mother" tour. A concert from this tour in Saint Petersburg on March 4, 2007, was later released on DVD, though with several songs omitted. The complete Moscow concert was also released on DVD.

In October 2007, Vitas signed with the American record label Gemini Sun Records. This label released the "Audio Visual Connect Series Vitas" CD + DVD compilation, which included eight music videos with their corresponding audio tracks and an additional bonus audio track. In 2008, Vitas released "Light of A New Day," a 40-minute instrumental and vocal track without lyrics, available as a free download on his website. This track was widely praised by fans for its use as a form of music therapy.

His Sleepless Night tour featured concerts in China and more elaborate stage productions compared to his "Return Home" program. On February 25, 2009, Vitas performed his "Return Home" concert in Bucharest, Romania. This performance was broadcast on Romanian TVR2 and TVRi television networks, achieving their highest ratings in twelve months. On May 12, 2009, Vitas performed "The Star" at a benefit concert in Sichuan province, China, honoring the victims of the previous year's earthquake. In late October 2009, he released the song "Mommy and Son" in memory of the earthquake victims. This song became the title track of his album Mommy and Son, released on September 1, 2011, which also included new compositions such as "C'est La Vie" (French for "Such is life"), "Once More," "Let the Father Teach!," and "Young Rook."

Vitas ventured into acting in Chinese cinema, playing the role of Gude (also referred to as Wude) in the 2009 film Mulan, which premiered in Beijing on November 16, 2009. He also contributed music to the film's soundtrack. In early 2011, Vitas conducted a series of seven Sleepless Night concerts across North America, performing in New York City, Toronto, Chicago, Miami, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Later that year, he portrayed the Bolshevik Comintern official Grigori Voitinsky in the Chinese propaganda film The Founding of a Party (also known as Beginning of the Great Revival). He also co-starred with Huang Shengyi in the musical A Night to Be a Star. In March 2011, Vitas's "Mommy and Son" concert tour commenced in various Russian cities. A large-scale concert at the Palace of Arts "Ukraina" in Kyiv in March 2012 was broadcast on major Ukrainian TV channels and later released on DVD. In 2013, he took this tour to Germany, performing in several cities.

In 2012, Vitas made guest appearances on several Russian talk shows, including Let Them Talk, marking his first in-depth television interview in Russia after a decade of maintaining a low media profile. During this appearance, he publicly introduced his wife and daughter for the first time.

3.3. Recent Activities (2015-Present)

In 2019, Vitas released his fifteenth studio album, Bit Bombit. To commemorate his 20th anniversary as an artist, he launched a new concert tour in April 2019 in Moscow and appeared on the Russian talk show Evening Urgant on his 40th birthday. He collaborated with Australian musician and DJ Timmy Trumpet on the song "The King" and performed with him at the Belgian rave festival Tomorrowland. In August 2020, Vitas's 20th-anniversary EP OPERA20 was released in China. This EP featured songs in English, Russian, and Chinese, and included a collaboration with Chinese singer Elvis Wang. A limited edition of 1,000 vinyl copies was also issued.

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vitas's international touring activities ceased, and he primarily performed within Russia for a period. Since March 2022, he has largely withdrawn from public performances, choosing to focus predominantly on his family life.

3.4. Backing Band

Vitas's live performances are accompanied by his dedicated backing band, DIVA.

• Current members:**
  • Aleksandr Gruzdev - guitar, saxophone, backing vocals (2001-present)
  • Maxim Musatov - keyboards, backing vocals (2019-present)
  • Aleksandr Illin - bass guitar, backing vocals (2016-present)
  • Yaroslav Andreev - drums (2012-present)
• Former members:**
  • [unknown] - guitar, backing vocals (2014-2015)
  • Vasiliy Musatov - keyboards (2004-2019)
  • Ilya "G.IL.V" Grebenyuk - keyboards (2001-2003)
  • Aleksey Rostov - keyboards (2003)
  • Andrey Artemov - bass guitar, backing vocals (2007-2015)
  • Rashit Kyamov - bass guitar, backing vocals (2001-2007, 2015-2016)
  • Rushan Harryasov - drums (2001-2012)

3.5. Fashion and Stage Design

Vitas is known for his direct involvement in the artistic direction of his performances, particularly in the design of his own stage costumes and the overall production. He personally crafts his elaborate and often unique stage outfits, which contribute significantly to his distinctive and eclectic image. His dedication to designing his own costumes highlights his comprehensive artistic vision, where visual presentation is as integral to his performance as his vocal delivery.

