Looking at relationships Angeliki Varum And Leonid Agutin, you believe that there are ideal families in show business. But, as the singer said, for a long time she was... against marriage.
“I’m not a plush one!”
Firstly, I really never wanted to get married,” Angelika Varum tells AiF. - Secondly, I was convinced: neither a singer nor an actor would definitely ever become my life partner. Thirdly, I never thought about children. I was so interested in the profession that it filled all my time, thoughts, all my experiences. And when love happened to me at the age of 28, I simply didn’t know what to do with it.
Angelika Varum, 2012. Photo: www.russianlook.com
Olga Shablinskaya, AiF: One well-known matchmaker told me: there are so many divorces now because people start a family for pleasure. And relationships are work.
- I get the impression that I am beginning to be perceived as a consultant on these issues. I assure you this is not true. Many problems arise in my life that are not solved immediately, but over time. Of course, family is work, it’s just that for some it is a favorite job, and for others it is hard labor. The most important thing: when conflict situations arise, you cannot tap your foot, hit the table with your fist and say: “I’m tired of everything, goodbye.” No, you have to analyze situations, think about priorities. By nature I am a very freedom-loving person. The “force” method works on me like a red rag on a bull. Compromise is possible only when you understand why it is needed. If you want a person to be close to you, then you learn to adapt to him. And this process must necessarily be mutual.
Sometimes you have to step on the throat of your own song. The crises of our relations were not connected with certain terms marriage. They arise spontaneously, due to some stupid circumstances, fatigue, irritation. Everything is like everyone else... When it hits us, I withdraw into myself and deal with the situation within myself. Sport helps a lot. And somehow gradually everything evens out and takes on colors. And then you understand whether you want to continue this whole story or not. And you make a decision, just like your partner. We are both so absorbed in our profession that we had neither time, nor strength, nor energy for protracted, serious family crises.
Who “rules” our house, you ask? There is a good old joke on this topic. The husband hit the table with his fist: “Who’s the boss in the house?!” Wife: “Me, what happened?” - “Nothing... I just asked.” So whoever takes care of the house is, as you say, the one who “rules”.
Angelika Varum, 2007 Photo: www.russianlook.com
- How do you steer? For example, can you yell at your loved ones?
- Screaming is a manifestation of hopelessness and pain. I have had to scream several times in my life when it comes to the health of my loved ones. I think there is no point in deciphering it, everyone will already understand what I mean. Now I think this is already in the past. There were a couple of such calls, after which it simply became scary.
- Leonid admitted in an interview that it was you who helped him cope with his addiction to alcohol.
- In fairness, it must be said that, first of all, Lenya was saved by his profession, the responsibility that he bears to his public and fans. Well, as for me, at critical moments, like any woman, I pulled myself together. It’s men who, if something happens, immediately lose consciousness. And we pull ourselves together and resolve issues.
- Well, wow... On stage you give the impression of an absolutely soft, simply “plush” woman, even a little out of this world.- This image is not at all true. I am a person for whom it is very important to keep everything under control. Probably this obsessive desire is dictated by a spontaneous artistic lifestyle. I can’t afford to be “plush”, as you put it. It is vital for me to control everything that happens around me.
“Woman, who are you?”
- You said that you never yell at your daughter... A rare pedagogical gift.
- Lisa and I are so on the same wavelength that I don’t have to “tighten the screws.” She is one of those mythical children who are called indigo - she writes music, poetry, does photography, shoots and edits videos. I am very sorry that I am not able to appreciate her writing abilities, because I do not speak English so well (Varum and Agutin’s daughter lives in the USA. - Ed.). Now she is 14, frankly speaking, a difficult age, and first of all, my grandparents and my brother were thrown into these “barricades”. And my husband and I act as an attestation commission, visiting periodically for inspections. Such a family structure can hardly be called classic, but such is our life...
Angelika Varum, 1997. Photo: www.russianlook.com
- They say: if you want to stay for your husband desirable woman, he shouldn’t see you without makeup, in a robe...
- And my husband loves it when I’m homely and cozy. When he has to put on makeup while going out somewhere, he often jokes: “Woman, who are you?” (smiles). Whether it’s at home, on the couch, you can relax, intertwine your tails and watch TV.
- How do you react to all these publications: they say, Agutin cheated on Varum, etc.?
- I only read fiction - things that I know in advance I will enjoy. I remember how I once accidentally watched some thriller, where the main negative character went unpunished, and did not sleep for three nights. Do I need it? Therefore, now all reading materials and films are made only on the recommendation of people whose opinions I trust. But I don’t have time for the yellow press, and it doesn’t arouse my interest.
- Then I’ll ask the question differently. Are you jealous of Agutin?
