Alexander Shulgin (musician)
| Alexander Shulgin | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Born | August 25, 1964 |
| Origin | Irkutsk, Russia |
| Occupation(s) | Composer |
| Website | www |
Alexander Valeryevich Shulgin (Russian: Aлeксандр Валepьeвич Шульгин; born August 25, 1964) is a Russian author and composer. He was born in Irkutsk, Russia, and currently lives in Moscow.
Shulgin's career began at the age of 19 in Russian rock band Kruiz. The band is regarded as legendary for being the first rock band from the USSR to tour abroad (1983–1986). The popularity of The Kruiz was remarkable as they were known as anti-Soviet, and there was no mention of the band in mass media. With the advent of reorganization of the USSR, in 1985, The Kruiz sold 20 million copies of their first album and in 1987 the album was released by WEA (Germany)
After The Kruiz, Shulgin began working in Germany, where he created "The Taiga Symphony". This was a combination of Russian classic music with western rock-music with music by Vitally Bondarchuck and lyrics by American composer Richard Niles. The album featured The Moscow Symphony Orchestra conducted by Pavel Kogan and respected Western musicians Alvin Lee, Paul Carrack, Mel Collins, Phil Palmer and J.J. Belle. Successful in the USSR, it was the beginning of the career of Valeria who has become one of the most popular singers in Russia.
Meanwhile, Shulgin didn’t stop writing – music, lyrics, or simply rhymes. All this then often resulted in songs and if not - just stayed in mind, waiting.
Shulgin then created "Merry Christmas to the World", another ambitious East-West collaboration between Shulgin and BBC Worldwide. With music by Shulgin and lyrics and production by Richard Niles it expressed the ethos of glasnost. London studio musicians performed with members of the Moscow Symphony and the Soviet Folk Orchestra. Sung by Valeria, the video was directed by Ken Russell who used it in his film "Alice in Russialand" (1998). Shot in Red Square, the clip featured psychic Uri Geller. During a special communication, astronauts from the "Star Township" introduced Valeria while in orbit around the Earth. The clip became the grand finale of the New Year program on the first national TV channel of the Soviet Union.
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