Edita Piekha

Edita Piekha
Born Édith-Marie Pierha
(1937-07-31) 31 July 1937
Noyelles-sous-Lens, France
Occupation Singer, Actress
Years active 1955–present
Awards



Website edyta.ru

Edita Piekha (Russian: Эди́та Станисла́вовна Пье́ха, Edita Stanislavovna Pyekha, Polish: Edyta Piecha, French: Édith-Marie Pierha) is a Russian singer and actress[1] of Polish descent. She was the third popular female singer, after Klavdiya Shulzhenko and Sofia Rotaru, to be named a People's Artist of the USSR (1988).

Edita Piekha is a well known public activist for humanitarian causes, and is a supporter of orphanages in Russia.

Life and career

Edita Piekha was born in Noyelles-sous-Lens, France, in 1937, into an ethnic Polish family. Her father was Stanisław Piecha, a mining worker, and her mother was Felicja Korolewska. From 1945 to 1955 Edita Piekha lived in Boguszów, Poland with her mother and stepfather. There she studied music, sang with a choir, and excelled in Russian at her school, graduating at the top of her class.

In 1955, Edita Piekha moved to Leningrad to study psychology on a state scholarship.[2] From 1955 to 1957 she attended A. A. Zhdanov Leningrad State University (now known as Saint Petersburg State University). There she met composer and pianist Aleksandr Bronevitsky. Together they formed the first popular band in Russia, named Druzhba, and gave their first TV performance on New Year's Eve, 31 December 1955, with the Polish song "Autobus czerwony"[3] which became a popular hit in the USSR.

In 1956, Piekha began studying singing and composition at the Leningrad Conservatory. In 1957, the ensemble Druzhba and Edita Piekha won Gold Medal and the First Prize at the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students[4] in Moscow. There Edita Piekha made history with her performances of the popular hit Moscow Nights which she was able to sing in several languages to international audiences from 130 nations.

Edita Piekha was especially popular among international audiences because of her ability to sing and speak in many languages, such as French, German, Polish and Russian, among others. After the 6th World Festival of Youth and Students, ensemble Druzhba and Edita Piekha released several sold-out records of their songs, eventually becoming one of the most popular bands in the former Soviet Union. In 1972, Piekha and the ensemble Druzhba entertained international audiences at the XX summer Olympics in Munich. In 1976 Edita Piekha formed her own band, and remained one of the popular female singers in the USSR. She also continued performing internationally and toured over 20 countries. Over the years, Piekha made more than 30 concert tours in East Germany alone. Among the highlights of her career were her appearances at Carnegie Hall, New York and at the Paris Olympia.[5]

During the 2000s (decade), Edita Piekha gave several performances on Russian television. She also has been giving annual birthday performances in St. Petersburg, a popular tradition she has been maintaining for many years.

Edita Piekha has been residing in Saint Petersburg since 1955. Her daughter, Ilona Bronevitskaya,[6] has been a popular singer and actress in Russia. Her grandson, actor and singer Stas Piekha,[7] emerged as one of the winners of the Star Factory show in 2005.

On her 70th birthday,[8] Edita Piekha received an "Anniversary greeting" from the President of Russia, and was decorated with the "Order of Merits" for her lifelong contribution to music and international cultural relations of Russia.[9]

In 2012, British dance group Ultrabeat, recording under the name WTF!, remixed Piekha's Nash Sosed and called their version Da Bop, which rose in the Dutch charts to No.4,[10] while in the same year "Nash Sosed" was also remixed into a song, "Party People", by DJs Gary Caos and Rico Bernasconi.[11] French singer Daniele Vidal's French and Japanese renditions of Nash Sosed were popular in Japan in the 1970s. Edita Piekha got a star on the Moscow Star Square in 1998. Brooklyn band Svetlana and the Eastern Blokhedz has been paying tribute to Edita Piekha, bringing her music to an American audience that was, until then, mostly unfamiliar with the singer.

Discography

Studio albums

Filmography

Recognition

Awards
Ovation
Preceded by
1995
Joseph Kobzon		 Living Legend Award
1996
Edita Piekha 		Succeeded by
1998
Makhmud Esambayev

References

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