View source for Anita Tsoy

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
|image= Анита Цой.jpg
| name                = Anita Sergeyevna Tsoy
| image_size          = 250 px
|caption = Anita Tsoy, 2013
| background          = solo_singer
| birth_name          = Anna Sergeyevna Kim
| alias               = 
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1971|2|7|df=yes}}
| death_date          = 
| origin              = [[Moscow]], [[Russian SFSR]], [[Soviet Union]]
| instrument          = [[singing|Vocals]], [[violin]], [[piano]], [[flute]], [[guitar]]
| genre               = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[pop-rock]], [[Dance music|dance]]
| occupation          = Singer-songwriter
| years_active        = 1997–present
| label               = Soyuz (1997)<br>New Hollywood International (1998)<br>Real Records (2003)<br>[[Universal Music]] [[Russia]] (2005 – present)
| website             = {{URL|http://anitatsoy.ru}}
}}

'''Anita Tsoy''' ({{lang-ru|Анита "Анна" Серге́евна Цой}}; born '''Anna Sergeyevna Kim'''; 7 February 1971, [[Moscow]]) is a [[Russia]]n singer-songwriter of [[Koreans|Korean]] descent.<ref name="NI">{{cite news|script-title=ru:Анита Цой: "Под мой гимн люди танцуют"|last=Morozov|first=Andrey|date=27 May 2005|accessdate=21 June 2006|work=Nov'ie Izvestiya|url=http://www.newizv.ru/news/2005-05-27/25072/|language=Russian}}</ref> She is a [[Meritorious Artist]] of Russia (2003).<ref>[http://graph.document.kremlin.ru/page.aspx?754895 Почётное звание присвоено указом Президента России № 621 от 5 июня 2003 года] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111141653/http://graph.document.kremlin.ru/page.aspx?754895 |date=11 January 2014 }}</ref>

==Early life==
Anita's grandfather, seeking free education, emigrated from [[Korea]] to the [[Russian Far East]]. He, his wife and his children were later caught up in the [[Deportation of Koreans in the Soviet Union|1937 deportation]] of the ''[[Koryo-saram]]'' to [[Central Asia]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kbs.co.kr/end_program/1tv/sisa/sunspecial/vod/1248974_3366.html|work=KBS News|publisher=Korean Broadcasting System|date=4 July 1999|accessdate=21 June 2007|title=아니타 최 – 어머니에게 바치는 노래 (Anita Tsoi: A Song For My Mother)|language=Korean}}</ref> Anita's mother was born in 1944 in [[Tashkent]], [[Uzbek SSR]], [[Soviet Union]] and successfully graduated from the [[Moscow State University]] and became a chemistry [[doctor (title)|doctor]].<ref name="rusradio">[http://www.rusradio.ru/artists/all/8883/ Цой, Анита .::. Артисты от А до Я. Музыкальный каталог .::. Русское Радио<!-- Заголовок добавлен ботом -->]</ref>

Tsoy's mother did everything she could to make her daughter educated in all kinds of arts [http://anitatsoy.ru]. Anita's favourite one became music. She began [[violin]] lessons at a young age; she later studied [[piano]], [[flute]], and [[guitar]].<ref name="MTV">{{cite web|publisher=MTV Russia|accessdate=21 June 2007|url=http://www.mtv.ru/idols/_a/anita_tsoy|title=Анита Цой (Anita Tsoy)|language=Russian|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070527101642/http://www.mtv.ru/idols/_a/anita_tsoy|archivedate=27 May 2007|deadurl=no}}</ref>

When Tsoy became an adult, her mother was branded a "[[Enemy of the people|class enemy]]" in the 1970s in response to her record of speaking out in support of [[Nobel Peace Prize]]-winning dissident [[Andrei Sakharov]]. For her dissent, she was briefly committed to a mental institution and became a permanent invalid.<ref>[http://persona.rin.ru/view/f/0/35962/coj-anita ЦОЙ Анита, фото, биография]. Persona.rin.ru; retrieved on 5 August 2014.</ref> 
After leaving school Tsoy attended the [[normal school|teacher training college]], then law school at [[Moscow State University]], where she met her husband [[Sergey Tsoy]].