- Yes. I'm generally a jealous person. But in the profession - almost none (smiles). I want my husband to be ahead - for sure, for me, and even better - for the entire planet. Because he is a man, and I am behind him, my husband. This is important to me. Otherwise I wouldn’t have married him.
October 14, 2015
The singer spoke for the first time about how she was coping with the death of her father, who passed away a year ago, about meeting her daughter Lisa’s boyfriend, and also about why she decided to give her first solo concert in 17 years
The singer spoke for the first time about how she was coping with the death of her father, who passed away a year ago, about meeting her daughter Lisa’s boyfriend, and also about why she decided to give her first solo concert in 17 years.
— Angelica, your dad would have turned 66 in October. How did you celebrate his birthdays?
— For the last ten years, as circumstances have developed, dad and his family lived in America. My husband and I always flew to Miami for his birthday and spent one or two weeks together. Dad was not a big fan of grandiose celebrations. We have always gathered and continue to gather on this day at the home table, inviting friends. This tradition, organized by my grandparents, is everything family holidays marking around the perimeter of your home was passed on to me. And from me, I think, it will pass on to our daughter. There is nothing more comfortable and warmer than home feasts.
Angelica Varum. Photo: Yuri Bogomaz
— Yuri Ignatievich passed away last year. Your last conversation - what was it about?
— We talked about politics, as usual. Dad was always very perspicacious: he knew how to predict events and was rarely mistaken. In recent years, the level of mutual understanding between dad and me was so high that we didn’t even need to talk. We thought alike, we had a similar attitude to certain events and to life in general. I know what dad would say on this or that matter, and I always agree with him. We are one. I try to have a philosophical attitude towards the fact of a person’s bodily dying. Otherwise, we are together to this day. And it will always be like this. I just stopped going into his room so as not to stumble upon emptiness. For me, dad has always remained the only objective critic of my work. Believe me, this is a burden that has not been easy to bear. Dad was a very strict and uncompromising critic. But, oddly enough, it is precisely this view of my music that I lack. Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine a greater critic of my own creativity than myself.
— What life principles did your father instill in you?
“Dad taught me in any conflict to try to turn off emotions and personal attitude to what is happening, to try to be above the fray. Do not demand from people what they, by definition, cannot and are not obligated to give you. And have no illusions.
Left: At the “New Wave” in Jurmala. 2012 (photo by Maxim Nikitin). Right: On tour. 2004 (photo by Yuri Bogomaz). “Our generation of artists is incredibly lucky”
— In December, your first solo concert in 17 years will take place in Moscow. What caused this break? Why did the idea for this project appear now?
“There was no break for me and my fans. It’s just that for the last 17 years we have been touring as a duet with my husband. The joint concert was in demand by the public more than our solo work; the fans wanted to see the duet. And now we are touring all over the world with this concert. As for the idea of bringing a solo project to life... It’s just that over the years I have accumulated a huge amount of music that cannot exist organically in a duet concert. And songs are like children. They are loved ones and cannot be kept locked up.
— In your opinion, is there a difference between the hits on our stage in the 20th and 21st centuries?
- No, a popular song is subject to the simplest laws. It should have a memorable, interesting text flow and a melody that goes straight to the heart. It is impossible to predict a real hit. You can impose something through radio and television rotations, people will start to recognize you. But, if you don’t hit the listener’s heart, he will never come to your concert.
— 25 years ago you first appeared on stage with the song “Midnight Cowboy” and soon became a star...
“I think that our generation of artists is incredibly lucky. We appeared at the peak of the so-called Russian new wave. It was much easier to get on television thanks to, paradoxically, the time of troubles than through the impenetrable artistic councils of the 70s and 80s. Now, in my opinion, the situation has worsened - in the sense that the barrage of musical material, high-quality and not so great, is so great that it is difficult for a listener to become a fan of the one and only artist. The most he has time and attention to do is love a song. The situation is not the most favorable for the birth of a Star. Fortunately, there are exceptions to every rule.
— Television projects like “The Voice,” of which your husband was a member of the jury, are designed to select new talents.
— The last time I was literally dragged into the cinema by the Presnyakovs (Vladimir Presnyakov and Natalya Podolskaya. — Author). This was two years ago. Vovka sometimes exhibits “pioneer leader syndrome.” In these, as they say, difficult times for friendship, he gathers all those he misses and comes up with joint events. In my case, it was a spontaneous trip to the cinema for the last showing. We watched some kind of cosmic nonsense, laughed and ate forbidden foods at night. It was fun. And so I go to the cinema and theater only on the occasion of the premiere of one of my friends - directors and actors. This happens extremely rarely due to my busy work schedule. By luck, I recently attended the premiere of Konstantin Raikin’s play “All Shades of Blue.” It seemed to me that, with my own considerable stage experience, it was simply impossible to make me cry from the story played out by the actors. But Raikin succeeded! The performance is simply amazing!
