t.A.T.u. (Russian: Тату) is a Russian pop music duo consisting of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova. The two girls were marketed as a lesbian couple, but their sexual orientation was the subject of much speculation, until in December 2003 they admitted on Russian television that they were not in a lesbian relationship together and it had been exploited as a marketing strategy devised by Ivan Shapovalov. They are notorious for shocking the public and trying to break taboos.
The original t.A.T.u. concept was developed by a former Russian child psychologist and marketing executive, Ivan Shapovalov who has become a record producer.
Katina and Volkova knew each other before starting t.A.T.u.; both sang in the popular Russian children's group, Neposedi, from which Volkova was allegedly banned for "inappropriate behaviour" (Volkova once implied that it was because she had molested the other girls in the chorus; later she said it was for smoking, drinking and swearing. Neposedi denied that she was expelled). Not long after Volkova left Neposedi, Katina did the same.
Shapovalov originally chose Lena Katina at a casting in 1999 to sing a song about
the war in Yugoslavia. Later, he decided to form a duo and added Yulia Volkova (who
had been in the same casting as Katina). Both were 14 at the time. Elena Kiper, Shapovalov's
former lover and originally deputy manager of t.A.T.u., says that the idea was hers.
She fell asleep at her dentist's, had a dream in which she kissed another woman and
awoke remembering the words "Ya soshla s uma" (meaning "I've lost my mind"), the
title of the song she then wrote the lyrics for what became t.A.T.u.'s first single.
Kiper has also stated that their ideas for the group's image were influenced by the
1998 Swedish film Fucking Åmål, directed by Lukas Moodysson. Shapovalov and Kiper
later fell out over his non-
Yulia Volkova
Yulia Volkova was born in the family of a successful businessman in Moscow on February 20th, 1985. At the age of 7, parallel to the ordinary school, Yulia entered a music school, piano class. When she was 9, Yulia became a member of the famous children vocal and instrumental group "Neposedy" (The Fidgets). At the casting Yulia sang the Russian folk song "Oy, to ne vecher".
Lena Katina
Lena Katina was born in Moscow on October 04th, 1984 in the family of the famous
musician -
Ivan Shapovalov
Shapovalov was born on May 28, 1966 in Kotovo, Russia to artist father, Nikolay Aleksandrovich
and physics teacher mother Nadezhda Richardovna. In 1988, Shapovalov graduated from
Saratov Medical Institute, for Child psychology. From 1992 -
If in doubt, search it out!
I’m a poet and I know it!
Stunning new interview for 2021
t.A.T.u.: 20 years after click HERE
Boris Rensky
In spring 2004, Katina and Volkova left their manager Ivan Shapovalov
while they were supposed to be recording their second album because they believed
that the quality of the material was too low. They had a contract with Universal
Music Russia, but their new manager Boris Rensky (who was formerly Shapovalov's business
partner and financier of the group) negotiated a new contract with Universal Music
International. The new contract was for 4 more albums (which included Dangerous and
Moving).
In March 2009, after the release of Veselye Ulybki in Russia, Boris posted information, that t.A.T.u.'s project was in hiatus and the girls will concentrate on solo careers. It didn't mean no plans for t.A.T.u., they released an English version of Happy Smiles, Waste Management, to promote the upcoming movie "You and I" due for release in Russia in spring 2011. Lena www.lenakatina.com/ will work with the old management team but Yulia will have a new team.
t.A.T.u. Ovion Show Minsk 03.09.2022 1080p.mp4