They are self-made women. They concurred half of the whole world. One of them - is a tough dictator, the other - dreamy romantic. Tatu does what they want to. And many people like this. Perhaps, this is why the album "Liudi-Invalidy"- the most clamorous release of the departed year.
Girls, describe the mood of your album
Lena Katina: Depression. I don't even know, why...
Yulia Volkova: I would call the album more psychological. It makes you think, about what's going on around. There's enough of pop and rap these days. We making music, that the only word that can characterize it is- non-formal. Our lyrics talks about many things... Unfortunately, almost no one understood the song "Liudi-Invalidy". This is a song about the reality. It's very difficult to face the truth. Everybody, probably, were scared, or didn't understand. We didn't want to offense any one, we just showed the reality.
So the word "Popsa" (music in style of pop, pure commercial projects, cheep and catchy, but not much meaningful, Popsa is a common expression in Russia of all cheapness and projects for one day) have nothing to do with your creativity?
Yulia: No, why... It have the sound, but more Rock-style sound, and more hardness. About what sings most of the artists? "I love you, I miss you, la-la-la". Twice to stamp, and twice to clap. We are different, we doing slightly different things.
By the way, about the lyrics, who's writing them for you?
Yulia: In Russian we work mostly with one author. It's Valera Polienko. He feels and understands us. We know him sine long time. His lyrics are very close to our life, to what we think.
Which song was the hardest?
Yulia: The whole album wasn't easy. We did it without a producer, all the ideas were my and Lena's. We are the sound-producers of the vocals of all songs in the Russian album. We sat by ourselves in the studio and put the pieces together, we put amount of strength hand emotions to this album.
Lena: It took long time to successes fully sing the song "Cosmos" in English. It was hard to pronounce the text. It should be very rapid, and I don't use to talk fast at all...
What's your favorite song from the album?
Yulia: All of them. I love the whole album, but the most loved is, probably, "Obezyanka Nol'". We sing it frequently on performances abroad, and you, many people the Russian lyrics, even in Mexico!
Lena: I really like "Nichya", and "Novaya Model". We have really dignified album!
who, from the Russian performers can also be proud with their production?
Lena: I don't know if it's fortune or unfortunate, but I didn't hear any Russian album for the last two years. I was on the presentation of Sergey Lazarev. I liked his songs. He have a very qualitative material. He did a good job.
Yulia: I tired of the Russian show-business in general. First of all because we rarely happen to be in Moscow. Second, there are many ephemeral projects. Sometimes I turn on the music channel, and I can't understand, who sings there. I see some nice muzzle, short dress. We have a show-business where no one looks on the vocal gifts. The most important- is the appearance. And this is the reason why we have such cheap show-business! Really, the appearance is not a factor. And I can't point any Russian artist who can emerge the world-wide level. I don't judge anyone. This is my opinion. On the other hand, thanks god, the guys are singing, and not sitting in the backyard and don't use drugs.
is there a prescription how not to became an ephemeral project?
Yulia: Use your own head, and not listen to the producer. They often don't think about the perspective... for example, "Starts factory". There are many talented guys, who don't think at all about the money. It's more important to them to actualize their talent. And most of the producers have one goal- to earn money.
The Tatu case is the same?
Yulia: Me and Lena, what we want most of all, is to bring our creativity to the listeners. With the first album we rode over the whole country. But we did it just for get to the west. And no we turn down many concert performances. And not because we don't want money! We don't even think about it. We want to keep our special thing... We have our own style, our own distance...
Earlier, the "Special thing" was that there were two girls performing on the stage, which was suspected mature and long kissing each other. What is the "special thing" now?
Lena: In the music. We have a different level of lyrics and videos now. We don't feel that we more loved on the west, than in Russia.
Yulia: There's jealousy in Russia that appeared. I didn't notice it before.
Lena: This is an amazing feeling, that we were valued on the west. Although, just a few years ago everybody thought that this is impossible. But still, sometimes it's offending that here, in Russia, no one appreciate what we doing. And we do our best for our country.
Are you planning to propagandize everything national-Russian with your creativity, to put an accent on your origin? You can make it; thanks to you even now the whole world knows one taboo word in Russian.
Yulia: no matter where we are, first of all we say that we're from Russia! We love our country, although it not always understands us.
In what country the welcoming is the most warm?
Yulia: South America- is totally ours. Argentina, Brazil, Mexico- simply amazing. And Japan, Taiwan. We didn't predict such success ourselves! The fans there are so active, that we came to there at the autumn visit, they overlapped the airports.
You saying, that now you became yourselves. What kept you from doing it before? Why did you cultivate the two-edged image of two passionate girls for a few years in a row?
Lena: We didn't become ourselves.... No we are all by ourselves! If before most of the ideas were coming from Vania Shapovalov, now everything comes from us.
Yulia: We always were ourselves, and did what we wanted to do. I hate all intentioned things. People were saying that we intentionally kissed on the stage. That's not true. I can kiss Lena even right now, just because I want to. Sometimes we get drunk and kiss. Or even without drinking (laughs), this is emotions! Most of the journalists said that we were posing ourselves as lesbians. But in a matter of fact, we didn't say that we're lesbians even for once. Even when we were with Shapovalov. Yes, we did say "We love each other". But people wanted to see us as lesbians...
Lena, the journalists called you new style "Office-secretary". Where do you want to send all the mudslingers?