- Do you turn on the TV?
- There is absolutely no time for him. Television has been forced out of my life. There are so many of them and they are of such good quality that it is impossible not to watch. For example, I am a fan, but only in the translation “Courage-Bambay”! Every summer I look forward to the start of the next season.
— There are almost no days off in your schedule for this fall. How do you maintain this pace?
- The only thing that restores strength is sleep. Fortunately, I can sleep at any time of the day, anywhere and in any position. Not that my body is happy with such a compromise, but it’s better than not sleeping at all.
-What does your happiness look like?
- At different times in different ways. Right now, happiness for me is my pillow, a book and our cats at our feet. And so on for about 20 hours. Without fuss.
— How do you keep fit? Is it natural or the result of constant work on yourself?
— First of all, these are, of course, genes. I have the same build as my mother. On and physical activity, unfortunately, there is no time. On the few days off and on vacation I go rollerblading and cycling. And when I’m in Moscow, I go to the pool in the evenings. As for dietary restrictions, I try not to overindulge in sweets, I stick to separate power supply, I do not eat canned, smoked and pickled foods, as well as those that contain yeast. I drink 2.5 - 3 liters of water a day. All these are the basic rules of nutrition according to Dr. Volkov.
— What would you like to see your life like in 20 years?
— He dedicates poems to me.
The singer knows about grape varieties and has released her first collection of wines. Photo: Yuri Bogomaz Personal matter
Angelika VARUM born on May 26, 1969 in the city of Lvov in the family of composer Yuri Varum and theater director Galina Shapovalova. In high school I went on tour with school theater, performing Ukrainian folk songs and accompanying himself on the guitar. In 1990, the singer made her debut with the song “Midnight Cowboy” in the “Morning Star” program. Multiple winner of the Golden Gramophone and Ovation awards. She has released 13 solo albums. Winner of the “Seagull” theater award for the main role in the entreprise play “The Emigrant’s Pose.” The singer appeared on the theater stage from 1997 to 2000. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. Angelika Varum, together with her husband Leonid Agutin, regularly tours in Russia and abroad. The couple has a daughter, Elizabeth.
Leonid Agutin and Angelika Varum went through fire, water and copper pipes. The stars have been divorced more than once, but, despite everything, they have been together for 20 years. Today, May 26, Leonid will have a reason to once again confess his love to his wife - it’s Angelica’s birthday. The day before, the musician shared with StarHit that he still considers himself unworthy of Varum, and also told why his daughter Lisa is not interested in communicating with him and at what moments she “feels like a grandmother.”
Eternal tenderness
Leonid, how do you and Angelica manage to stay afloat for so many years?
Your romance developed mysteriously. Why did you not go beyond what is permitted for a long time?
He probably thought he was unworthy. Too frivolous for her. And I still think so, by the way. Then we started going to concerts together. And when I returned, I felt empty. I began to find reasons to see and hear her. Called for meetings, called. Essentially he was courting me, but I didn’t think it was for real. We kind of talked. She had a boyfriend, a decent man. I treated him well. I didn’t realize that I was actually beating the girl off. It doesn't seem like he intended to. I missed her like air. But people find what they are looking for. This is the law. Once a void is created, it is filled whether you like it or not.
The wedding with Angelica was not your first marriage...
I went through both marriage and affairs. I had a great, devastating experience of stellar permissiveness. And then I met a woman I didn’t expect to meet.
How did you win it?
Later, when we were together, she admitted that she expected me to active actions, and not going to a billiards club, where she didn’t understand anything, or a restaurant where she didn’t like it. Rumors about us were already spreading. But we pretended - as if we were not together. They took pictures of us, but we were still apart. And this was not a deception of journalists. Only later did I realize that playing that game was terribly interesting. And when they started living together, they hid from everyone.
"Old Performers" Performances
By the way, about children. Your 18-year-old daughter Lisa plays hard rock. How did this happen?
When I was her age, I also listened to similar music. Hard rock is kind of cool, a kind of environment. Her boyfriend is also an orthodox rocker - hairy, wears bell-bottoms. I went to concerts with Lisa - it’s scary! I almost got trampled. Four little girls come out in front of the crowd and sing rock music. At the same time, Lisa has a beautiful timbre of her voice, but when she screams, all the color disappears. Now she has switched from guitar to keyboards, started using complex chords, and began to sing closer to Amy Winehouse or Adele. I felt how people went crazy when she performed the lyrics.
On what issues does she turn to you for advice?
When you need to buy something. For her birthday we had to buy her an electric guitar combo amp. Let's go choose. I tried to poke at a combo for $700, Marshall, it’s good! But no, they took the largest Orange for $3500. They barely made it there. Her friends were filled with envy.