==Career==
After graduation, rather than becoming a teacher or lawyer, she began saving up money in order to launch a singing career, while her husband began working as a press secretary for [[Moscow]] mayor [[Yury Luzhkov]] in 1994. Her first album ''Polyot'' (Полёт; ''Flight'') was released in 1997; she kept it a secret from her husband until after she had already signed the contract with her production company.<ref name="NI"/><ref name="Sergey">{{cite web|publisher=Arirang.RU|accessdate=23 January 2006|url=http://arirang.ru/biografy/choi_sp.htm|title=Цой Сергей Петрович (Tsoy Sergey Petrovich)|language=Russian}}</ref>

In 1998 her second album, named "Черный лебедь" ("The Black Swan") was released and in 1999 a concert show "Черный лебедь или храм любви" ("The Black Swan or a Love Palace") was held in the concert hall "Rossiya". This show was accepted as "Best Show of the Year" and Anita won an "Ovation" She went to the [[United States]] in 2003 to record an [[English language|English-language]] album, where she worked with cinematic composer [[Lee Holdridge]]; while there, she was offered a five-year contract as a solo vocalist in the [[Cirque du Soleil]], but turned it down in order to return to Russia and be near her family.<ref name="MTV"/>

She records her third Russian dance solo-album "1000000 минут" ("1000000 Minutes") in 2003, which was introduced to public in the "Elevator" club, a former factory in Moscow. In 2005 a major show-concert "ANITA" was held in the "Rossiya" Concert Hall, Moscow, featuring high technology decorations like large LCD-screens and fountains on the stage. The show was considered to be one of the most successful ones in Russia and was released on DVD by [[Universal Music]].{{citation needed|date=February 2016}} Tsoy recorded her fourth album "На восток" ("To The East") in 2007 and changed her image greatly since the 2003; she turns to [[manga]]-[[anime]] style. In autumn of the same year she performs with her "To The East" show, which attracted more than ten thousand people. Following the show, the DVD-recording of this live concert was released.{{citation needed|date=February 2016}}

Both "ANITA" and "To The East" shows are considered to be one of the best live-performances in Russia and the recordings of these concerts were shown on [[Channel One (Russia)|Channel One]], [[Muz-TV]] and other influentable Russian channels.<ref>[http://www.starstory.ru/novosti_-_polnoe_opisanie/NewsCategory/DVD-novinki/News/SHou-programma_Anity_Coi_Anita_na_DVD/ Анита Цой Шоу-программа Аниты Цой «Анита» на DVD]. Starstory.ru. Retrieved on 5 August 2014.</ref>

Anita recorded 5 albums in total and won more than 10 major awards for both performing and charity during her 13-year career as a solo artist.<ref name="russianlyrics1">[http://www.russianlyrics.com/name/anita-tsoy/ Анита Цой биография [Anita Tsoy bio&#93;]. Russianlyrics.com. Retrieved on 5 August 2014.</ref><ref>{{ru icon}} [http://subscribe.ru/archive/press.oracul/200904/28101412.html Новости Кузбасса On-Line от Михаила Железняка (press.oracul) : Рассылка]. Subscribe.Ru. Retrieved on 5 August 2014.</ref><ref name="rusradio1">[http://www.rusradio.ru/artists/all/8883/ Анита Цой .::. Артисты от А до Я. Музыкальный каталог .::. Русское Радио]. Rusradio.ru. Retrieved on 5 August 2014.</ref>

==Summary of music career==
Tsoy is known for regularly changing her music style and image. She began performing as a nearly [[Rock music|rock]] artist in 1997, later turned to dance music, and after 2006 several music styles present in her songs: [[Viktor Tsoi]]'s rock followed by [[blues]], [[R&B]], and Eastern styled [[Pop music|pop]]<ref>[http://anitatsoy.ru Official Anita Tsoy website], anitatsoy.ru; accessed 18 February 2016.</ref>

===1997 – In memory of Viktor Tsoi===
The first album "Полет" ('Flight") was recorded in 1997 and was named after Anita's first hit – single "Полет" ('Flight"). Most songs from it are written in [[Rock music|rock]] style, similar to the [[Kino (band)|Kino]] band's where [[acoustic guitar]] plays the main role. This is because Anita was a great fan of theirs when she was young.<ref>http://belta.by/7days_plus.nsf/All/9712AE8ED29C6BE242257338004FBE76?OpenDocument</ref> Another hit – "Мама"("Mother") – was dedicated to orphaned children.<ref>[http://goodsongs.com.ua/song94156_anita-coy_mama.html Текст песни Анита Цой – Мама|Слова песни Анита Цой – Мама]. Goodsongs.com.ua. Retrieved on 5 August 2014.</ref>

