Ruslana Lyzhychko
Ruslana in Romania (25 June 2011)
Background information
Native name	Руслана Лижичко
Birth name	Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko (Руслана Степанівна Лижичко)
Also known as	Ruslana (Руслана) , Lana , Rusiya
Born	(1973-05-24) 24 May 1973 (age 39)[1] Lviv, Ukraine, USSR
Genres	Pop,[2] ethno-pop[3][4]
Occupations	Singer, politician, dancer, producer, composer, conductor, pianist, voice actress
Instruments	Vocals, piano, guitar, drums, keyboards, trembita
Years active	1996–present
Labels	EMI, Warner Music Group
Associated acts	T-Pain, Missy Elliott, Slavi Trifonov, Varvara, Harem, Helmut Lotti, Peter Maffay, "Zhittya" Ballet
Website	www.ruslana.ua

Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko (Ukrainian: Руслана Степанівна Лижичко, Ruslana Stepanivna Lyžyčko; born on 24 May 1973)^[1] is a World Music Award winning and MTV Europe Music Award nominated artist, and the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.^[5]

She is a singer, songwriter, producer, conductor, and pianist. She writes, composes and produces her own songs and music videos. Since 28 December 1995 she has been married to Oleksandr Ksenofontov, a Ukrainian record producer. Together they have run the company LuxenBourg Studio since 1993, producing radio and film trailers.

She won the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "Wild Dances" receiving points from 34 of the 35 countries participating in the contest.

In 2009 she was invited as a Special Guest Star to the 6th annual Asia Song Festival, where she received two trophies. The first of them was the golden statue of The Best Artist Award of The Asia Song Festival (which was awarded to each participant), the main award of the festival and the second special award was for the contribution to the cultural exchange between Ukraine and Asia in music.

Early life[link]

Ruslana was born on 24 May 1973 in Lviv, Ukrainian SSR (now Ukraine) to Ukrainian parents, Nina and Stepan Lyzhychko. She was raised in the Lviv Oblast (province). Encouraged by her mother, Ruslana studied from the age of four at an experimental musical school and sang in different bands, including in the vocal-instrumental band Horizon, the band Orion and the children’s ensemble Smile. After finishing secondary school, Ruslana entered the Lviv Conservatory where she graduated as a classical pianist and conductor in 1995. She has a half-sister named Anna.

Musical career[link]

Early career[link]

Ruslana started her career as the winner of the Slavyanskiy Bazar song competition in Vitebsk, Belarus in 1996 with the song "Oj, letili dyki husi". In the same year, she was among the nominees for the Ukrainian Singer of the Year award and the video for "Dzvinkyi Viter" (Wind Bells) was awarded Music Video of the Year. Since her early career, Ruslana's producer was Oleksandr Ksenpfontov, whom she married in 1995.^[6]

In 1997, Ruslana began working on Christmas with Ruslana – the first L'viv Christmas television project of an All-Ukrainian scale including the video clip "Ballad of a Princess" which was the first animated music video made by a Ukrainian singer.

Her first album Myt Vesny – Dzvinkyi Viter (A Moment of Spring – Wind Bells), released in 1998, received high praise from the critics.

Still, wider recognition did not come until 1998 with the song "Svitanok" ("Sunrise") and the album Myt' Vesny – Dzvinkyj Viter Live. "Svitanok" was the first Ukrainian big-budget music video. In 1999, Ruslana was awarded Person of the Year, the song "Svitanok" was awarded Song of the Year and its accompanying music video was awarded Music Video of the Year.

In 1999, she worked on the Christmas musical Ostanne rizdvo 90th (The Last Christmas of the 90's), which won the Ukrainian Movie of the Year award. With the video clip to the song "Znaju ya" ("I Know"), which is about the ancient people of the Hutsuls living in the Ukrainian Carpathians, Ruslana set new standards for modern video clip filming.

Wild Dances Project[link]

Ruslana's father is from the West-Ukrainian area of the Hutsuls, the dwellers of the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains. They have a unique culture with an ancient and rich history which inspired Ruslana to create her concept album Wild Dances. It combines powerful and permeating ethnic drums, trumpet sounds of the trembita, an ancient Hutsul music instrument, with modern dance beats.

The album Dyki Tantsi (Wild Dances) was released in June 2003 in Ukraine. It was the first album ever to be certified 5 times Platinum in Ukraine, selling more than 500,000 copies. The English language counterpart, Wild Dances, was released in many European countries in the autumn of 2004. Previously, the lead single "Wild Dances" had brought Ruslana the victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 and entered various European single charts. It was certified Gold in Sweden, Russia, Greece, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. On the single charts in Ukraine, Greece and Belgium, the song peaked at #1.

