Vitas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vitas
Vitas in 2002
Background information
Native name	Витас
Birth name	Vitaly Vladasovich Grachev
Also known as	Vitalik Vitas
Born	(1979-02-19) 19 February 1979 (age 46) Daugavpils, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union
Origin	Odesa, Ukraine
Genres	Operatic pop orchestral pop techno pop dance-pop folk-pop synth-pop electroclash alternative rock
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	2000–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
Associated acts	D.I.V.A. (Д.И.В.А.) Aleksandra Pakhmutova Alexander Alexandrovich Morozov (artist) Lyubasha Nappy Roots

Vitaliy Vladasovich Grachev, known professionally as Vitas, is a talented singer from Russia and Ukraine. He is famous for his amazing falsetto voice, which means he can sing very high notes. Vitas also has a unique musical style that mixes different types of music, like opera, pop, dance, and folk.

Vitas became very popular in Russia and other Eastern European countries in the early 2000s. He also gained a lot of fans in Asia, especially in China, starting in 2005. He has won awards and performed at many music festivals. He even sang duets with famous artists like Demis Roussos and Lucio Dalla.

Many people outside of Russia and Asia discovered Vitas in the 2010s. His songs "Opera #2" and "The 7th Element" became "viral hits," meaning their music videos were shared widely online. These videos were quite unusual and helped him become known around the world.

Vitas has worked with big music companies like Universal Music Group. He has also toured and performed concerts in many different countries. He even designs his own stage costumes and performs with his backing band called DIVA.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Vitaliy Vladasovich Grachev was born on February 19, 1979, in Daugavpils, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He later moved with his parents to Odesa, Ukraine, where he grew up. Vitas has Russian, Lithuanian, and Jewish family roots.

His grandfather, Arkadiy Marantzman, who sang in an army choir, taught Vitas to play the accordion when he was just five years old. Vitas showed a strong interest in music from a young age. He once said that he had written at least 1,000 songs by the time he was 12! He also went to an art school in Odesa starting at age seven and performed in plays as a teenager. His teachers at the art school thought he was a very special talent.

Vitas chose his stage name because "Vitaliy Grachev" felt too long. When he was 21, Vitas and his girlfriend, Svetlana, moved to Moscow to pursue his music career. They faced tough times before Vitas became famous.

Music Career Highlights

Vitas' signature

Vitas started his career performing in nightclubs after not getting into a music college. He would sing, dance, do comedy, and even magic tricks. He also worked as an actor in an experimental theater.

Breakthrough in Russia

In 1999, a TV station in Odesa made a music video for his song "Opera #1." Later, a Russian producer discovered Vitas and encouraged him to move to Moscow. In Moscow, Vitas worked on his first music for a wider audience.

His music video for "Opera #2" came out in December 2000 and quickly became very popular. In the video, Vitas played a unique character who lived in a bathtub with fish. This video helped him gain a lot of attention.

In 2001, Vitas had his first solo concert show called "Opera #..." in Moscow. This show was a preview for his "Philosophy of Miracle" tour, which traveled to many cities. In March 2002, Vitas even toured in the United States.

A famous Italian composer, Lucio Dalla, invited Vitas to sing his song "Caruso" together in Moscow in 2002. Mr. Dalla was so impressed that he invited Vitas to Rome to work on a modern opera.

Vitas released two albums, "Mama" and "The Songs of My Mother," in honor of his mother who passed away in 2001. "The Songs of My Mother" featured classic Soviet songs that his mother loved. During this time, Vitas became friends with the famous composer Alexandra Pakhmutova and appeared in her music video.

From 2004 to 2006, Vitas continued his "The Songs of My Mother" tour in Russia, the United States, Germany, and other countries. Besides singing, Vitas also acted in a TV show and a comedy film.

Success in Asia and Beyond

In June 2006, Vitas was invited to perform in Beijing, China, for a big event called The Year of Russia in China. He sang "The Star" and "Opera #2," which marked the start of his huge popularity in China.

His "Return Home" tour began in 2006. This tour had a more traditional feel compared to his earlier shows. A concert from this tour in Saint Petersburg was later released on DVD.

In 2007, Vitas signed with an American music label, Gemini Sun Records. They released a collection of his songs and music videos. In 2008, he also released a long, instrumental song called "Light of A New Day," which was available for free download.

The "Sleepless Night" tour included concerts in China and featured more elaborate performances. Vitas also performed a benefit concert in China in 2009 to remember the victims of an earthquake. He released a song called "Mommy and Son" for them.

Vitas also acted in Chinese films. He played the role of Gude in the movie Mulan (2009) and recorded music for its soundtrack. In 2011, he played a historical figure in the Chinese film The Founding of a Party and starred in a musical called A Night to Be a Star.

In 2012, Vitas appeared on Russian talk shows, sharing more about his life and career after being private for many years.

Recent Years: Bit Bombit

Vitas in 2015.

In 2019, Vitas released his fifteenth album, Bit Bombit. He celebrated his 20th anniversary as an artist with a new concert tour in April 2019. He also collaborated with Australian DJ Timmy Trumpet on a song called "The King" and performed with him at the Tomorrowland festival.

In August 2020, Vitas released his 20th-anniversary EP, OPERA20, in China. This album included songs in English, Russian, and Chinese, and a collaboration with Chinese singer Elvis Wang.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Vitas has mostly performed in Russia. As of July 2025, he has focused more on his family and performs less publicly.

Personal Life

Vitas is a citizen of both Ukraine and Russia. He married his longtime girlfriend, Svetlana Grankovska, in 2006. They have three children: a daughter named Alla (born 2008), a son named Maksim (born 2015), and another daughter named Alisa (born 2021).

For many years, Vitas was very private and rarely gave interviews. However, in the early 2010s, he started to share more about his life, appearing on TV shows and introducing his wife and daughter to the public for the first time.

Backing Band

Vitas performs with a backing band called DIVA.

Current Members

• Aleksandr Gruzdev – guitar, saxophone, backing vocals (2001–present)
• Maxim Musatov – keyboards, backing vocals (2019–present)
• Aleksandr Illin – bass guitar, backing vocals (2016–present)
• Yaroslav Andreev – drums (2012–present)

Former Members

• [unknown] – guitar, backing vocals (2014–2015)
• Vasiliy Musatov – keyboards (2004–2019)
• Ilya "G.IL.V" Grebenyuk – keyboards (2001–2003)
• Aleksey Rostov – keyboards (2003)
• Andrey Artemov – bass guitar, backing vocals (2007–2015)
• Rashit Kyamov – bass guitar, backing vocals (2001–2007, 2015–2016)
• Rushan Harryasov – drums (2001–2012)

Discography

Studio Albums

DVDs

Singles and EPs

Videos

Concert Programs

Filmography

Film

Awards and Achievements

See also

In Spanish: Vitas para niños

• Russian pop music