==="The Black Swan" of Russian pop===
In 1998<ref name="rusradio">[http://www.rusradio.ru/artists/all/8883/ Цой, Анита .::. Артисты от А до Я. Музыкальный каталог .::. Русское Радио<!-- Заголовок добавлен ботом -->]</ref> Anita's second album was released, called "The Black Swan" ("Черный лебедь"). Notable songs from this record are: "Far Away"("Далеко") and "Return"("Возвращайтесь") The second one was remixed in 2009 and became a key – single for the singer's "To Remember so that Life Continues" ("Помнить, чтобы жизнь продолжалась") [[charity (practice)|charity]] [[concert tour]].<ref name="src1">[http://zwezda.ru/tsoy1.html Анита Цой помогла семьям погибших в терактах | Звездный журнал]. Zwezda.ru; retrieved 5 August 2014.</ref> In this album's tracks mostly [[guitar]], [[Electronic music|electronic]] and [[percussion]] instruments take place and most songs are written in a [[pop-rock]] style.<ref name="rusradio1"/>

===2003 – Switch to dance music===
In 2003 Anita recorded her third [[Russians|Russian]] album, called "1000000 Minutes" ("1000000 минут"). Her first two records and this one can't be compared at all – almost all songs here are composed in a [[Dance music|Dance]] style. This album has four singles which became super – hits on radiostations: a title – track "1000000 Minutes" ("Миллион минут"), "Only for You" ("Одному тебе"), "Is that Love?" ("Это ли любовь?") and "Christmas Toys" ("Новогодние игрушки").<ref>[http://www.anitatsoy.ru Анита Цой – Звонки. Премьера. Доступно в iTunes]. Anitatsoy.ru; retrieved 5 August 2014.</ref>

===2007 – To The East===
From 2003 till 2007 there were no recordings released due to large [[piracy]] problems on the [[Mass media|media]] [[Market (economics)|market]] in [[Russia]].<ref>[http://fandeeff.narod.ru/tsoy.htm ПОЛЕТ ЧЕРНОГО ЛЕБЕДЯ. ИНТЕРВЬЮ С АНИТОЙ ЦОЙ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816011144/http://fandeeff.narod.ru/tsoy.htm |date=16 August 2011 }}. Fandeeff.narod.ru (Interview in Russian, 2004); retrieved 5 August 2014.</ref>

The album "To The East" ("На восток") was recorded in 2007 by [[Universal Music]] company. It is filled inside out with hit singles: seven of eleven tracks were tuned on radios and two of them: the title song "To The East" ("На восток") and "The Sky" ("Небо") became very popular among [[Russians|Russian]] people; Anita won two "Golden Gramophone" statuettes for these singles: one in 2006 and the other one – in 2007 (The "To The East" ("На восток") single had been written a year earlier before the album was recorded).
Combinations of [[guitar]], [[percussion]] instruments and electronic [[music]] made this album's songs well distinguished from other artists' ones.
Anita and [[Universal Music]] announced that all the income from the album sales was going to be delivered to orphan asylums.<ref>[http://music.km.ru/news.asp?id=7446c313a41f4eee994b131016c8d3e8] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071228025428/http://music.km.ru/news.asp?id=7446c313a41f4eee994b131016c8d3e8 |date=28 December 2007 }}</ref>

==Charity==
Aside from singing Anita Tsoy is known as an active contributor to charity. In 2001 she opened a charity foundation "Anita", which helped many children with congenital disablement [http://anitatsoy.ru].  She also works with such major charity companies as [[Save the Children]] and [[UNICEF]].<ref name="MTV"/>

In 2009 a concert tour was organized and all the profits from the concerts were sent to families, whose relatives died due to terrorist actions and coal mines collapses. The concerts were held in the cities of [[Grozny]], [[Beslan]], [[Budyonnovsk]] and many others, located in Caucasian and Siberian areas. The tour was named "To Remember so that Life Continues" ("Помнить, чтобы жизнь продолжалась").<ref>[http://www.aif.ru/onlineconf/472 Анита Цой: тур по горячим точкам|Аргументы и Факты]. Aif.ru; retrieved 5 August 2014.</ref>
Several months before in the Barvikha Hall, [[Moscow]] a big concert was arranged, where mostly businessmen and celebrities had been invited to. The income was about €160,000 – this amount of money was delivered to more than 50 children who became victims of the Chechen massacre in [[Beslan]].<ref name="src1"/>

