Will Vitas be able to “eclipse” the popularity of Dimash Kudaibergen after returning to the stage in China

Childhood and youth

Vitas's real name is Vitaly Vladasovich Grachev. Born in Daugavpils, Latvia, on February 19, 1979. Vitas is the Latvian version of the singer’s name: his passport shows the Russian name Vitaly. Soon after the birth of their son, the Grachev family moved to Odessa, where Vitas’ grandfather Arkady Marantsman lived. The artist himself considers himself more of an Odessa citizen and a Ukrainian, since he left the Baltic states in early childhood. Now Grachev has Ukrainian citizenship and Odessa registration.

Vitas with mom

Mother Liliya Mikhailovna simply adored her only son and tried to dress him better. At that time, there was a shortage of everything, and the woman sewed clothes herself. By the way, already when Vitas became popular, he performed for a long time in things sewn by his mother.

But Vitas had a difficult relationship with his father Vladas Arkadyevich. He spoke about this in December 2020 on Andrei Malakhov’s “Let Them Talk” program. The artist honestly admitted that he had not communicated with his father for more than three years. Vitaly’s cousin said that family relations deteriorated after her grandfather died. The singer also had a very hard time with the death of his mother, who passed away in 2001. At that time, the parents were already divorced.

Vitas with his grandfather

On air, Vitas said that he received a letter from his father, and his father had never spoken to him so sincerely. The artist thanked Vladas Arkadyevich for supporting him as a child (it was he who bought him the first synthesizer), and invited him to celebrate the New Year together.

Vitas's parents had nothing to do with music. Only grandfather Arkady Marantsman loved to sing. The boy’s father wanted his son to become a football player, and his grandfather, who had a war behind him, dreamed of a military career for his grandson. But the guy was drawn to music and drawing, so he not only studied at a comprehensive school, but also studied the accordion at a music school for three years.

Vitas in his youth

The boy also served in the local plastic and voice parody theater. At first, Vitas talentedly copied the movements of Michael Jackson, later he brilliantly parodied a variety of people, and equally successfully, both men and women. Soon Grachev began studying jazz vocals with teacher Anna Rudneva.

In addition to the stage, Vitaly loved to draw. His artistic work is reminiscent of the style of Salvador Dali. The guy was also interested in computer technology. After graduating from 9th grade, Grachev set off to conquer Moscow.

Music

At the age of 14, Vitas wrote the song “Opera No. 2”. When the guy arrived in the capital, he immediately began collaborating with Sergei Pudovkin, who noticed an unusual boy back in Odessa. He becomes Vitas' producer. And Sergei’s mother, according to the singer himself, took care of him as if she were her own, replacing his deceased mother.

Vitas and Sergei Pudovkin

With the help of Pudovkin, the first video for the composition “Opera No. 2” appeared, which the public immediately liked. First of all, by its originality: the listeners were struck by the young singer’s piercing falsetto and the strange “gills” on his neck.

The performer began his solo work in December 2000, so the start of his creative biography is usually counted from the 2000s. After Grachev’s debut on the Russian stage, many listeners and experts wondered: what is the secret of his amazing falsetto and how a man can pull out such high notes. Music critics and teachers did not understand why the performer did not sing in the chest register.

Vitas – “7th Element”

A variety of fables circulated around the personality of the young singer. There were those who really believed that the musician was a descendant of Ichthyander, and that the gills shown in the video were real. Some journalists even expressed their suspicions that the boy was castrated as a child.

Vitas' producer Sergei Pudovkin tirelessly explained that this was not fraud, but a special structure of his throat and ligaments. I must admit, few believed in this. For example, Elena Kirashvili, associate professor of the vocal department at Moscow Pedagogical University, claims that Vitas’s “singing” on low notes is not singing at all, but recitative, which is typical exclusively for performers who have never practiced vocals.

Singer Vitas

“Vitas was initially conceived as a project that would shock the public, not with his vocal abilities, but with the general situation that was building up around him. The main role here is played by media support. And I would put Vitas’ vocal abilities in second place,” Kirashvili said.

