Viktor Tsoi is, first of all, the symbol and spirit of the freedom of perestroika. Generations of young talented singers have grown up on his songs. The world already knows a lot about the singer Viktor Tsoi.
And when typing the words “victor tsoi short biography” in the browser line, you can see and read a lot of interesting things.
On the other hand, like any star, he is truly incomprehensible, and measuring him by the yardstick of an ordinary person (“born”, “studied”, “married”) is at least uninteresting. Let’s try among life events to consider the phenomenon of the personality of the singer and the foundations of his talent.
Viktor Tsoi — short biography
As you know, the singer lived for less than 30 years. And he was born in Petersburg (then still Leningrad) on June 21, 1962, in the family of a physical education teacher and a Korean military engineer. The boy most of all loved drawing and music, which he enjoyed with pleasure, even studied at an art school for three years. Other subjects, besides, perhaps, English, did not interest him.
Music and guitar
It was in the fifth grade that a passion for music comes to him, for all the money that his parents left him, leaving on vacation, he buys a gorgeous guitar. He performed with friends in apartments and in-rooms.
After school, the young man was expelled from the Leningrad art school, since he did not study to be an artist-designer, but devoted all his time to the music. He worked at a factory, in a lyceum as a woodcarver, carved netsuke, and looked for himself.
All the texts he wrote during this period bore a touch of gloom and meaninglessness of existence, the names were also appropriate: “Death does not make you wait”, “Someone will die in the city” and so on.
Group “Kino”
In 1981, together with a friend, a group was created with the unexpected name “Garin and Hyperboloids” (referring to the work of Alexei Tolstoy), later renamed into a simple and short “Kino”. A year later, Tsoi’s first album, “45”, was released.
Either the name was apt, or the listeners liked the songs, but success comes to the group immediately along with “Electric” and “Aluminum Cucumbers”.
Disagreements with some members of the group led to the fact that a new musician appeared in it — Yuri Kasparyan, who influenced the style of the new album “46”. The songs and the team developed, delighting fans with new masterpieces. (“Head of Kamchatka”).
Personal life
By nature, Victor was not a womanizer, on the contrary, he was shy, merged with the crowd. He liked confident girls a little older. In 1984, Tsoi married Marianna Kovaleva, whom he had been dating for some time. Then the couple has a son, Alexander. It is to him that Victor begins to devote some of his songs.
The wife begins to work on the image of the group, working on their costumes and appearance. Unfortunately, their marriage did not last long. Like his parents, Choi divorced, but unofficially. Natalya Razlogova became his great friend, who helped the singer to become himself in some way. After his death, she went abroad.
Creation. Album “Night”
The general composition of the group is finally formed — Viktor Tsoi (vocals, guitar), Yuri Kasparyan (guitar), Igor Tikhomirov (bass guitar), Georgy “Gustav” Guryanov (drums). He will remain so until the death of the leader, unchanged. It is interesting that the album “Night”, which the listeners liked so much and did not give a penny to the performers, was recorded at the state firm “Melodia” without their permission because they already knew about Tsoi abroad, but not yet in Russia. He only increased their fame.
It had a real signature rock sound, the famous post-punk sound, and new trends. It was exactly what the youth lacked — not sweet syrup, but a strong, restrained pulse and the power of music. In general, the night was very important for Viktor Tsoi as a time of day when freedom and tranquility reign.
And the song “We Seen the Night” still symbolizes a bright insane breakaway. At the same time, the first, albeit the simplest, video sequences and video clips appear, of course, the simplest and most imperfect, often in black and white.
Choi as an actor
The singer began to act in the first film by Sergei Lysenko “The End of Holidays”, playing one of the main roles. Several songs of the group could also be heard here. You can relate to the acting activities of Viktor Tsoi in different ways.
Someone may not like his peculiar manner of playing, but the sharp love of freedom of his characters, kung fu in the episodes did not leave anyone indifferent. Tsoi managed to do that too: to star in Solovyov’s film “Assa”, in “Needle” with its youth slang and the destruction of censorship, writes the album “Blood Group”.
“A Star Called The Sun”
The next album, “A Star Called The Sun” (1989), is curated by Yuri Aizenshpis as a producer. He was the first to appreciate this new phenomenon — the Kino group. In “Star …” the sound changes again. There is no game, no experiments, only strength, and energy. The loneliness of the protagonist is clearly expressed here, there is a call to fight and a desire to survive.
“Change!”
Who doesn’t remember the 1989 album The Last Hero with its laconic demand? These words have become a symbol of the era.
Falling stars; death
He died in mid-August 1990, on a highway in Latvia. There are many versions of the singer’s death: the most common ones — fell asleep at the wheel, lost control, and conspiracy theories (they removed the unwanted authorities). The official version: a collision with the “Ikarus”, marching towards.
Death simplifies a lot. And death makes it easier for those who would otherwise criticize a living singer, who would consider his work as an encroachment on democracy and order. After the Talent, the riddle remains. Our palm also “turns into a fist”. Above us, the “star named the Sun” is still shining. And, perhaps, this is the most beautiful thing that we inherited from Viktor Tsoi.
Star phenomenon
What is the Tsoi phenomenon? Why even now, many years later, young guitarists begin to learn to play from his songs? Why is his laconic star image copied by many who are trying unsuccessfully to look just as convincing and confident? Perhaps there is more hidden in these texts than lies on the surface. Let’s try to analyze at least two songs to make sure of this.
“Cuckoo”
It would seem that the text is primitively simple. The manner of performance is peculiar. However, this is that notorious laconicism, which was easy for Pushkin and was not possible for others, less talented. It is also interesting that many phrases of Tsoi’s songs are polysemantic, they are suitable for any time and occasion.
That is why Viktor was taken for “their own”, his texts penetrated into the hearts of any audience. Laconicism. Versatility. Depth. These are the properties of his talent. The chords for the cuckoo song and lyrics can be found here.
“A Star Called The Sun”
History of creation
As for this song, there are many versions of the interpretation of its meaning. First of all, we remember that it was created for the movie “Needle”. Unfortunately, the singer did not tell the reporters anything definite about its meaning.
Some have suggested that this is just a bad translation of some cool foreign text. One of the versions says that the city of Taraz, where the film was filmed, has exactly the number of years that is indicated in the song. The area is known for its phosphoric plant, the clouds of which make it difficult to see the luminary. The lyrics of the song “A Star Called the Sun” and guitar chords can be found at that link.
Both songs were created in 1987 and can rightfully be called masterpieces.
Interesting Facts
Here are a few more facts that may not have been known about Viktor Tsoi:
The first group, organized by him at school, was called “Ward №6”. Apparently, this is slight hooliganism, hinting at the work of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov.
Vladimir Vasiliev, a Russian science fiction writer, created his fourth verse to the song “A Star Called The Sun” and placed it in one of his books.
Once, as a child, the child ate so much whitewash that afterward, he swore to try them for the rest of his life.
The star’s mother wanted to name her son Dima, but his father insisted, choosing the Latin “Victor”, which means “winner”.
One of the legends says that Tsoi’s first serious song is “My Friends”. With her, he began performing in the basement clubs of the northern capital. She brought him many admirers among the progressive people of that time.
Tsoi was friends with Boris Grebenshchikov, having met him on the train, where he performed.
In order not to get into the army, the singer feigned suicide, was examined in a psychiatric clinic.
Thanks to Tsoi’s American friend Joanna Stingray, the West learned about the star earlier than its homeland. She also helped the musicians by equipping a home studio for recording songs.
In order not to be considered a parasite, Tsoi worked as a fireman and cleaner in a bathhouse.
Source: tayga.info