Eurovision Song Contest[link]

Ruslana performing "Wild Dances" at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004

2004[link]

Ruslana was internally chosen by the NTU to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. Before the contest, she was a hot favorite for victory by the bookmakers. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, she performed her self-composed song, Wild Dances and won the contest receiving 280 points. In the semifinal, the song received points from all other participating countries; in the final, Switzerland was the only country not giving any points to the song.

In the days following the contest, the Ukrainian nation went slightly Ruslana-mad. The singer was widely featured in local media. She was appointed advisor to the prime minister. The president bestowed one of the country's highest honors on her.

2005[link]

Ruslana opened the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Heart on Fire". As part of the interval act, she performed "The Same Star". A remixed version of "Heart on Fire" was released on her 2008 album Wild Energy.

2006[link]

Ruslana's song "Wild Dances" was named the Best of Eurovision in an internet voting arranged by the German public television broadcaster ARD. During the television program Grand Prix Hitliste, "Wild Dances" was presented as the winner, ahead of famous songs, such as "Waterloo" and Germany's only winner (at the time), "Ein Bißchen Frieden", which finished sixth and twelfth, respectively. The programme was viewed by a television audience of approximately six million people in Germany.^[7]

2008[link]

Ruslana was a guest performer at the national finals of Azerbaijan with her Wild Energy show. Azerbaijan made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.

2009[link]

Ruslana was a guest performer at the national finals of Poland. Her performance was related to the promotion of the song "Moon of Dreams" but she also performed select tracks off her album "Wild Dances". Due to technical problems her performances were unable to be broadcasted.

2011[link]

Ruslana was the spokesperson for the Ukrainian vote.

Wild Energy Project[link]

Ruslana performing during a solo concert in Bucharest in 2011

Ruslana's project Wild Energy was based on the science fiction novel by Maryna and Sergij Diachenko Wild Energy. Lana. In a future city which experiences a global energy crisis, far more threatening than lack of oil and gas, people are lacking their will for life, their energy of the heart – the fuel for people. Lana, one of the synthetic inhabitants, sets out to find the mystical energy source. After many adventures she discovers that the wild energy comes from her own heart. Wild Energy combines the art of music and video production, literature and social commitment in an extraordinary way. In June 2006 Ruslana presented the new single and video "Wild Energy" in a unique fantasy style. In this video clip the singer develops from a synthetic blonde girl into her wild image.

For the FIFA World Cup 2006 Ruslana went on tour in Germany to support the Ukrainian national football team. She performed in Hamburg, Cologne, Berlin, Leipzig, and Nuremberg.

In Grand Theft Auto IV, Ruslana lends her voice as the host of Vladivostok FM. Her song "Wild Dances" is featured as one of the songs on Vladivostok.

In March 2008 Ruslana's Ukrainian album Amazonka was released in Ukraine, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The English album Wild Energy was released in Canada on 2 September 2008 and was released in several European countries on 10 October 2008 and China in November. The album was recorded at the Hit Factory Studio in Miami and contains two collaborations with American Urban superstars T-Pain and Missy Elliott.^[8] On this release Ruslana creates her own distinctive technique of incorporating ancient ethnic styles of the Carpathian Mountain people with modern popular music.

WOW! I'm so Amazing[link]

Ruslana's single WOW was produced by Jack Spade (Vlad) in Los Angeles, CA. The song was written by Ruslana in a fruitful cooperation with Oleksandr Ksenofontov (TFC band leader and the singer's husband) and Vlad Debriansky (Jack Spade, TFC band lead guitar). The funny and bright single WOW made in a genre of parody. It's ironic and sarcastic about people who consider themselves "so amazing!" and such traits character as narcissism, selfishness in love, self-affirmation at the expense of the beloved. This is a competition. A battle between girls and boys – who is better, who is cooler and more amazing. This is the battle of two styles and images: "Ruslana-boy" on a powerful iron horse Harley-Davidson vs "Ruslana-girl" in a rock glam style on a shiny Lamborghini. In the final episode we can watch Street Dance Hip Hop Battle between her two alter egos: Ruslana VS Ruslana! The singer showed herself in stylistic contrasts by creating completely different versions of the single WOW: they are original version, ethnic version, rock version (feat. band WHITE), a special version for a big impressive flash mob participating 2000 dancers, and club remix for hot summer parties.