==Current career==
Anita Tsoy was appointed as an "Ambassador of Korean Culture and Tourism" between Russia and South Korea by [[President of South Korea|South Korean president]] [[Roh Moo-hyun]] during his official visit to Russia in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sports.kbs.co.kr/ispecial/ps00204.php?id=1113|date=23 September 2004|accessdate=21 June 2007|work=KBS News|publisher=Korean Broadcasting System|title=아니타 최, 러 관광 홍보 대사 위촉 (Anita Tsoy appointed Russian tourism and publicity ambassador)|language=Korean}}</ref>

It was announced on the singer's official site that a new album, called "Глубина"("Depth") is going to be recorded. The release date is not mentioned. Anita Tsoy is going to play in the upcoming "[[Michael Strogoff]]" French musical in 2010 – 2011.<ref>[http://www.aif.ru/dossiers/270 Список досье – Общество – Аргументы и Факты]. Aif.ru (23 April 2008); retrieved 5 August 2014.</ref>

==Albums==
* "Полет" ("Flight") – 1997
* "Черный лебедь" ("The Black Swan") – 1998
* "I'll remember you" (Recorded in the USA) – 2000
* "1000000 минут" ("1000000 minutes") – 2003
* "На восток" ("To The East") – 2007
* "Твоя А" ("Your A") – 2011

==Live concerts==
*"Полет к новым мирам" ("A Flight to New Worlds") – 1998
*"Черный лебедь или храм любви" ("The Black Swan or a Love Palace") – 1999, 2000 (symphonic version)
*"1000000 минут" ("1000000 Minutes") – 2003
*"ANITA" – 2005
*"На восток" ("To The East") – 2007
*"Помнить, чтобы жизнь продолжалась" ("To Remember so that Life Continues") – 2009 (Charity Concert Tour)
* "THE BEST" – 2010

==Awards==
*"Honoured Worker of [[Kuzbass Autonomous Industrial Colony|Kuzbass]] for active participation in charity, 2009 <ref>[http://www.rian.ru/show_business/20090427/169362593.html Певица Анита Цой стала почетным работником Кузбасса | РИА Новости]. Rian.ru (27 April 2009). Retrieved on 5 August 2014.</ref>
*"Golden Gramophone", 2007 <ref name="rusradio1"/>
*"Golden Gramophone", 2006 <ref name="rusradio1"/>
*A True Professional of Russia, 2005 <ref name="russianlyrics1"/>
*"Mezenat" for active participation in charity, 2004 <ref name="russianlyrics1"/>
*"Pillar" for the artist's talent, 2004 <ref name="russianlyrics1"/>
*"For Russia's renewal", 2004 <ref name="russianlyrics1"/>
*[[Meritorious Artist|Meritorious Artist of Russia]], 2003 <ref name="NI"/>
*"Olympia" for active participation in charity, 2002 <ref name="russianlyrics1"/>
*National Musical Prize "Ovation" – Best Show of the Year, 1999 <ref name="NI"/>
*National Musical Prize "Ovation" – A Discovery of the Year, 1998 <ref name="NI"/>

==References==
{{reflist|35em}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Russia|Biography|Korea}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120214101337/http://www.anitatsoy.ru:80/eng_bio.html AnitaTsoy.RU]
*{{ru icon}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20120104010412/http://www.anitatsoy.ru:80/bio.html AnitaTsoy.RU]
*{{ru icon}} [http://blogs.mail.ru/mail/anita-tsoy Blog]
*{{ru icon}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20080103171756/http://www.anita-coy.ru:80/? A fan site]
*{{ru icon}} [http://www.aif.ru/onlineconf/472]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tsoy, Anita}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Koryo-saram]]
[[Category:Singers from Moscow]]
[[Category:Russian female singers]]
[[Category:Russian people of Korean descent]]
[[Category:Russian pop singers]]
[[Category:Mezzo-sopranos]]
[[Category:Honored Artists of Russian Federation]]
[[Category:Russian television presenters]]
[[Category:Russian pop-folk singers]]