Childhood and student life
The popular singer was born in 1987 in the Belarusian city of Chausy. She was raised in a working-class family, where her father was a machine operator and her mother was a kindergarten teacher. From birth, Catherine showed musical talent. That is why the girl was sent to school, where the future star studied singing and playing the piano.
Already in high school, Ivanchikova began to get involved in hard rock. Her singing could be attributed to the style of growlers and hard rockers.
Katya’s dreams of the stage never left her throughout her childhood, however, she was unable to obtain a musical education, since academic vocals were required everywhere.
Ivanchikova went to Minsk and passed exams at the Pedagogical University. After 4 years, she received a diploma of higher education and the opportunity to work in two specialties - journalism and philology.
During her student years, Ivanchikova attended the casting of the TV show “Star Stagecoach”, but did not make it through the final selection. However, the girl was lucky, as one of the participants fell ill, and Katya took her place. The artist also took part in the musical “The Prophet” from Ilya Oleinikov.
Many people don’t know that popular cartoon characters speak in Ivanchikova’s voice.
Katya Ivanchikova and the group “IOWA”
Katya IOWA: you need to look for your style, your face, your feature
A quirky mixture of jazz, indie-pop and R&B made IOWA super popular. And its vocalist Ekaterina Ivanchikova is a real star.
IOWA group: Leonid Tereshchenko, Vasily Bulanov and Ekaterina Ivanchikova
- Katya, what motto do you follow through life?
– My credo: “If it’s not a pity, add it; if it’s not enough, take it.” If people lived according to this principle, there would be peace and friendship on earth.
– I think that for many, your song “Smile” could also become a motto, especially for those prone to depression. You almost always smile yourself. Is it innate for you?
- Maybe yes. I am positive, optimistic. For as long as I can remember, I have always felt like the glass was half full rather than half empty.
– At the presentation of the video “Bad to Dance,” the IOWA group called on everyone present to start dancing as best they could - and everything was filmed. Agree, the message of this song is quite strange. Did you come up with the idea that bad dancing is cool?
– We created this song as a joke. For people who know how to laugh at themselves. And there were so many of them! After all, it’s not so much the dance that’s important, but the emotions that you give and throw out. And this can only be done when you are liberated, free from boundaries. Sometimes you reveal yourself in some ridiculous movements, but they contain individuality and zest. And the person becomes interesting and even beautiful - in his own way. I want to look at him. They often send us videos of people just dancing, sometimes ridiculously, funny... But so cool! A professional dancer will never be able to do this.
– But at the same time, Denis Stulnikov choreographed for you. He worked with Dorn, and Lorak, and with many other stars. So, you invited a cool choreographer to teach you how to dance badly?
– If you know how to rejoice, you know how to live. I want everyone to have a holiday every day - I really enjoyed working with Denis! We didn’t discuss it for a long time, we just asked him to stage such dances. He said: “Forget about movements, dance as your body tells you. As soon as you start thinking about movements, you lose your core, your energy.” We did dirty dancing for two days, and then we started filming.
– Your mother worked as a teacher in a kindergarten, where she took you too. I heard you consider her your first mentor.
– Yes, she taught me to draw, dance and sing. All my basic skills come from her. She herself sings and dances well. Our kindergarten had a sports focus. We were a strong team and often took first place in competitions. And when I was seven years old, our group participated in a regional competition. I remember I sang the song “Daddy Can” - it was my first appearance on stage.
– Then there was a music school. In one of your interviews you say that the piano somehow didn’t work out for you. Yes, and Katya Ivanchikova skipped solfeggio. Did no one scold you? Didn't force you to do it?
– Nobody ever scolded me or forced me. And no one yelled at me. Perhaps because I was charming. And, interestingly, I met a guy who was also never scolded by anyone at music school. I mean my husband. They told him: you are so charming, well-mannered, delicate... Well, you didn’t learn it - and okay! In this sense, my husband and I had a very similar childhood. Although he knew solfeggio very well, he encouraged me.
– Katya, I know that after 9th grade you wanted to enter some university where they teach academic vocals. Why didn't it work out?
– I had an excellent academic vocal teacher who looked like Dmitry Hvorostovsky. By a terrible irony of fate, he died shortly before the great singer left. For me it was a personal tragedy. Someday I will erect a monument to the teacher - in the form of a treble clef... The mentor sometimes shouted at the students, but never at me. The fact that I studied with him was a gift of fate.
– Please tell us about Ilya Oleinikov’s musical “The Prophet”. How did you get involved in this project?
– There was a big casting for him. A friend told me: “Tomorrow is the last day of the casting, come at 9 am.” And I came - at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. She was careless! I came, but the selection ended long ago, six lucky ones are sitting. I sit down with them, there is a fox on my shoulders (later on the project they called me a fox). So, then, I’m sitting brazenly, and the director of the project, Janusz Yuzefovich, comes in: “And you, girl, what are you doing here?” I don’t remember what I told him. He gave me some notes on the piano and went over the keys. I sang, he liked it. “Can you come tomorrow?” – asked. I answer: “I can.” And the next day everything started to happen, six months of preparation began. I learned a lot then.