Is the eldest daughter Polina - from her marriage to ballerina Maria Vorobyova - different from Lisa?
Lisa is not easy. She is bohemian and creative. He takes photographs, makes mini-films, and draws. She has a special vision, a humanitarian mind. Everything should be talented and not poppy. But Polya is simpler in this sense - without creative quirks. Plays the guitar, but without pretensions. Her main talent is intelligence. The whole mind goes into science and study. Speaks five languages fluently. Switches in a minute. Currently learning Japanese. I think he will achieve his goal.
What is her education?
She is studying law at the Sorbonne. She entered the philology department, but she found it too easy. It was repurposed, and in such a way that only four were selected from their stream, including Polya. In general, we have her – Sofia Kovalevskaya. I look at both of them and don’t understand: where do their talents come from? Why they are smart and kind is clear. But why so much? Who did it come from? Mystery...
Are they communicating?
They see each other extremely rarely. After all, Polya lives with her mother and stepfather in France, Lisa lives with Angelica’s relatives in the USA: we bought an apartment in Miami. But the girls communicate in absentia all the time - texting, talking. Several times in the summer we all went to France together. Organized the fields. This is another talent of hers. This year we are thinking about a trip to London. The children are dreaming, dad is puzzled.
Is it difficult for you when your daughters are growing up?
The further you go, the harder it gets. Everyone is smart and emotional. Lisa will always outsmart us. She doesn't really like to explain things, she just dodges things that are inconvenient. So do I! Parents sometimes irritate with their “old-time” ideas about life. But I love them. Crazy. And then I scold myself: “Well, how is that possible? Go and be with mom and dad. They are waiting." It’s the same with Lisa: she’s not very interested in communicating with me, but she loves me. I'd rather spend time with a guy. However, dad called, which means we need to meet. “Okay,” she probably thinks, “I’ll sit with my father in the cafe. Now I’ll have to tell everything again, read poetry.” And I feel like a grandmother: “Come on, daughter, show me what you wrote.” Lisa takes out her phone and opens the poem. I read and admire... My wife says: “The main thing is to praise her!” And that’s how I do it. But someone has to criticize.
On the eve of March 8, the famous singer gave his wife a new apartment, decorated it with flowers and gave an interview to HELLO!, in which he confessed his love to Angelica and remembered the best moments of the 15 years they lived together.
About the first meeting
I first saw Angelica in 1989 at the Luzhniki Sports Palace. She was already performing in group concerts, and I just tried it and got the opportunity to perform in the first section among famous artists.
In those years, we sometimes ended up nearby by chance. For example, at the finale of “Song of the Year,” when all the artists sing the “anthem” of the festival, we were placed next to each other or asked to sing just two lines together. And I noticed that others liked to see us together.
About the first collaboration
I invited Angelica to sing a duet, I came to their house to talk with Yura, we recorded the song “Queen”, the song went “off”, we began performing together, going on tour, and everyone was already talking about the fact that we were a couple, but we existed separately .
I somehow suddenly realized: when we were returning from a joint tour, I couldn’t live a day without her, I really wanted her to be around. Always.
Leonid Agutin and Angelika Varum at a concert
About the wedding
We almost immediately began to live together, and it was completely clear why - we were making a child! And we did it quickly. We got married only three years later; Lisa was already two then. And I said: that's it! I want a stamp in my passport! We still live as husband and wife, let's get married officially. It was important to remember this moment and best way- shoot a clip. Angelica said: “For me, all this is not a reason, but a new beautiful dress is.” "Then let's get married in Venice!" She says: “This is already something, this is an offer...”
Leonid Agutin and Angelika Varum
About trust
My mother raised me, and sometimes my father taught me like a man. My mother did not raise me, but was simply always there, she is a very kind, decent, caring, educated woman, she created an atmosphere of love and trust around me. On the other hand, I grew up on the street, I had friends who were musicians, and my friends included all sorts of hooligans. And all my life two people have lived inside me, I have a split personality - one is very good, the other is a bit of a hooligan. I don’t know how you can trust me completely, you can only accept me as I am. I don’t trust myself a little, but I don’t trust my wife.
Leonid Agutin and Angelika Varum
About daughter Lisa
Not only does she look like me in appearance, but she is also completely me in character. She claims that she plays rock music, and dad makes pop music. And rock is alive, but we don’t understand it. I recognize myself in my youth; then I rejected all kinds of junk. Lisa is interested in the band Iron Maiden - I was also interested in them.
