Vitas

Vitas
Витас
Vitas in 2002
Background information
Birth nameVitaly Vladasovich Grachev
Also known as
  • Vitalik
  • Vitas
Born (1979-02-19) 19 February 1979
Daugavpils, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
OriginOdesa, Ukraine
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2000–present
Labels
  • Iceberg Music
  • CD Land
  • Квадро-Диск
  • CICAC
  • KHAM
  • Gemini Sun Records
  • Universal Music Taiwan
  • Никитин
  • Media Land
  • Creative Media
  • Monatomic Music
  • 反正靠谱

Vitaliy Vladasovich Grachev or Vitaliy Vladasovych Grachov, known professionally as Vitas (Russian: Витас [ˈvʲitəs]; stylised in all caps), is a RussianUkrainian singer. Vitas is known for his falsetto and his eclectic musical style, which incorporates elements of operatic pop, techno, dance, classical, jazz, and folk.

Vitas became popular in Russia and other Eastern European countries in the early 2000s and also achieved success in Asia, including China, in 2005. He won the ZD Awards and participated in many Russian and European music festivals, including the festival “Christmas Meetings of Alla Pugacheva” and others. He performed in a duet with Demis Roussos and Lucio Dalla.

Much of his recognition outside Russia and Asia came in the 2010s, when songs such as "Opera #2" and "The 7th Element" (both from his 2001 debut album Philosophy of Miracle) and "Smile!" (from his 2002 album of the same name) achieved viral success; the unusual music videos for "Opera #2" and "The 7th Element" have been cited as the most prominent examples of this.

Vitas has performed with entertainment labels such as Universal Music Group, and has toured extensively in several countries. He designs his own stage costumes, and employs a backing band named DIVA during live performances.