The Via Gra group is a Ukrainian band that appeared in the early 2000s. His success could not be repeated by any female band created after. For many years, the band has remained at the peak of popularity, despite the changing line-up and the emergence of new projects. Her discography includes pop songs that have become hits. The change of soloists gave rise to a new story that lasted almost 20 years.
The creation of the group: the history and the first participants
The idea is based on the world—famous British pop group Spice Girls. Inspired by their success, businessman Dmitry Kostyuk invited composer and producer Konstantin Meladze to make his own project a reality. This is how the history of the creation of the Via Gra group began.
The first approved participant was Alyona Vinnitskaya. Two more performers, Yulia Miroshnichenko and Marina Kashchin, were invited to work, but the result did not impress the creators, and they continued their search for stars.
In Zhytomyr, Konstantin Meladze's brother, Valery, met Nadia Granovskaya. He recommended the actress to the producer. Nadia was approved to participate in the project immediately. Initially, the creators wanted to make a trio, but for now they decided to stop at a duet. This was the beginning of the history of the band's development.
The debut and the first steps to success
In 2000, the premiere of the song "Attempt No. 5" took place. It was played on the radio, occupied the first lines of the charts and today remains the "calling card" of Via Gra. The composition won a number of prestigious awards ("Golden Gramophone", "Stop Hit", etc.). Soon a music video of the same name was shot, which was also awarded with an award. The video became the starting point on the way to fame.
During the first year of its existence, 7 tracks were recorded. And at the end of December, the band gave their first concert in Dnepropetrovsk. It attracted 4,000 spectators. The group actively participated in concerts and awards, starred in the New Year's musical "Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka" with other show business stars. During the same period, another hit song was released, "I'm Not Coming Back." Video clips were shot for it, as well as the songs "Bomb" and "Hug Me".
The following year, the band signed a contract with the British recording studio Sony Music Entertainment. When the band was at the peak of its fame, the first major changes took place in the line-up. Nadezhda Granovskaya found out about her pregnancy, and she had to leave the project. The producers invited Anna Sedokova and Tatiana Ninik. The four girls worked on the song "Stop! Stop! Stop!" Like previous clips, the video made a splash.
Six months later, Granovskaya recovered after the birth of the baby and returned to the team. For a while, the girls worked as a foursome. But soon Ninik left to build a solo career. And the team continued its development in the trio format.
Further activities
In 2003, the first member of the group, Alena Vinnitskaya, decided to leave Via Gru. Her place was taken by Vera Brezhneva, who was not yet known to anyone, who won according to the results of the casting. A new album "Stop! Cut!". It has sold more than 500 thousand copies. The composition "Don't leave me, my love!" helped to gain a foothold on the Olympus of Glory. A clip with the song "Kill my friend" appeared on the screens. Thanks to her, the band became famous abroad, where it became known as Nu Virgos.
The English-language album Stop! was released in Europe. Stop! Stop! The trio went on a tour of eastern countries. The tour was successful and brought the band popularity outside Europe. The fourth "golden" squad was the most productive. They released the album "Biology", recorded the songs "Ocean and three Rivers" and "Gravity is no more" with Valery Meladze, shot videos for them, glorified the band almost all over the continent.
In 2004, Anna Sedokova had to choose: personal life or career. And she decided to leave the project. The producers were urgently looking for a replacement for the soloist. This place went to Svetlana Loboda. Despite her attractiveness and unusual, beautiful voice, the new member was negatively received by fans. The girl worked for about 4 months, after which she left the project. Albina Dzhanabayeva took her place. Together they shot a video for the song "The World I didn't know about before you". But after that, a creative crisis began, which reached its apogee when Granovskaya and Brezhnev announced their desire to leave the project.
Further, the composition was constantly changing. New participants came to the project:
Olga Koryagina;
Eva Bushmina;
Kristina Kotz-Gottlieb;
Meseda Bagaudinova;
Tatiana Kotova.
In 2008, the album "Emancipation" was released with the hit of the same name. She began to gain momentum again, glittered at awards and music charts. Soon, Nadezhda Granovskaya, who was loved by the public, returned to the team, but she did not work for long. In 2011, she left the project again due to pregnancy. For three years, the band was nominated for the anti-Disappointment of the Year award. In 2012, she received it. The producer talked about his intentions to close the project, but it remained afloat. At the time of the celebration of the decade, the project has changed 13 compositions. All the real and ex-participants gathered on the same stage in honor of the anniversary.
The show "I want to go to Via Gru" and the new line-up
In 2013, the project was released on TV screens. He was sent to find new performers. Vera Brezhneva was one of the presenters of the program. And the rest of the ex-participants of the project shared the secrets of performances and success. According to the results of the show, the new soloists of the group became: Anastasia Kozhevnikova, Masha Romanova, Erika Herceg. In this line-up, the band released 1 album and 10 singles. Hits of this period:
The "Truce";
"I have another one."
The band toured Russia, Ukraine, and Europe with concerts. In 2018, Maria Romanova decided to devote herself to her family and left the project. In her place came the little-known singer Olga Meganskaya. The new line-up of the band gave its debut concert in 2018 in Georgia. A few months later, Nastya Kozhevnikova left the project. Her place in Via Gre was taken by singer Ulyana Sinetskaya.
In the catalog of artists on the website kontramarka.de You can follow new events in the band's work, biographies of outstanding personalities and the history of their formation on stage.
Discography:
2001 — "Attempt No. 5"
2003 — "Stop! Cut!"
2003 — «Stop! Stop! Stop!"
2003 — "Biology"
2007 — "L.M.L."
Song collections:
2005 — "Diamonds"
2006 — "MP3 Collection"
2007 — "Kisses"
2008 — "Emancipation"
2008 — "Best Songs"
2014 — "MP3 Music Collection"
2015 — "All the best in one"