In January, Angelica and I were on tour in America. And Lisa flew to us in New York with her friend, a bass guitarist. They performed at our concert and sang one song. Angelica and I almost died of fear standing backstage. That day, my mother, Lyudmila Leonidovna, said: “Now do you understand what it’s like to worry about children? And you always repeated one thing to me: “Mom, don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
About parental care
If even a minor trouble happens to Liza, Manya begins to run around in circles... Sometimes, perhaps, she lacks composure, but she is very good mom. Actually there are two different women. This one is in beautiful dress on stage and the other one is my wife. At home, she can instantly prepare dinner for the whole family, she does everything so deftly and quickly and it’s very tasty. And with a child she is extraordinary. We come to Miami, and she devotes all her time to her daughter.
Leonid Agutin with his daughters and wife
About love
True love is complex, sometimes painful, because the inability to live without another person is both happiness and punishment, because it is lack of freedom. Sometimes we quarrel, but we can’t even slam the door normally, because we know that we’ll be back again tomorrow.
Without love, a long life together is impossible, no matter what anyone says. It’s just that love is such a thing, which, being called by the same word, takes on different meanings every year.
Tenderness, habit, comfort, familiar sex... Everything that life together consists of is love. And now love for me is getting closer to the concept of “fate”.
It is symbolic that she has two names: on stage she is Angelika Varum, and off stage she is Masha. Tender, airy, very romantic - that’s all Angelica.
Photo: Vladimir Vasilchikov
But Masha's strong will, tough character, and she knows how to solve any, even the most complex problems. How harmoniously two seemingly completely different people coexist in such a beautiful, charming woman? different people?
ABOUT One moment, Masha, caused me a pleasant surprise - that you offered to meet at home. I don’t remember when this happened in my journalistic practice. Usually everyone prefers a cafe or restaurant in the center of Moscow. And you were categorical: at home and only at home. Why is this so?
I'm a homebody and I feel most comfortable at home. In public places, I, like many of my colleagues, experience discomfort and feel quite constrained.
So in public places you are not real?
No, why? Being unreal and being uncomfortable are two different things.
How can you even be uncomfortable? What about your husband's shoulder?
Well, the option “Tamara and I go as a couple” is not about us. It’s enough for us to share the stage for two, a house for two, life for two. And going everywhere together is not my story at all. I am a self-sufficient person, and so is Lenya.
Do you have any common friends?
We have common friends.
But everyone has their own territory. Is that how it happened initially?
Yes. We had to agree on many things on the shore, because we started as a couple when we were almost thirty. Of course, this is an unspoken agreement, at the level of intuition. In general, I think we are lucky that we are people of the same profession, because everything is clear to us without words.
It is not always possible to explain to a person of another profession what the need for absolute silence is, when you just want to be silent and not be involved every minute in everyday life and the bustle of everyday life.
Are you very involved in everyday life?
For me, cuisine is simply a cult. I love to cook, I spend all my free time in the kitchen. True, I don’t feel the same enthusiasm for washing. From the very beginning I had it difficult relationship with washing machine. But then my husband comes to the rescue.
Are you cooking for Lenya...
For Lenya. For myself. For our children when they come to visit, for friends. I eat more Lenya. I'm a meat eater, unlike him. It’s hard to get Lyonka to eat even a chicken cutlet; he prefers fish and vegetable dishes to meat. And I love steaks.
I would never have thought that! You are so slim - like a figurine.
I'm just a very restless person. I think it mainly helps to maintain my figure. Before a big concert, I can lose one and a half to two kilograms per night due to anxiety. Then, however, I quickly type.
It turns out that to maintain shape you need to have anxiety more often, such an eternal hassle.
No need. My husband, for example, likes it when I round out a little. He likes it. Plus two kilograms - and I become such a pretty matron. Cheeks appear.
We meet with you at eleven o'clock in the evening. Were you immediately satisfied with this time when I suggested it?
Yes. We start working in the evening, at seven o’clock at the earliest. If these are some kind of closed events or club performances, then it could be ten in the evening or two in the morning. And after the concert it is very difficult to fall asleep.
But today there was no concert.
Why! There was a concert. Do you think I’m welcoming you home specifically in concert makeup? ( Smiles.)
Have you performed together with Lenya?
No, I'm alone.
Where is your husband at this late hour?
Near. In the next room.
Do you know what else surprised and completely delighted me? The fact that you don't remember your apartment number. I asked a question about this at the entrance, but you couldn’t answer.
I am a victim of progress: I have an electronic business card with an address that I send to all my guests, the same story with the phone number. I myself have no use for this information: whatever, I’ll always find the way to the house.
Wonderful. Now is your wonderful time. A joint disc with Igor Krutoy was released. Very beautiful melodies, you made an excellent duet, and Igor has soulful vocals.
Yes, it's velvety.
I heard that this was your initiative and Igor Krutoy at first did not believe that anything could come of it. Or is this some kind of coquetry?
