Anastasia Prikhodko

Early life

Anastasia Prikhodko was born in Kiev, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic to Oksana Prikhodko and Konstantin Rybalov, a Russian miner from Rostov-on-Don. Her parents are divorced. She has an elder brother, Nazar Prikhodko Her mother is a theater critic and works for the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. Her great-grandfather was ethnic Japanese.

Prikhodko graduated from the Kiev National University of Culture and Arts, majoring in folk vocal.

Star Factory

Prikhodko won the seventh edition of the Russian television singing talent contest Star Factory. During the show, Prikhodko was filmed telling another contestant that she did not like Chinese people and blacks. She apologized about this shortly after the incident.

Ukrainian national selection

Prikhodko entered the Ukrainian national selection for the 2009 Eurovision in the semi-final. She was disqualified for performing her own composition, "Vsë za tebya" ("Все за тебя"), from her repertoire for the Star Factory TV show. The National Jury saw it as a violation of Paragraph 4.3 of the Rules of Eurovision Song Competition issued by the National Television Company of Ukraine on October 31, 2008 prohibiting performance in the semi-final of anything but the Eurovision entry. In explicit words, the paragraph said: "On 8 February 2009 on the improvised stage set in the NTVU studios, the 30 semi-finalists perform their competition songs live." Prikhodko's interpretation of the rules was that as her Eurovision entry song "Mamo" had been submitted already in the first round of the competition, the rules did not require her to perform the song before the final. In Prikhodko's understanding, the semi final had been just a showcase of the contestant's vocal talents. She and her manager Olena Mozhova (ex-wife of Oleksandr Ponomaryov, one of the members of the jury) claimed that neither the broadcaster NTU nor the members of the jury had used trustworthy methods to select the contestants. The duo sent a letter to the President of Ukraine where Prikhodko stated: "as a citizen of Ukraine, native Kievan, patriot of the country, I was deeply staggered by the impertinent actions and unethical comments of representatives of NTU, and also members of the so-called 'objective, impartial and independent' judges of the competition... I only ask for an honest chance to come forward before an All-Ukrainian audience in the finale of the National selection". The letter was co-signed by Konstantin Meladze and fellow Ukrainian artists Sofia Rotaru, Mykola Mozhovyy and Tina Karol. The Ukrainian national final, held on March 8, 2009, was temporarily suspended by a court based in Kiev due to Prikhodko's protests. Prikhodko claims, the court ruled in favour of her. By that time, she had already applied for participation in the Russian national selection, calling it "fate".

Russian national selection

Prikhodko entered the final round of the Russian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 on March 7, winning with "Mamo" ("Mum") which was both the viewers' and experts' choice at the Russian national preselection on March 7, 2009. Prikhodko sang her entry in both Russian and Ukrainian. "I'm convinced, when representing one's country, one should sing in the native language," she said:"Russian preselection committee has agreed to my principal condition – to perform "Mamo" in the final of Russian preselection in both Ukrainian and Russian languages". After the final, Iosif Prigozhin the producer of the losing finalist Valeriya stated: “A song performed in Ukrainian can’t have anything to do with Russia”.Valeriya herself sang in English. Prikhodko's win of the Russian national selection for the 2009 Eurovision sparked allegations of vote-rigging.

Eurovision Song Contest final performance

Prikhodko became the second non-Russian singer (the first being Natalia Podolskaya) to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest. Against the usual Eurovision canons, the final performance did not include choreography but concentrated on Prikhodko's vocal skills and emotions. The giant floating screens at the background featured a video of her face aging from a twenty-year-old to a seventy-year-old. She finished in 11th place with 91 points.

Later career

Producer Konstantin Meladze ended his collaboration with Prikhodko in 2010 and her new partnership with producer Igor Goncharenko ended in May of the same year. Since then her brother Nazar has been her writing partner.

In August 2010, Prikhodko participated in the casting for the Ukrainian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 to be held in Germany. On November 21, she qualified for the final with her song "Action", a minimalist English-language techno number. Although she was one of the favourites for the national final in February 2011, she placed eighth.

In 2016, Prikhodko attempted to qualify for the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest. She failed to qualify from the semi-final, finished seventh out of nine contestants.

Chart success

In the April monthly Russian Airplay Chart, "Mamo" placed 78th with 13,716 airings. In Kiev April monthly chart, "Mamo" was 24th. In May 2009, Prikhodko's "Mamo" peaked at the 12th position of the Ukrainian Airplay Chart, 22nd of the Russian Airplay Chart, 22nd of the Finnish Download Chart, and 22nd of the Latvian Airplay Top.

Artistry

Prikhodko has an unusually deep contralto vocal range. Combining this with her folk vocal training, her repertoire comprises atypical songs in a minor key with a touch of folk style, performed in Ukrainian and Russian. Prikhodko composes some of her songs herself. She plays the flute, the guitar and the pianoforte, with the latter as her favourite instrument. Prikhodko pays great attention to criticism, and always tries to improve herself accordingly.

Personal life

The official site of the Eurovision Song Contest said Prikhodko enjoyed chess, horse riding, and fashion. In a letter to the President of Ukraine, she described herself as a "patriot of the country" and at a February 18, 2009 press conference "a true Ukrainian singer". In a later interview, she stated there was a: "...spiritual and historical affinity between Russia and Ukraine. It would be a sin to forget about one or the other."

Prikhodko gave birth to her daughter, Nana, on Easter Sunday April 4, 2010. And a son called Olexandr on 15 August 2015.

Falling out with Russia

During Euromaidan, Prikhodko performed on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, where she expressed her support for the European integration of Ukraine. She spoke out for a united Ukraine during the 2014 Crimean crisis and the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine. In July 2014 Prikhodko joined a small tour that supported the Ukrainian army in the War in Donbass. During this tour on Twitter she stated to Russians "You guys are stupid. You are narrow-minded and deaf! You are like puppets." Later in August 2014 she vowed never to perform in Russia again, accusing the country of occupying parts of Ukraine and describing singing for "occupiers" as "the highest betrayal." On August 31, 2014 the Russian television channel NTV aired a show titled "17 Friends of the Junta" which targeted Prikhodko and other critics of Russia's actions in Ukraine. She responded, "The very name of the program is laughable." In September 2015 Prikhodko admitted that because of her boycott of Russia her earnings have greatly reduced because half of her concerts used to take place in Russia.

Albums