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Frida and her ”Vice squad”

About the singer
Frida 2002
Born into a musical family, her parents were soloists of Kiev Theatre of Operetta. Her real name is translated from Latin as “God’s favor”, but all her creative life both artists and friends have known her exclusively as Frida. This being her scenic pseudonym which originated from the English word “freedom”. Frida’s first role as a child was her performing in the adult operetta “Free wind”, it was a small aria. “Pepitta–diabolo – was me at my most!” recalls Frida. Some time after she was a soloist of the Radio and TV chorus, but she admits she was “always prone to dancing”. This is the reason why she graduated very eagerly from a professional choreographic school.

In 1987 she started her career in the Honored Song and Dance ensemble “Donbass”, and was later a member of philharmonic ensemble “Solo”. In 1990 she became a member of the women duet “Lady Style”, created by Vadim Ptashinskii, then after 2,5 years of very intense preparation arrived in Moscow with new concert program. It was a time when talent was the most important factor determining the popularity of the musician, not the artificial financial “promotion”.

In Moscow the collective recorded song “Fellow from Texas”, which Arkadii Ukupnik undertook to produce. Arcadii also recommended Oleg Gusev – the clip-maker from StPetersburg for shooting. It was at this time the girls first displayed their stubbornness, they didn’t want to rely on their attractive appearance: ”We don’t want to be those sexual fools (oh, that men!), which don’t possess anything except of attractive bottoms, long legs and pretty faces, not in the soul, not in the head!” To spite Ukupnik, who was standing for developing “sweet heart” theme, the duet members decided in January of 1993 to name themselves as "Policya Nravov" (“Vice squad”). Bald they were to become. With their new scenic image the group appeared on the scene in April, taking part in the TV competition for young teams in Krasnodar. The presenter asked all of the weak-nerved to leave the hall, all the mammies to take the kids out, as if there were some monsters on the scene. Later on the girls admitted that they had felt themselves behind the curtains not as much better than characters of the V. Hugo novel. But when the music had been heard – it was “Venus” from "Shocking blue" repertoire – and their success exceeded the expectations, the reaction of the public was thunderous and favorable. Strangely as it was, the bald girls who had got the audience applause, did not get into either the first or the second three of the winners. A little later “Vice squad” would say proudly: “We got disco back to the Russia!”

The appearance of the two talented and unique girls could not go unnoticed among musicians - “Vice squad” was invited in June 1993 to take part in the prestigious musical festival “Slavic bazaar” in Vitebsk. After this very appearance the group got the feeling of being really famous at last.

At the festival “Generation 93” the girls again had no luck: they were dismissed out of the second round because of their “highly professional performance”. Meaning that only non-professionals (amateurs) were supposed to be engaged in the competition. Among those, who appeared in the line up were: Leonid Agutin, "Cramp in the foot", "Pep-si", "Bahyt compot", "Two planes", "Lead mist", "Humming-bird" (popular russian musicians). It was enough to make one weep. But then something happened, which effected the image of “Vice squad” drastically: the presenter Roman Poljanski all of a sudden announced the singers as “a lesbian sado-masochistic duet”. The country shuddered and started reaching out for the screen.

“AIDS-Info” magazine: …”Vice squad” are the skinhead revolutionaries of the home variety stage. When they just emerged – two delicate girls with the songs of sado-masochism and teenage sex, the spectators felt somehow ill at ease. Now we have got used to the bald ones…” (Leonid Belaga)

Consisting of Frida +Angel the group worked till 1994, after that Gina replaced Angel. Gina was an old friend of Frida of old time when they started their work together in the philharmonic society.

“Rush hour” magazine (St-Petersburg): ... “You mix them up with nobody else, and it’s such a rare thing! And it’s not the matter of bald spots! They are not just for listening, you have to see them! They are aggressive and they are tender, the way only real women can be. The audience starts smoking because of their energy. Their movements are precise. They are one and indivisible, falling to unimaginable geometrical pieces in order to unite again, transflowing from one shape to another, and it’s not clear are they the bodies or just the air. They fill up all the scene space and they bend the audience to their will. They rouse the admiration and indignation, they are loved and hated…” (Olga Tumasova)

Everything began to whirl: shooting, recording, touring. The places were melting together as something alike to a child’s kaleidoscope.