No, absolutely not coquetry. Igor was preparing for his anniversary concerts. At that time, there was only one of his songs in my repertoire. Igor called and said: “Man, let’s do one or two more songs for my show, otherwise it’s somehow undignified with just one song.” And he sent me several compositions to choose from. I listened and realized that nothing attracted me. I had to pluck up courage, call Igor back and honestly say: “Not mine.” He asked: “What’s yours?” At that time, I had already listened to Lara Fabian’s record, which I was completely delighted with. I said that I was ready to sing Lara Fabian's song.
To this Igor replied that there are such vocal things in general, they say, you can’t handle it... I was offended. After all, it’s not all about the strength of the voice, but about the singer’s temperament and his philosophy. For example, I always preferred Norah Jones and Lisa Stansfield to the more temperamental Tina Turner and Pink. They are somehow closer and clearer to me.
I answered Igor that I would “compensate” for everything with Russian lyrics, sat down and wrote poems for two of his English-language songs. And when I recorded them in the studio, Igor listened and offered to make a Russian version of the entire disc. This is how our joint record “The Woman Walked” appeared.
Great. Tell me, do you always take the initiative into your own hands?
Yes, I even have a nickname at home - Chief.
You look so fragile and tender. You stroke the cat comfortably on your lap so beautifully.
(Smiling.) I am a soft boss, but with a core.
Is it by nature or nurture?
I think, first of all, this is dictated by the profession. My dad always said: “If you want something done well, do it yourself.” In general, to be honest, my dad really didn’t want music to become my profession.
Surprising, why?
The hard way and very little chance of success.
Initially, you wanted to become a dramatic actress.
I wanted to. I entered the theater institute, but I didn’t get in - and thank God. The profession of an actress is too dependent, and I am a very freedom-loving person.
What, is a musician an independent profession?
That is, when you didn’t get into theater school, you decided: “Eureka! I’ll be a singer!”
I had nothing to do for a whole year. My dad involved me in working in the studio: he wrote songs, and I recorded backing vocals for them, sang “demos” for aspiring singers. You know, it's such magic when you put on headphones and feel your voice for the first time. I realized that I really like it and really want to do it. ( Leonid Agutin leaves the room.)
So Leonid appeared. Hello!
Leonid: Hello! I'm having tea. As always, unexpected. Well, I won't bother you. ( Comes back.)
You, Masha, don’t seem to have a musical education?
Well, how can I say, I have my father’s musical education. But there is no classic. Dad didn't trust me with anyone. He believed that music lessons should be supported by enthusiasm. And in a classical music school, teachers very often kill this very enthusiasm in the bud. Dad generally did not tolerate any form of dependence and passed this feeling on to me.
What about dependence on your husband?
Well, it's not an addiction, it's a free choice.
What's the difference?
You make your own decisions, you yourself look for compromises, and you know exactly why you are doing this. And addiction is something besides you, beyond your will.
Clear. Have you ever been reproached for your lack of education?
I was nineteen years old when my first record came out, and touring began almost immediately. So I had no time to think about it at all.
Didn’t you have such a need yourself?
There was a need, there was no time. To be honest, it seems to me that in seventy percent out of a hundred, higher education is a choice of parents that they make for their children in order to stroke their parents’ pride. I had a need for good literature and good music. I could afford both in my leisure time.
If you ask me, would I like instead of mine personal experience acquired at concert venues, spend five years in college and start a career five to seven years later, the answer is definitely “no.” And at the same time, if you ask yourself whether I would like to know and be able to do more - yes, I would.
Do you read a lot now too?
I’m ashamed to admit, but all my love for reading has been replaced by TV series. I recently sat down and watched the wonderful series “The Young Pope” with Jude Law. I cried all night. I watched it all day long because it was simply impossible to stop and turn it off. I understand that this level of involvement is not very healthy. Emotions - both positive and negative - are energetically expensive. For example, I start watching “The Voice” only from the semi-finals. I'm worried about the guys, I'm very nervous. I watched the first season of “The Voice” in its entirety. I remember my moans about Artyom Kacharyan, he was my favorite. A very charming guy with good vocal abilities. But he never managed to reach the semi-finals. In general, I was very impressionable from childhood. Once my grandmother took me to the opera house for the first time (I was about five years old), about ten minutes into the performance I burst into tears out loud, and we had to leave the auditorium. On the way home, she asked why I burst into tears, I answered: “Auntie screamed so much on stage, she was in pain.” And last year, at the premiere of Kostya Raikin’s play, I actually had a heart attack.
Horror. What performance brought you to this state?
"All shades of blue."
There is, of course, a dramatic story, but not to the same extent!
Up to this! I couldn't watch the final scene at all. I just stared at the ceiling and cried.
Well, what then in return - peace, yoga? And for the cat to sit on your lap all the time?
Entertainment, positive emotions, miracles around, the world in pink and the sky in diamonds. ( Laughs.)
That is, it is necessary to create some kind of artificial space?