4.1. Family and Privacy

Vitas holds dual Ukrainian and Russian citizenship, possessing passports from both countries. He married his long-term girlfriend, Svetlana Grankovska, in 2006 in Odesa. The ceremony was a private affair, attended solely by family members. The couple has three children: their first daughter, Alla, was born in 2008; their son, Maksim, was born in 2015; and their third child, a daughter named Alisa, was born in 2021.

Throughout the early 2000s, Vitas maintained a highly guarded stance regarding his private life, rarely granting interviews. His producer, Sergey Pudovkin, actively sought to prevent journalists from interacting with Vitas. However, in 2003, the Channel One Russia program Good Morning featured a rare interview with Vitas about his career. In the early 2010s, Vitas became more open to the media. His first in-depth interview on Russian television occurred in January 2012 on the talk show Let Them Talk, where he publicly introduced his wife and daughter for the first time.

4.2. Media Exposure and Family-Related Controversies

Following his initial public appearance with his family on Let Them Talk, Vitas subsequently appeared on the Channel One Russia show Everybody Is At Home. Later that year, he returned to the show to address a claim by a man who alleged to be Vitas's biological father. Despite initial backlash from friends and family, and the man's eventual admission of lying, DNA test results definitively proved that the man was not Vitas's biological father. To demonstrate his lack of resentment, Vitas famously sang and danced with the man's mother on the show. His paternal grandfather, Arkady Davidovich Marantsman, passed away on July 29, 2013, at the age of 90, due to a heart attack. Vitas was reportedly close to his grandfather and attributed his death partly to the stress caused by the traffic accident and subsequent public scrutiny. In response to these events, Vitas's fan page posted messages thanking fans for their support and apologizing to the victims of the traffic accident. He also made another appearance on Let Them Talk to clarify the situation, and in August, a video was uploaded to his personal page, where he reiterated his gratitude to his fans and expressed apologies.

5.1. Traffic Accident and Obstruction of Justice (2013)

On May 10, 2013, in Moscow, Vitaliy Grachev was involved in a traffic accident near the VVC (All-Russian Exhibition Center), where his car collided with a cyclist, Olga Kholodova. Upon being taken to a police station, Vitas handed over a mockup of a Makarov pistol to the officers. A video recording released to the public showed Vitas allegedly kicking a police officer and using obscene language towards law enforcement personnel.

The investigation revealed that Grachev's Russian driving license had been revoked for 23 months in 2007 due to driving under the influence. Subsequently, in 2008, as a Ukrainian citizen, he obtained a new driver's license from Ukraine but again violated traffic regulations by driving into the oncoming lane. On May 27, 2013, a magistrate of the Ostaninsky district of Moscow revoked his driving license for 1.5 years for refusing a medical examination, under Part 1 of Article 12.26 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation. On July 18, Grachev was formally charged with using violence against a representative of authority. During the investigation, he fully admitted his guilt and cooperated with the authorities.

On August 26, 2013, the Ostaninsky court in Moscow found Vitas guilty of a crime under Article 318 of the Russian Criminal Code and imposed a fine of 100.00 K RUB for the assault on the police officer. Despite the significant media coverage and public scrutiny, this incident did not substantially impact Vitas's popularity within Russia, as his subsequent concerts continued to sell out. However, a planned concert in Chongqing, China, had to be canceled due to poor ticket sales, indicating an impact on his international image.