Vitas - “Ave Maria”
Vitaly Grachev did not achieve success in the capital right away. His first tours were disastrous and brought no income, barely covering his losses. But the performer’s producer did not give up, claiming that everyone who came to Vitas’ concert would certainly become his fans. Colleagues on stage claimed that Vitas sings to a soundtrack, but in fact all of the performer’s concerts are held live.

Vitas - “Coasts of Russia”

It is noteworthy that Grachev even managed to outsing Sergei Penkin, whose 4-octave voice is called silver. Vitas takes 5.5 octaves, but, if necessary, is able to sing in bass. The performer released his debut disc single “Opera No. 2”, attaching small scraps of his red scarf, which was supposedly on his neck in the video.

Vitas - “Opera N2” (“My house is completed”)

The video for the composition “Opera No. 1” was filmed in the Vietnamese Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is worth noting that Vitaly likes the East and its contemplative ideology. It was rumored that Vitas was ordained as a monk in Tibet.

During his career, Vitas has visited dozens of countries around the world with solo programs. Grachev is especially adored in China, where he is considered the most popular singer in Russia. In the Celestial Empire, Vitaly made his debut as an actor. He played in several films, including Mulan, The Master's Last Secret and The Making of the Party. In China, the official Vitas fan club has over a million fans, and in Shanghai a statue was erected in honor of the “Russian miracle”.

Vitas – “Opera N1”

But in his homeland, Vitas not only has fans, he also has plenty of critics. For example, Dmitry Umbrashko completely destroyed the singer’s work, saying that his album “A Lifelong Kiss” can only be listened to by people with a very strong psyche. Artemy Troitsky has the same opinion about Vitas, who in one interview said that he does not see any difference between Vitas’ songs.

However, the performer has an extensive discography: 15 full-length albums and 5 singles.

Vitas is idolized in China

The popular performer willingly accepts offers from producers of popular TV shows. In 2014, Vitas attended the first season of the “Exactly Exactly” project and surprised viewers with unexpected transformations. At the first stage of the show, he turned into Yuri Shatunov and sang his hit “White Roses”, and at the third stage he amazed everyone with his transformation into Zemfira and Maria Callas.

Viewers saw the participant they liked in the new seasons of the project in 2020 and 2020. Vitas impersonated Stas Mikhailov, singing his song “Everything for You,” and also played the lead singer of AC/DC, performing the hit Thunderstruck.

Creation

Performer Vitaly Grachev, better known as Vitas, wrote his first hit “Opera No. 2” at the age of 14. The young man performed in many restaurants with this composition. One day, Moscow producer Sergei Pudovkin saw the performance and invited the talented guy to Moscow.

In the early 2000s, Vitas burst onto the Russian stage with Opera No. 2. The unique falsetto immediately captivated the audience. An atmospheric video was shot for the song, telling the story of a young man with gills who lives in the bathroom of an abandoned building. Occasionally a person appears on the street, covering himself with a scarf. After this, many even suspected that Vitas was actually an amphibious man.”

Many doubted the existence of such a unique falsetto. At the “Christmas Meetings”, the Prima Donna even asked to perform a piece of the song live at the rehearsal. The singer struck a dizzying note, and all doubts about the uniqueness of his voice disappeared.

The artist's voice range is 4 octaves. As soon as they did not speak out about the singer’s voice. One of the journalists even wrote that the singer was probably castrated as a child. The star's producer, Sergei Pudovkin, explains his protégé's unusual voice by the special structure of his throat.

In 2002-2003, the singer actively recorded albums and sang duets with many stars. Soon his star gradually began to decline, the artist began to disappear from television screens.

At this time, Vitaly Grachev entered the world market. In Russia, his work was received ambiguously, but abroad it was received very warmly. He was especially loved in China, where he was dubbed the “space nightingale.” In this country, he became a real hero; fans literally did not give him passage in the streets.

In China, the singer has his own fan club, which includes more than a million people. Fans even erected a monument to their idol. In this country, Vitas also realized himself as an actor, starring in some blockbusters.