– Was this school difficult for you or did everything come easy?
– Both difficult and easy. They gave us the score, I was so worried that I learned it instantly. Fear mobilizes strength. I immediately sight-sang. Because I understood: there are no other options, there is no time. And she sang clearly, as if from the notes, or rather, exactly from the notes. It was a good school. I completely changed, I felt a professional grip. And, of course, thanks to everyone who worked with us. There were great teachers there. And the set is cool - very interesting, open people.
– Zemfira was your idol.
– She was a mystery... She was the one who showed what music is. And I believed her...
– I heard a story: you had tickets to her concert, but you didn’t go...
- I was afraid. This was the period when I absorbed her so much that I began to sing like her. Articles appeared in the press that there was another Zemfira living - a Belarusian one. And then I realized: I need to end this. It's time to choose your path. Therefore, my advice to beginners: you need to look for yourself, your style, your face, your feature.
– There are many versions about the origin of the name of the group IOWA. There are references to both the American state and the album of the metal band Slipknot, which you like. And some fans even believe that this is your last name. Aren't you offended that you are often called Katya IOWA?
- Not at all. In general, I like to associate myself with the Indians - the indigenous people of America. Be that as it may, they remained a symbol of freedom. So we, musicians, want to be free, travel around cities and villages, give our art. “We bring laughter and joy to people.”
– Who came up with this theme with feathers? This is absolutely your image, hitting the mark. Your idea?
- Yes. Now we have moved away from it a little, although I want to return to it again.
With mother Nina Vasilievna
- Nevertheless, this is a complete association with you.
Even Nastya Stotskaya, when she performed in the “One on One” program, came out in this Indian dress. - Yes, it was cool! I also liked her performance. It’s very flattering when they parody you and try to find similarities.
– Tell me, was there a difficult period in the creative biography of the group? Have you ever worked as a street musician?
– I remember (it was a long time ago) when we first arrived in St. Petersburg, our money was immediately stolen. Someone had currency, a money changer immediately jumped up, and we bought rubles... Peter tested our strength more than once. But one day he gave us a gift: guys from the SKA hockey club approached us and offered to write an anthem for him. The song is simple: “Time does not wait! Victory is near! Forward, forward, St. Petersburg SKA!” And with this anthem they won two Gagarin Cups. We performed at the Ice Palace twice. Colored smoke, fireworks, people rejoice, the team passes the cup from hand to hand - and all to the accompaniment of our hit! We were in seventh heaven.
– You probably never even dreamed of this...
“I couldn’t even dream of a lot of things, but they came true.” So the duet with Tankian was not planned at all (Serj Tankian is an American musician of Armenian origin, frontman of the System Of A Down team. - Note “ZN”).
– For those who don’t know. This is the soundtrack to a blockbuster.
– Yes, I mean “The Legend of Kolovrat.” I'm proud of this work, it's an awesome film. We still correspond with the actors.
– Have you been offered to write music for the film?
Hits of the group "IOWA"
In 2009, Ekaterina Ivanchikova formed a rock band together with Vasily Bulanov and Leonid Tereshchenko called “IOWA”. At the very beginning, Katya sang there and played the guitar at the same time, and later switched to vocals only. She writes the lyrics for the group exclusively.
The team traveled around Belarus . There, the group “IOWA” found many fans among young people. For further growth, the team settled in St. Petersburg.
Soon Ekaterina Ivanchikova and her shocking group became famous in Russia . The guys released hit after hit, and then bright videos were shot on them. Many tracks are also used in films, for example, the soundtrack of the sitcom “Kitchen”.
In 2014, Katya and the IOWA group released their second studio album, Export.
In 2020, the team expected many exciting events, for example: RU.TV , Muz TV , MTV EMA, Golden Gramophone. In April, a solo concert took place in Moscow, at Crocus City Hall, and in the summer in Minsk.
Wedding of Ekaterina Ivanchikova and Leonid Tereshchenko
Katya Ivanchikova, IOWA group: “When there is no money even for the metro, songs are composed much faster”
One cute sheep spoke with the voice of a popular singer.
Photo: IOWA Press Service
The IOWA group burst onto the Russian stage straight from the Belarusian Mogilev. Unearthly optimism has pleasantly diversified our dull pop landscapes. The group’s hits (“Smile”, “Simple Song”, “Minibus”, “Mom”) are sung in the show “The Voice”, they are regularly heard in TV series. And in the new Russian animated film “Wolves and Sheep: Crazy Transformation,” one of the key characters, the sheep Lyra, spoke in the voice of the group’s lead singer. In addition, Katya recorded the title song.
— Katya, is it difficult to voice a cartoon?