5.2. Shooting Incident (2018)

On March 21, 2018, Vitaliy Grachev discharged a starting pistol in the courtyard of his residence in the village of Barvikha, within the Rublyovka area. The shooting lasted for five hours, causing concern among his neighbors. When police arrived, Vitas initially refused to open his door and continued firing the pistol. As a result, police forcibly entered his property and apprehended him, taking him to the police station where an administrative protocol was filed against him. Grachev declined to undergo an alcohol intoxication test. During a search of his property, police discovered 45 spent shell casings, four cartridges, and a signal pistol. According to his neighbors, this was not an isolated incident, as Vitas had reportedly organized similar shooting events in his courtyard previously.

On March 27, 2018, the Odintsovo city court sentenced Grachev to seven days of administrative arrest under Article 20.1 of the Administrative Code (petty hooliganism). He served his sentence at the Istrinsky special reception center. Prior to this arrest, he had also been fined 500 RUB for the incident.

5.3. Karaoke Club Altercation (2022)

On October 23, 2022, Vitas was involved in an altercation at a karaoke club on Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya Street in Moscow. He engaged in a conflict with an official from a federal ministry, using obscene language and deploying pepper spray into the official's eyes. Security personnel intervened to break up the confrontation. Vitas promptly left the scene, while the official sought medical attention at a trauma center, where he was diagnosed with chemical eye burns. The injured official subsequently filed a criminal complaint with the police. A criminal case was initiated against Vitas for causing minor harm to health. However, during the investigative process, the case was ultimately closed due to the reconciliation of the parties involved.

5.4. Lip-syncing Allegations

Throughout his career, Vitas has faced allegations of lip-syncing during his live performances, particularly concerning his unusually high vocal range. These suspicions briefly gained traction in the Russian media. Both Vitas and his producer have consistently denied these claims, often demonstrating live singing by moving the microphone away from his mouth during performances to show that he is not lip-syncing. Ironically, when Vitas starred in a mystery television series portraying a pop singer with an extraordinarily high voice, the final episode revealed that the character's singing voice was augmented by additional female vocal recordings.

7.1. Studio Albums

7.2. Singles and EPs

7.3. Music Videos

8.1. Film

10.1. Positive Assessment

Vitas is widely celebrated for his unique vocal style, particularly his mastery of falsetto and his impressive vocal range, which is often cited as five to six octaves (D2 to B7). This extraordinary vocal capability allows him to perform a diverse range of genres, from operatic pieces to techno, seamlessly integrating classical elements with contemporary sounds. His music is often difficult to categorize, demonstrating a willingness to experiment and innovate within the pop music landscape. This eclectic approach, combined with his theatrical stage presence and self-designed costumes, has contributed to his status as a distinctive figure in the music industry. His early success in Russia, followed by a groundbreaking entry into the Asian market, solidified his position as a significant musical talent with broad appeal.

10.2. Critical Perspectives and Other Controversies

Beyond specific legal incidents, Vitas's career has also been subject to broader critical scrutiny and ongoing debates, notably concerning the authenticity of his unique vocalization during live performances. Allegations of lip-syncing have surfaced, suggesting that his exceptionally high voice might be electronically manipulated or pre-recorded. While both Vitas and his producer have vehemently denied these claims, often demonstrating live singing by moving the microphone away from his mouth during performances, the debate has persisted. The irony was heightened when, in a television drama where he played a pop singer with an unusually high voice, the character's vocal parts were revealed to have been enhanced by additional female vocal recordings. These discussions highlight a tension between Vitas's almost superhuman vocal abilities and the skepticism that can arise when an artist pushes traditional boundaries of performance.

10.3. Public Reception and Influence

Vitas's widespread popularity extends across Russia, parts of Eastern Europe, and significantly, throughout Asia, particularly in China. His rise to international prominence was largely propelled by the viral spread of his music videos, such as "Opera #2" and "The 7th Element," on the internet in the mid-2000s. These videos, with their unconventional visuals and Vitas's striking vocal delivery, captured global attention and introduced him to a diverse audience far beyond traditional Russian music markets. This online phenomenon cemented his status as an internet sensation, contributing to his unique global cultural impact. In specific regions like Japan, his performances have gained considerable traction, leading to features on national television programs and the easier availability of his albums through major retailers, illustrating his broad and sustained influence. His tours across China have consistently drawn large crowds, and he has participated in major cultural events, underscoring his significant presence in the Asian music scene.