Scandals

In May 2013, a loud scandal erupted around the name of Vitas: the singer’s SUV hit a cyclist and, according to her, tried to escape from the scene of the accident. The girl managed to jump off the bicycle, which Vitas’ car ran over first with its front and then with its rear wheels.

The incident happened on Friday evening near the All-Russian Exhibition Center (formerly VDNKh), when Muscovites were walking along the street and became unwitting witnesses to the adventure. Then a video appeared on the Internet showing that Vitas, apparently, was drunk. Plus, the man insulted the police without mincing words.

Vitas got into an accident with a cyclist

Later, the singer’s representatives reported that it was not the artist himself who was driving the SUV, but his driver. But eyewitnesses claim that it was Vitas who drove the foreign car. At the police station, where the drunken and troubled smoking star was taken, Grachev handed over a model of the Makarov pistol with which he threatened the downed cyclist.

As it turned out during the investigation, Vitas had found himself in similar unpleasant situations more than once. In 2007, he was already deprived of the right to drive a car for almost 2 years for driving while intoxicated. But a year later, Vitaly Grachev, being a citizen of Ukraine, received a new driver’s license and again violated the traffic rules by driving into the oncoming lane.

Vitas

In May 2013, Vitas refused to undergo a medical examination, and by decision of the magistrate of the Ostankino district of the capital, he was deprived of his driver’s license for a year and a half.

In July, Vitaly Grachev was finally charged. During the investigation, he admitted his own guilt. In August, the Ostankino court found the singer guilty of committing a crime and sentenced him to a fine of 100 thousand rubles.

At the beginning of 2020, Vitas again reminded of himself, but this time a scandal erupted around a young colleague from Kazakhstan, Dimash Kudaibergenov.

Vitas threatens to sue Dimash Kudaibergenov

A talented Kazakh singer took part in the “I am singer-2017” competition in China. Dimash Kudaibergenov became the winner of several rounds, winning incredible fame and love of Chinese music lovers. And the scandal broke out because Dimash, in the second round, performed Vitas’ song “Opera No. 2,” with which the Russian singer once won the love of the Celestial Empire.

The Chinese media wrote that Vitas' producer Sergei Pudovkin filed a complaint with the law firm Watson & Band with a request to prohibit Kudaibergenov from singing his protégé's hits. Meanwhile, in China they have already nicknamed Dimash the new Vitas, which the original bearer of the name hardly liked.

Vitas quietly left: the Russian stage has lost a bright performer

In the early 2000s, the voice of this singer could be heard at any stall that sold audio cassettes and CDs. Bright, shocking, mysterious – these are the simplest epithets used by journalists in articles about him.

Vitas, in everyday life Vitaly Grachev, was born in Latvia in the city of Daugavpils on February 19, 1979. When he was several years old, the family moved to Odessa, Ukraine. The guy wrote his first hit at the age of 14. He performed with the composition “Opera No. 2” in local restaurants. There he was noticed by producer Sergei Pudovkin, who invited Vitaly to Moscow.

Vitas suddenly burst into Russian show business. His song “Opera No. 2” became an instant hit in 2000 and attracted special attention to the performer. The artist’s magical falsetto captivated listeners, and his mysterious image gave rise to many rumors.

It was rumored that the singer owes his shrill voice to the gills on his neck. Producer Sergei Pudovkin's cunning plan worked. In the first video, Vitas appeared with a scarf around his neck. In the following videos, the singer did not deviate from a pre-selected line. He rarely appeared in public, and if he did, he always covered his neck.

“Vitas was initially conceived as a project that would shock the public, not with his vocal abilities, but with the general situation that was building up around him. The main role here is played by media support. And I would put Vitas’ vocal abilities in second place,” Arkady Ukupnik commented on the artist’s success in the early 2000s.