— Voice acting for one character takes about 3–4 hours. In addition, we also shot a video for the song featured in the cartoon, and that took the whole day. I didn’t cross paths with Sergei Bezrukov and Liza Boyarskaya (other characters speak in their voices. - Author), but I was pleased to know that perhaps tomorrow they would come to the studio and also voice their characters from this cartoon.
— Do you consider this work as the next peak of popularity? They won’t invite just anyone.
— I like to constantly leave my “comfort zone” - to do something that is unusual for me, that will expand my scope of professionalism and consciousness. In this case, I wasn’t chasing popularity; on the contrary, I was thinking about how to do it well, so that my character would come to life. “Wolves and Sheep” is an incredibly beautiful cartoon and generally a good fairy tale for children and adults about how important it is to remain yourself.
The one on the far left is Lyra, voiced by the lead singer of the group IOWA. Cartoon frame
— You often appear on TV. And on New Year’s Day, IOWA performed in a flash on Channel One. Do you already feel like a star?
— I have been running a “wish poster” since I was 16 years old. One of the wishes sounded like this: “Everyone knows my songs, but I walk down the street freely.” It has come true - my songs are not always associated with me, so I can easily ride the subway.
— When did you realize that “well, everything worked out”?
— When “A Simple Song” first sounded from a dusty radio at a candle factory, where we were painting New Year’s candles.
— How is your relationship with Russian show business? Who did you make friends with?
— I love the Presnyakov family very much. Natasha is also from Mogilev, so we immediately clicked. With Dima Bilan we do all sorts of small good deeds, but they are huge in the eyes of those people for whom we do this. Lisa-Elka and I vacationed in Thailand. We exchange magnets with the Pizza group - it so happens that we often go on tour to the same cities. Lena Temnikova responded to the call to participate in the Dobroposhta charity project, which we support; now we are just friends.
— Your producer Oleg Baranov said that at the time he met the group, you all didn’t have money for the metro just to come to the meeting. Exaggerated?
- Yes, there were such moments - you pay for the apartment and sit on the doshirak. But there are instruments, and for some reason songs in such situations are composed much faster than when everything is fine with your money. We really didn’t come to the first meeting with Oleg - there was no money at all then.
—Are you thinking of moving to Moscow?
— You can write songs that will go straight to your heart in Kamchatka. Now Peter is very inspiring. We live next to the airport and from the window we can see planes landing and taking off. And our sunsets are very beautiful. As they say, people marry St. Petersburg for love, but marry Moscow for convenience.
— You have Belarusian citizenship, don’t you? Does this cause any inconvenience in Russia?
- No! Everyone loves Belarusians!
Private bussiness
Ekaterina Ivanchikova was born on August 18, 1987 in the Belarusian town of Chausy. He has been writing songs since childhood. Graduated from the Faculty of Journalism in Minsk. The group IOWA was formed in 2009 and is named after the album of the American metal band Slipknot. In 2010, the entire IOWA moved to St. Petersburg. Katya is married, her husband is the co-author and guitarist of the group Leonid Tereshchenko.
Katya's private life
Katya Ivanchikova experienced her first love in high school. The girl's chosen one was older than her. The first feeling prompted the future singer to write poetry, which soon turned into hits.
In 2008, Ekaterina began dating guitarist Leonid Tereshchenko. Their romance lasted 10 years and grew into a family and the IOWA group. The couple officially formalized their relationship in 2020. They held the wedding secretly and did not comment for a long time after it. At their family celebration there were only friends and family. The press learned about the grand event from a photo on Instagram of the artist. Now the happy family lives in St. Petersburg.
Sometimes Ivanchikova’s photographs appear on the pages of the glossy magazines Maxim and Playboy. In addition, the singer participates in social and philanthropic projects.
Ekaterina’s team also launched the Dobroposhta project to provide psychological assistance to children.
Katya IOWA
Biography[ | ]
Ekaterina Ivanchikova was born on August 18, 1987 in the city of Chausy, Mogilev region. She started singing at the age of 6, attended a local pop club, and later the Mogilev House of Culture. In high school, I started writing songs and wanted to create my own group[1]. I was interested in heavy music and tried to sing using the growling technique[2]. Graduated from BSPU named after. M. Tanka, philologist and journalist by profession[3]. Participated in the STV project “Star Stagecoach”[4]. In 2008, she sang in Ilya Oleinikov’s musical “The Prophet”[5]. In 2009, together with Leonid Tereshchenko and Vasily Bulanov, she founded the IOWA group in Mogilev[6][7]. In 2010, she and the group moved to St. Petersburg[8].
She was engaged in dubbing cartoons[6].
In 2020, together with the frontman of the American rock band System of a Down, Serj Tankian, Ekaterina Ivanchikova starred in the video for the song “A Fine Morning To Die”, which became the soundtrack of the film “The Legend of Kolovrat”[9] .