Political activities[link]

In autumn 2004 Ruslana actively supported the democratic processes in Ukraine known as the Orange Revolution, to which her song "Dance with the Wolves" was devoted. She declared her support for Viktor Yushchenko during the disputed Ukrainian presidential elections. She became one of the prominent figures that addressed the mass crowds rallying in support of Yushchenko's demand that his original defeat be declared fraudulent. From spring 2006 to summer 2007 she was a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament for the party Our Ukraine.^[9]

Due to political reasons the music video supporting her second single extracted from the Wild Dances album, Dance with the Wolves was censored in Russia as it contains fragments showing Ruslana in the Independence Square.^[10]

Ruslana endorsed Yulia Tymoshenko during the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election^[11] and actively supported her candidature during the election campaign.^[12][13]

Social commitment[link]

Ruslana performing at her Charity Concert for children suffering from the consequences of the Chernobyl tragedy

Ruslana was appointed Good Will Ambassador of Ukraine by the UNICEF and combats trafficking in human beings. She released two video clips which aim to make potential victims aware of the dangers of human trafficking. In February 2008 Ruslana performed at an anti-human trafficking event in Vienna, Austria, organized by UN.GIFT (The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) in front of 117 international delegations. Her song "Not for Sale" became the anthem of the anti-trafficking campaign.^[14]

Within the frames of the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kiev she gave a charity concert for children suffering from the consequences of the Chernobyl tragedy. For another charity project Ruslana joined forces with German rock star Peter Maffay.^[15] In April/May 2007 they went together with artists from 14 countries on a four weeks tour through Germany. The funds gathered benefited children in need.

Ruslana has also staged numerous charity concerts benefiting Children's hospitals in Kiev, L’viv and Dnepropetrovsk

With her project Wild Energy Ruslana supports the use of renewable energy. She regards the energy of the sun, the water and the wind as an energy independence. The project gradually developed into this bigger meaning. Ruslana wants to make people aware of the dangers of global climate change.^[16]

After large regions in Western Ukraine were hit by a flood in July 2008 Ruslana set up the co-ordinating and relief centre "Carpathians. Flood. SOS! 2008". The aim of the centre is to create a database of the people in need, to provide emergency humanitarian help and to collect and distribute donations both from the public and from other Ukrainian artists and sportsmen to support the victims of the flood.^[17]

Commercial Activities[link]

For some time Ruslana has been the face of Garnier in Ukraine. In the spring of last year L’Oreal Cosmetics offered Ruslana an endorsement contract where she will become a new face of L’Oreal. She has appeared in various commercials.

Discography[link]

DVDs[link]

• 2008: Wild Energy. Amazon. Wild Dances

Awards and nominations[link]

Music videos[link]

• Ty (1998)
• Myt' Vesny (1998)
• Svitanok (1998)
• Balada pro princessu (1998)
• Kolyskova (1998)
• Znaju Ja (2000)
• Proschannya z disko (2001)
• Dobrij vechir, tobi... (2002)
• Kolomyjka (2003)
• Oj, Zagraimy, Muzychenku (2003)
• Wild Dances (2004)
• Dance with the Wolves (2004)
• Ring Dance with the Wolves (2005)
• The Same Star (2005)
• V rytme serdtsa (2005)
• Dyka Enerhija (2006)
• Moon of Dreams (feat. T-Pain) (2008)
• Vohon‘ chy lid (Vse ne te)(2008)
• Silent Angel (2008)
• Wow (2011)
• ShaLaLa (2011)

Controversies[link]

Ruslana's contract with Rockstar Games Inc. entered the 'danger' zone after the information concerning her participation in the Grand Theft Auto IV video game was leaked down on the internet in mid- July 2007. The leading Eurovision related independent news website, esctoday.com, released the information and later removed it when Rockstar Games discovered the mistake. Any information concerning the Grand Theft Auto IV video game was supposed to be confidential until April 2008.^[18]

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ruslana

Wikinews has related news: Eurovision '04 winner Ruslana discusses her paths as singer, spokesmodel, stateswoman and source of inspiration

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ruslana

• Eurovision Song Contest 2004
• Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest
• Ruslana's Charity Concert
• Wild Energy.Lana
• Ultratop 50 number-one hits of 2004

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Ruslana's channel on YouTube
• "Official website of Ruslana". Luxen Studio. http://www.ruslana.ua/. 
• "Official fan club of Ruslana". Luxen Studio. http://fanclub.ruslana.ua/. 
• "Official Ruslana TV Channel". Luxen Studio. http://www.ruslanatv.com/. 

Listening[link]

• Ruslana interview from NPR All Things Considered program, 7 April 2008

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Sertab Erener with "Everyway That I Can"	Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004	Succeeded by Helena Paparizou with "My Number One"
Preceded by Oleksandr Ponomaryov with "Hasta la Vista"	Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004	Succeeded by GreenJolly with "Razom nas bahato"
Preceded by -	Best Ukrainian Act – World Music Awards 2004	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Agnes Monica	Best Artist – Asia Song Festival 2009	Succeeded by Incumbent