Alexander Sklyar
Александр Скляр
Alexander Sklyar on stage of Nashestviye-2008
Alexander Sklyar on stage of Nashestviye-2008
Background information
Born(1958-03-07)March 7, 1958 (age 65)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
GenresAlternative rock, russian chanson, Bard Rock, indie rock, jazz-rock
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1979–present
Websitewww.afsklyar.ru (in Russian)

Alexander Felixovich Sklyar (Александр Феликсович Скляр, born March 7, 1958, in Moscow, USSR; usually stylized as Alexander F.Sklyar) is a Russian rock musician, radio presenter, actor and author. Sklyar, who in the 1980s and early 1990s fronted the popular punk metal band Va-bank, later moved into the traditional Russian singer-songwriter territory covering the vast stylistic spectrum (Alexander Vertinsky, Vladimir Vysotsky, Leonid Utyosov, Mark Bernes).[1][2]

Biography

Sklyar was born in Moscow, to Felix Sidorovich, a physicist, and his journalist wife Irina Viktorovna, a one time Rabotnitsa magazine second editor. In 1985 Sklyar graduated from the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations and joined the Soviet embassy in North Korea as a minor official. Upon return later this year he became a member of the band Tsentr, fronted by Vasily Shumov (whom he played with in 1979 as a guitarist in 777, the band's first incarnation) and took part in the recording the Priznaki zhizni (Signs of Life) LP.[2]

In 1991 Sklyar debuted as a children's writer with the book Petrovich and Potapum in the Magic Labyrinth, co-authored by Roman Kanushkin. The same year he started his own rock radio series Utchites plavat (Learn to Swim) on Radio Maximum (it later re-surfaced on Station-2000). In 1995 he formed the duo Botsman i brodyaga (The Boatswain and the Tramp) with Garik Sukachov of the Brigada S fame. 1998 saw Sklyar going solo with the album Po napravleniyu k tango (Moving Closer to Tango), starting to experiment with different retro styles of popular Russian music. In 2001–2009 Sklyar appeared in seven Russian feature films and tried himself as a TV film and music programs' presenter on TV3 and TV Kultura.[2]

Political activity

In January 2015 in the Internet appeared a video with a song recorded to support Russian separatists in the war on East Ukraine. Alexander F. Sklyar, as well as Ivan Okhlobystin and Garik Sukachov took part in it.[3]

In April and May 2022, Sklyar participated in a series of concerts organized in order to support the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[4]

In January 2023 Ukraine imposed sanctions on him for promoting Russia during the invasion.[5]

Discography

With Va-Bank

  • VA-BANK (Ва-Банкъ, 1988)
  • Life on Wheels (Жизнь на колесах, 1989)
  • Drink for Me (Выпей за меня, 1991)
  • At the Kitchen (На кухне, 1993)
  • That's How It Should Be! (Так nado!!, 1994)
  • Live, What's Alive (Живи - Живое, 1995)
  • Homewards! (Домой!!, 1997)
  • The Lower Tunrda (Нижняя тундра, 1998, based upon Viktor Pelevin's novel)

Solo

  • Getting Closer to Tango (По направлению к танго, 1998)
  • Witches and Bitches (Ведьмы и стервы, 2002)
  • DendyDiana (ДендиДиана, 2004)
  • The X City (Город Х, 2007)
  • Songs of Seamen (Песни моряков, 2008)
  • Songs of Seamen 2 (2010)
  • Vasya the Conscience (Вася-Совесть, 2011)
  • The Russian Sun (Русское солнце, 2012, the songs by Alexander Vertinsky)
  • The Word and the Deed (Слово и дело, 2013)

Collaborations

  • The Botswain and the Tramp (Боцман и Бродяга, 1995, with Garik Sukachyov)
  • The Gypsy Rock and Roll (Цыганский рок-н-ролл, 1997, with Zhemchuznye Brothers)
  • Brasilian Cruiser. The Stranger Songs by A.N.Vertinsky (Бразильский крейсер. Странные песни Александра Вертинского, 2000, with Irina Bogushevskaya)

References

  1. ↑ "Alexander Felixovich Sklyar". www.peoples.ru. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Alexander Felixovich Sklyar". www.rusactors.ru. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
  3. ↑ Охлобистін і Сукачов пропіарилися на «сатанинських обстрілах» Донецька. ВІДЕО (in Ukrainian). ТаблоID. Ukrayinska Pravda. 19.01.2015
  4. ↑ "Гастроли патриотов. Как кремлевские эксперты и шоу-бизнес зарабатывают на концертах "Za Россию"". BBC (in Russian). May 11, 2022.
  5. ↑ "ALONG THE SANCTIONED PERSONS SKLYAR Alexander Feliksovich". Retrieved May 21, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.