As hard as it may be to admit, this is how it is. It must be created in order to be able to accumulate strength and energy for the stage. Because every appearance on stage is always a struggle. You need to win. But the genre is easy, and you need to correspond to the genre.
I understand what you're saying. My brother Igor and I led the “New Wave” in Sochi, I was very worried before the start, and that’s understandable. But I saw how behind the scenes at that very moment Philip Kirkorov was concentrated and completely in himself, how concentrated and absolutely detached Alla Pugacheva was, who needed to say only a few words on stage and introduce Igor and me. I asked: “Alla Borisovna, do you always prepare like this before going on stage?” “Yes,” he answers, “always.”
That's right. When I was still a child, my dad was the musical director of Valery Leontyev’s band. I remember watching Valery Yakovlevich backstage. I understood that the person was very nervous. And I once approached him and said: “Are you worried, right?” And he says: “Yes, very much.” And Leontyev was already a star at that time.
By the way, this kind of excitement is also a good adrenaline rush.
You know, Vadim, it’s a good adrenaline rush when you win.
Does it happen that you don’t win? It seems to me that you start singing “Cherry, cherry, winter cherry” - and that’s it, then everyone’s adoration.
It's not as easy as it seems! It happens that it is not your audience: you are called, for example, to some corporate event, and the choice of the performer is made not by the audience, but by the boss. And the public, in fact, doesn’t care who performs. This is the most difficult thing - to “ignite” such people.
Understood. Now about something else. It is known that you were ten years old when your parents divorced. You lived in Lvov, your father worked in Moscow. Was it only your mother who did the upbringing?
Why am I asking: it’s just that you always talk so deliciously about your father, he is, one might say, an idol for you, and your mother is somehow in the shadow. Isn't she offended?
My mother is a wise woman. And she is also a very subtle and delicate person, therefore, even if notes of jealousy crept into her heart, she never let me understand it with either a word or a gesture.
Does your mother live in Moscow now?
Yes. She lived in Odessa with my grandmother for many years, and then, when my grandmother passed away, I took her to live with me.
It turns out that when you arrived in Moscow, you immediately fell under your father’s wing?
Is his energy still more powerful than his mother’s?
I wouldn't compare feminine energy with men's, these are fundamentally different things. It's not about energy. In principle, daughters are always more drawn to their fathers, with rare exceptions.
Is your daughter also more drawn to her father?
I have just an exception to the rule. Liza is absolutely mine. But our situation in general is not simple. When my dad got sick, the doctors said they couldn’t help him here, so we moved him to America. And Lisa also had to move with him. We are on tour all the time.
But many people take small children with them on tour, and there are no problems.
A purely masculine, dare I say it, incompetent view of the subject. How do you imagine, for example, a child with a virus and a temperature in the forties, moving at night from one city to another?
OK. Have you ever had the feeling that you didn’t give your daughter something?
No. We feel each other very well. She and I are like twins. And it doesn’t matter what the distance is between us.
Is Lisa similar to you in character?
By nature, she is mine, I understand her without words. And I never had a feeling of guilt or a feeling that I didn’t give her something.
The daughter is a musician. Have you ever thought about performing a duet?
No, there was no such thought, it works in a completely different musical tradition. And she is also an individualist. She needs to prove to everyone that she can achieve anything without her parents, so she basically doesn’t want to take advantage of our opportunities. Lenya helped her record the first seven songs, and then Lisa said that from then on she would do everything herself. She writes music, poetry, and arrangements.
Do you like what she does?
Very. All this is subtle and tasteful. I'm proud of her. I really like the enthusiasm and desire with which she approaches creativity. Since childhood, Lisa was very independent, very independent, self-sufficient. And she had neither melancholy nor boredom. Children of musicians are generally a special caste. They are immune to difficult life circumstances, a kind of vaccination. They have no desire to hide under the wing. They are born leaders.
We’ve been talking to you for so long, and the cat is still sitting quietly and peacefully on your lap...
In fact, Nyukha appeared in our house when dad passed away. Before that, I treated dogs with more reverence. But, as they say, you need to grow spiritually to become a cat. I had never even thought about pets before - we are on the road all the time. And then somehow everything coincided... Three years ago, Lenya and I were in a car accident. It was the middle of our spring tour. It's early morning, the roads are icy. As we approached the city, our driver stopped to check the directions.
As soon as we set off, a white Mercedes jumped out into the oncoming lane - and right into our forehead. It’s good that our car didn’t have time to pick up speed, otherwise everything could have ended more than sadly... The driver and our director were wearing seat belts and were not injured. Lenya had a severe bruise on his back, although he saw what was happening and managed to regroup. And I sat behind the driver and fiddled with my phone. During the collision, I hit my head very hard on the chair in front of me and screamed loudly in surprise. When, after a pause, I tried to say something, it turned out that my voice had turned into a hoarse basso. And shortly before this episode, my dad called me from America and said that he had been to the doctor and that there was a suspicion of cancer. I didn’t wait until the end of the tour - I still couldn’t sing. Lenya completed the remaining concerts without me. And I flew to my dad in Miami. I didn’t tell him about the accident, I said that I had a virus.