The “Diva” of the Russian stage, Alla Borisovna Pugacheva, immediately became interested in the troublemaker. At the rehearsal of the traditional “Christmas meetings”, she demanded that Vitas demonstrate his unique vocal abilities. Even Pugacheva could not believe what she heard in the singer’s tracks. Vitas dispelled all doubts. He surpassed Sergei Penkin, whose 4-octave voice is called silver. Alla Borisovna was very pleased with what she heard, and a version immediately appeared in the media that Vitaly was castrated as a child in order to achieve such a timbre.

On the wave of success, Vitas releases several video clips and albums. From 2001 to 2013, he recorded 12 discs. The artist’s hits included “Mom”, “Autumn Leaf”, “The Seventh Element”, “The Cry of a Crane”, “Only You”. The singer’s huge advantage was that he did the text, music and arrangement independently, and therefore was independent of the bigwigs of the domestic showbiz.

The singer’s repertoire includes compositions in Italian: “La Donna Mobile”, “O Sole Mio”, “Nessun Dorma”, “Tibetan Plateau” in Chinese, songs in Romanian, Polish, English. In 2011, Vitas received the status of a world star, becoming the best foreign artist of the year according to MTV ASIA.

And then the artist seemed to be replaced. He began to give concerts less and less and devoted less time to creativity. On one of his trips to Tibet, he became attracted to Eastern philosophy. He was even ordained as a monk.

Having disappeared from Russia, Vitas began touring abroad. He conquered the Celestial Empire. A monument was erected to him in China. And not in vain, because the army of fans of the Russian singer in China numbered millions of people. The Chinese called it the “space nightingale.” The three-meter monument is an image from the “Opera No. 2” video. Vitas stands at full height, with gills and an accordion.

The singer worked in the USA for some time, but did not find much success, so he returned to his homeland. Here Vitas immediately took part in a loud scandal. In May 2013, he hit a cyclist. The woman survived but suffered serious injuries. Vitas refused to take a test to determine the level of alcohol in his body and hit a policeman. As a result, he was deprived of his driver's license for 1.5 years and sentenced to a fine of one hundred thousand rubles for violence against a law enforcement officer.

The last time anyone heard about the once popular singer was when he and his friends decided to shoot crows with a pistol loaded with blank cartridges. An incident occurred at his house on Rublyovka. The neighbors called the police. Arriving officers had difficulty getting into Vitas’s home. A case of petty hooliganism was opened against him and he was arrested for 7 days.

Having loudly declared himself and becoming the idol of millions of people around the world, Vitas quietly left the stage, “throwing his past successes into the dustbin of history.”

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Personal life

Vitas and his wife Svetlana Grankovskaya have been together for a long time. When they met, Vitaly was already a star, and Sveta was a 15-year-old schoolgirl. They met at the musical comedy theater. Seeing the girl backstage, Vitas immediately realized that it was love at first sight.

Vitas with his wife and daughter

“I fell in love with her. I loved her so much that I couldn’t live without her for 10 minutes. And then I decided to steal it,” says the artist.

And he stole it. Today Grachev claims that only now, when he himself became a father, did he realize the full horror of such an act.

Vitas and Svetlana have two children. Daughter Alla appeared in November 2008, and son was born on New Year's Eve 2015. The couple's personal life was happy; they have a strong family.

Vitas today

In March 2020, Vitas again found himself in a scandal. Grachev started firing from a starting pistol in the courtyard of his own house on Rublyovka. This lasted for 5 hours. Neighbors called the police, but the singer himself refused to open up to law enforcement agencies. The door was broken into, Vitas was taken to the police station, where a report was drawn up.

The musician also refused to undergo an alcohol intoxication test. 45 shell casings, four rounds of ammunition and a flare gun were found at the site. Then neighbors reported that this was not the first time such shooting had happened.

Vitas has gained weight

The court sentenced Vitas to 7 days of arrest under the article “petty hooliganism.” The artist spent a week in the Istra special detention center. The musician’s defender was a famous lawyer in show business circles, Sergei Zhorin. The media published photos and videos from the courtroom, and fans of the once beloved singer were extremely surprised by the changes in his appearance. The artist had gained a lot of weight, and his temples were streaked with gray hair.