Lena: To nowhere...
Yulia: Actually, I know Lena for a long time. And I can say that classic- it hers. When I wear costumes, I realize that this is not mine. But Lena looks great in costumes. And she's not a secretary, it's just her style!
Lena, Yulia changes frequently the color and length of her hair, you never changed fundamentally.
[b]Are you afraid of changes?
Lena: No, look today I straightened my hair, and cut it a little! I have hair that there's nothing you can to with it. I could do a hair-cut, of course, but then I'll have to wake up earlier for two hours, to keep it in order. Yulia likes to do it. She wakes up every morning and first of all doing her hair, make-up, chose clothes. But for me, to wake up earlier for doing my hair?! No way!
Yulia; This is a fact. She wakes up, doing a pony-tail, wears a jeans, sneakers and she's ready! We are two contrasts.
In the video for "Friend or Foe" both of you looks great! there's also great shots there, where Yulia plays the piano! Yulia, you did it by yourself?
Yulia: Yes. I graduated ordinary school of music. When I was 4 I came to my mom and told her "I need a piano right now". Mom took me to a neighbor who was music teacher. My favorite composition is "Moon sonata" by Beethoven.
Lena: It's hard for me to point a favorite composition... I remember, on the exam I played Mendelssohn "gondolier's song".
Yulia, it was difficult to decide to have a baby in age of 19?
Yulia: I understood that in age of 19 I don't ready yet to be a mother. But to do abortion was terrifying. I thought why I should kill my own baby, if god gave me the chance to be a mother. I was worried about my career. And it was difficult even to imagine that I would sit home with a baby. I'm very emotional person; I have so many plans for the future! I came to Lena and told her: "I'm pregnant... I'm not planning to do abortion. Forgive me that it's turned this way!" At this point we were just ripping our contract with Vania Shapovalov. So that year was vacant, and I gave birth.
Where your daughter lives now?
Yulia- She lives in Moscow in separate apartment with nannies and guard. I visit her every day. Sometimes I try to stay for the night with her, sometimes at my parents. After the birth I was with the daughter for only 3 months, and then took of to America for half a year. Imagine it, I coming back and I already have grown up child! She's already sits, crawls. This is such happiness! I woke up today, and she stands in the hallway, reaching out her hands to me and saying: "Mama"... It's such feeling, like you don't need anything more. When I'm down, when I'm tired and irritated I'm going to my daughter. I see a child, with honest, open glance, she don't know yet, what is it evil, betrayal. And then my mood completely changes.
How many kids do you want?
Yulia- "Five! I want a big family, where every one's happy in his way. I don't know, of course, how many kids my health will allow me, but I'm sure I don't want less than 3. It's great when in your elderly you don't stay alone.
Madonna, for example, feel much feel ashamed to her daughter for her erotic videos and provocative claims. Do you think you'll feel that regret in the future?
Yulia- No. No matter what happened in my life, I won't hide it from my daughter. This is reality, this is life. I want she to find out about everything from me and understand everything right.
-Who do you feel about February 14-th?
Yulia: It's not much excitement for me. It was cool to receive notes at school. This year I'll felicitate all my friends.
Lena: Usually we put a box at home and put notes there. I think this year it will be the same.
A lot of singers interested in cinema... Were you invited to be in films? What do you think about perspective of movie career?
Lena: Yes, there's a lot of suggestions... I can't even recall right now. Nothing special. I would do a movie, if the script would make me feel gale of emotions. But now the music is more important for me!
Yulia: It's cool when an artist demonstrate himself in different spheres, as the cinema. But it have to be honest. For example, Serega Lazarev plays in a theater- this is honest. And when I see "Nochonoy Dozor", I feel that the stars participating there because they don't know how else to grab people's attention. This is not for me. I don't know, in what kind of movie I would like to appear. Maybe, I would like to direct one myself! I want to go study for a director next year. I already have ideas for a few films.
- You traveled in half of the world, in which country the men are much attractive
Yulia: There are beautiful men everywhere. I can't say that the Russian men are the most beautiful. But the Russian girls, they are the most beautiful, the most stylish, most well-conditioned...
Lena: Personally me, I'm attracted every day to my boyfriend...
Lena, tell us about your boyfriend?
Lena: He's a lawyer, he's 24 years old! We're dating for half a year.
There's an article appeared in the internet, it says that your going to wed soon!
Lena: Oh, thanks for warning me... I have to tell to my Beloved one. He wants to marry, but I'm not hurrying. Everything in it's time.
You have a song like, I won't be boy, I won't be girl, but I'll be a squirrel. With which animals you associate yourselves?
Yulia: I'm a small-small raccoon.
Lena: Never thought about this...
Yulia: Lena looks like squirrel, so the song is about her.
What is the "Star-illness"?
Lena: Idiocy!
Yulia: I don't know. I don't have that disease.
People say that there's no friendship in show-business. Do you agree with that?
Yulia: Yes, I don't have anyone else from the show-business. I can't sit and talk soulfully with any of them. Hello-hello, and forced smile, that's all. I can see that many are jealous of me. They think: "Why those smalls became so famous, and nobody notice me!" I don't care about it. The most important is that the fans love us. I trust only Sereja Lazarev and Vlad Topalov. I can call them my friends.
Rina Forova
NEON Magazine
February 2006
Translation by Ev for tatu.ru |