How long have you been unable to sing?
I spoke in a deep voice for six months.
Did the doctors reassure you that everything will be okay?
The doctors looked at the ligaments and said that there were no tears. And I realized that I just needed time. I didn’t go to doctors again.
This is what kind of will you need to have! Lenya didn’t tell you that you’re crazy, why are you ignoring the doctors? Still, constant monitoring was probably needed here.
Lenya knows that I always deal with my problems myself. When my native voice began to return (and this happened very, very slowly), I had to learn to sing again. At some stage, I called Khibla Gerzmava and asked to work with me. It was a terrible ordeal. I couldn’t make it through even the simplest chant. After a while I told Khibla that I was passing, I needed to stop and just wait. It was very scary, but I didn’t believe that my career could end so absurdly. I felt like I just needed to calm down. And soon dad passed away... For a while I just lay in bed, my eyes at the ceiling. Lenya began performing solo, often went on tour, and I was left at home alone. And then suddenly I realized, or rather, I didn’t understand, but I felt that I needed a cat. I don't even know why. I went through a bunch of literature and out of all the cats I chose the Singaporean breed. These are very tactile, very contact animals. Here's mine... She follows my commands and follows me. She’s not even really a cat, she’s a real “catdog.”
Did the cat help you energetically?
Yes. She saved me. Her peace, such harmony, such balance - all this somehow gradually began to bring me to my senses.
How strong you are, Masha.
This cannot be taken away. ( Laughs.)
By the way, tell me, did you really need the stage name Angelica?
This question can be asked to several more famous singers who at one time took a pseudonym. For me it was forced measure. When I started working, there was already only one Masha on stage - Masha Rasputina. And to become Masha number two...
Well, “number two” is not about you at all. In real life, are you more often called Angelica or Masha?
And Angelica and Masha. My personal pages on Instagram and Facebook are registered under the name Maria Varum.
What kind of relationship do you have with age - direct, honest, or are you trying to flirt with yourself?
Well, what woman will directly answer this question for you?! ( Laughs.) You know, I feel very comfortable at my age. I really like everything. I like that I understand almost everything about life. In my youth, I was always thrown off balance when I misunderstood something and lacked the intuition to make a decision.
Do you remember that feeling when you find yourself in a group and feel out of place? And why, in fact, this is not your plate and how to get into yours, you don’t know. With age comes understanding of many things. The only negative is that you need more time to rest in order to go on stage and do uh-hey!
I think fussing is very humiliating.
Well, for example, is a quarrel vanity?
No, a quarrel is energy. Have you ever wondered why some grandmothers are so grumpy?
Why?
Because they need to feel active, alive. And in order to feel alive, many people need the energy of conflict, because the energy of conflict is one of the most powerful.
I have a feeling that you and Lenya are actually like two Buddhists.
This is true! And in our house it is forbidden to talk about profession and politics. This is the law.
What can we talk about?
But we practically don’t talk, we are at that age when we already have something to keep silent about. Do you remember, according to Pelevin: we intertwined our tails, sat on the sofa, watched a movie. And very comfortable. I can’t imagine someone next to me who would constantly itch something in his ear. And Lenya also has no pretensions to every minute communication. In general, sometimes I get the feeling that we are relatives in some way. Seriously. You know, when I saw a photograph of Lenya’s grandmother in her youth (her name, by the way, was also Maria), I had the feeling that I was looking at my reflection. It even became creepy.
It is no coincidence that many people perceive you and Leonid as one whole... Today, what is your priority?
Now I am, of course, excited about the project with Igor Krutoy. This is a new step for me. Lenya is busy in “The Voice”. We are not planning anything together yet, except for duet tours. Everyone needs to change something in their life from time to time.
So you don’t sing Agutin’s new songs on principle?
There is no principle in this. Songs must be born, as they have been born before for many years. And now there's a pause. And good.
Still, you are a very positive girl, Masha!
Positive, negative - this is in photography. I'm just a realist, I have no illusions about the world order or about humanity. And I feel good because realists can predict a lot. But at the same time, I never cease to be a romantic.
Tell me, why don’t you like to be sympathized with, to be pitied? It seems like this is important to you.
Why don't I like it? I love, but only when very close people do it, when Lenya regrets it. Actually, he's probably the only one. And so I’m used to being a vest, I listen to everyone, I give advice to everyone. Look weak? Well, no! This means that I missed something somewhere, did something wrong. And I don’t want to admit this.