Vitas in court

Later, he repeatedly apologized to his neighbors for disturbing them with his antics. According to him, that day he had a holiday in his house, and he expressed his joy by shooting from the starting pistol.

Despite its scandalous reputation, Vitas continues to draw full houses. As before, he actively tours, although now more abroad. In September 2020, the singer came to the “Evening Urgant” program, it was the anniversary, thousandth broadcast of the show. Grachev appeared before the audience in his new image (and new weight - he lost a lot of weight after the spring events). As the artist admitted to TV presenter Ivan Urgant, the best period is coming in his life and work.

Vitas on the program “Evening Urgant”

Vitas dyed his hair, becoming platinum blonde. The man said that this role is aimed at foreign countries. Today, in addition to China, it is expected in the USA, Mexico, and Brazil. In Mexico, the singer put together a concert that was attended by 250 thousand spectators.

At the end of August 2018, the singer presented a new song “Roll With the Beat”. He also shot a video for the song and recorded it together with American hip-hop artist Nappy Roots. In the shot, Vitas is in a space laboratory. Soon he flies to Earth, where he throws a party. Judging by the reaction on social networks, not all fans liked his new image and video. It is noteworthy that in the video the singer sings little and makes more inarticulate sounds.

Vitas ft. Nappy Roots – “Roll With the Beat” (Clip premiere 2018)

In September, he presented another new work to the audience - he released a video for the song “Give Me Love”. There is no plot as such in the video, but the artist himself appears in it as a brutal macho. The same song in Russian reminded some listeners of the early work of the groups “Tender May” and “Modern Talking”.

Every dog knew the unearthly Vitas. But few people know where the singer disappeared

I remember 15 years ago I was driving with my parents and grandmothers to visit relatives, and the song “Star” by Vitas was playing in the car. Then he was at the peak of his popularity.

Let's remember how Vitas' .

He started his music career in December 2000. The singer’s calling cards were the songs “Opera No. 2” and “The Seventh Element”.

Posted by Vitas (@vitasroom) Jan 15, 2020 at 9:39 am PST

In 2013, the artist was the subject of media attention because he was accused of hitting a cyclist and assaulting a police officer. Since then, little has been heard about him.

Posted by Vitas (@vitasroom) Dec 22, 2020 at 2:19 PST

But, as it turned out, it was in Russia that they forgot about Vitas. For the rest of the world, he is a godsend. In particular, his video for the song “The Seventh Element” became a hit on the Internet.

Posted by Vitas (@vitasroom) Dec 20, 2020 at 2:10 PST

Internet users publish parodies of the video, copying his manner of performance and image. Some videos are very funny.

Posted by Vitas (@vitasroom) Dec 13, 2020 at 12:52 pm PST

Some journalists wondered how the singer lives now. It turned out that he has a page on Instagram. Judging by the photographs, the singer is still popular, just not in Russia, but abroad.

Posted by Vitas (@vitasroom) Nov 22, 2020 at 3:57 PST

The singer travels a lot, tours, and in his free time keeps in shape at the gym and visits various cafes.

Posted by Vitas (@vitasroom) Nov 19, 2020 at 2:48 PST

Vitas also publishes photographs with his family - his wife Svetlana, children Alla and Maxim. He signs the footage very touchingly, declaring his love to his wife and children.

Posted by Vitas (@vitasroom) Nov 21, 2020 at 11:53 PST

What is noteworthy is that the comments under the photo are written in different languages. People are interested in his life, asking when he will visit their country. Apparently, Vitas is really popular.

Posted by Vitas (@vitasroom) Nov 21, 2020 at 2:24 PST

The singer leads a comfortable lifestyle. On his account, he regularly publishes photos from airplanes, and he travels in business class. He also does not miss the opportunity to show clothes and accessories from famous brands.

Posted by Vitas (@vitasroom) Nov 3, 2020 at 5:53 PDT

In addition, on his Instagram he is engaged in charity work, publishing photos of sick children with an appeal to help. And after the collection is completed - posts of gratitude for your concern.

Our editors offer you another article about the clip, which will always be relevant, because it is about light and kindness.

Vitas singer Russian stars