"Rigas Balls" magazine (Riga): ..."If there is going to be any gossiping about Moscow stars, it will be about “Vice squad”. Bad girls! Provocative! Shocking! Ignoring the canons. But we have to recognize the push they have made to burst into the world of pop music full of intrigues, disgrace and legends. The main thing – they are very talented, capable of working and self-confident. “Vice squad” spent a couple of days in Latvia making two performances. I had to satisfy myself once again of the fact that not every artist who is known by chilling blood rumors is a real monster in everyday life. Yes, scenic image is standing up completely, bravely until it is shameless. But a person is not all the time under the searchlight rays…” (Ilma Dzvirbule)

"Vedomosti Daily" magazine (Kiev): “Vice squad” is the event in the pop music. If you happen to attend the concert you will see that nobody dances. Perhaps a couple of people would like to come out to the fore, but all the rest will be just watching with hanging down jaws. Why? Because, to watch on TV is the one thing, but to see with your own eyes and to feel their energy – a totally different thing…” (Nadezhda Levchenko)

"... Two eccentric girls in red varnished costumes instill terror into senior employees of “Jubileinyi” with their hairdos. And it doesn’t surprise anybody – it was “Vice squad”, Frida and Gina…” (E.Vronskaja, “Kaleidoscope”, St. Petersburg).

“There exists a huge field of our pop music. Moreover, weeds grow there quickly and without any hinderance. Cultivated plants are very rare and should be entered in the “Red Book”. This group doesn’t have in our country either predecessors or followers. They are unique and unequalled…” (Anna Demidova, “Interbusiness” magazine).

All the events of that time couldn’t find room even in the private diary of Frida, which she has been publishing on her web-site for some time: “Some day I will write a book. And I will name it very plainly: “The life of “Vice squad”.

A great deal of what they started doing, nobody was doing: they were the first pop female singers to shave their heads (1993), they were the first to organize a “Safe sex” campaign (January 1993) and they became its continuous propagandists. Frida was the first Russian singer who has taken part in a number of charity programs on preventive measures for AIDS, the BBC Radio and Russian foundation “The names” invited her namely to record a cycle of programs on the subject. She was the first Russian singer, who wasn’t afraid to assist in launching of the first gay clubs in Moscow and to give performances there, and the press there and then numbered her among the sexual minorities. 10 years ago it was a frightful label for a Russian musician. Bur Frida would just smile genially: ”I love people”.

“Vice squad” has to its credit a shooting for a film and for “Penthouse” (1993), participation in the showing of young up and coming fashion designer (1995) as well as many other projects… Presently hardly anyone remembers that it was Frida who began remaking of “maitre” in a new fashion. She even raised her hand against neither more nor less the works of Alla Borisovna herself, namely her song “Don’t promise!” (1994). Obviously though she caught it for being that impudent, but the prima donna so to speak has given her blessing, and in 1997 on the Birthday party of Alla Borisovna to do remakes of Pugacheva’s songs was considered to be very fashionable.

In 1996 Gina left the group, traded the exhausting career of a “star” for the life of an ordinary woman, striving to sacrifice herself to a beloved person, family comfort and peace. Frida still believes that an artist is not entitled to those kind of weaknesses: “She was more, than just a woman. She was the one to be followed, she was an idol. I probably compare her to myself, and it’s not right at all. I saw so many things in my life – love and suffering. But I have firmly realized one thing: I ought to pursue my objective, stopping at nothing. Without a moment’s respite, come what may! I have to fly further on.”

Despite the fact that she was in full swing, the separation with Gina was the most severe blow for her. She was left alone, she had to cancel all performances. Frida then immersed herself in “coaching” – working as a choreography teacher, stage-manager in such groups as reformed “Mirage”, with an young Kazakh singer Rahat, participating in charity actions. But what does it mean such a break in the concert life for a pop artist? The oblivion, to get out of which is sometimes impossible.

But today Frida like the bird Phoenix from the ashes, little by little, step by step, revives the “Vice squad”. Sergei Belous is helping her with it, the producer, who has been by her side already almost for 10 years.

Frida staged an entire programme with the participants of travesty-show “Birds of paradise”: it is hard to believe but all the participants of the programme except of the singer herself were men! The public which visit the fashionable capital night clubs already appreciated the programme of “Vice squad”. “Many of our stars, possessing great vocal and not so great one, feel the rhythm of the life, and understand that today you have to have good vocals, but it is far from enough. People demand shows!” – Frida observes.

And she, as nobody else, is very lavish in her shows: be it life performance or be it MTV-clips, “Girls wanna dancing!” and that namely famous “Shisgara” (“Venus”). The fashion changes, but “Vice squad” is still devoted to sunny, warm, merry “disco”. And it’s not important who listens to the songs of Frida – a man, or a woman, what age they are or which colour of their skin. She is not to “choose” an audience for herself. She is full of spiritual power and emotional energy, which she is happy to share with everybody with the aid of music.

Official website of Frida - http://www.frida.ru

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