Dima Bilan

Dima Bilan

Díma Bilán (Template:Lang-ru, IPA: [ˈdʲimə bʲɪˈlan]; born Ви́ктор Никола́евич Бела́н, Víktor Nikoláevich Bilán, 24 December 1981 in Ust-Dzheguta, Karachay-Cherkessia) is a Russian pop artist. Bilan represented Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with "Never Let You Go", finishing second, and he won the contest in 2008, with the song "Believe". He has had several Russian no. 1 hits.

Biography

Early life

When he was only two years old, his family moved to his grandmother’s place in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny in Tatarstan. When he was six years old, his family moved to Kabardino-Balkaria where he went to school with his sister. He took part in morning performances, recited poems and sang songs.

He graduated from Gnesins Musical College as a classical vocal performer. Bilan made his debut when he reached fourth place at the Russian/Latvian festival "New Wave" in 2002. In 2003, Bilan released his debut album titled Nochnoy Huligan (Night Hooligan), which included three cover versions of foreign hits. In 2004, the reissue of the album came out including 20 songs in Russian, 16 of the original + four new tracks: Бессердечная (Heartless), В последний раз (The last time), Остановите музыку (Stop the music), Тёмная ночь (Dark Night). Also in 2004 he released his successful single "Na beregu neba" ("At The Sky's Shore") which was also the title of his second album.

2005 - 2006

Produced by the late Yury Aizenshpis, a Russian music mogul famous for his work with Viktor Tsoi in the Soviet Union, Bilan attempted to reach Eurovision previously with the song "Not That Simple" in 2005, finishing in second place at the Russian national selection. The video for the Russian version of the song was reputably the most expensive in the history of Russia's music industry. In December 2005, Bilan received two golden gramophones for the song "Ty dolzjna ryadom byt'" (The Russian version of "Not That Simple", actually meaning "You should be beside me") in Saint Petersburg and Almaty. During shootings of "Noviye pyesny o glavnom" ("New songs about the main things") he received the grand prize of the First channel from the professional jury. Bilan became Showbusiness Man of the Year because the most voters gave their voices for him according to the version of Rambler. At the end of a year he accepted an invitation from an American agency to record tracks for the musical Peter Pan. On 14 March 2006, Bilan took part in "Zolotaya sharmanka" ("Golden street organ") of "International Music Awards" in Kiev where he was honored as "Singer of the Year".

In the middle of March 2006, Bilan was chosen internally by the Russian broadcaster Channel One to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest, that year in Athens, Greece. Out of 37 participating countries, Bilan took second place with the dark pop song "Never Let You Go", equalling one of Russia's best ever showing at Eurovision — Alsou's "Solo" was runner-up back in the 2000 contest.

Bilan scored 248 points — 44 behind winning song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" by Finland's Lordi — and received the maximum 12 points from a total of seven countries: Armenia, Belarus, Finland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine. The only countries to not award Bilan any points were Monaco and Switzerland.

Bilan's stage performance included two dancing ballerinas and a white piano covered in red rose petals, from which a ghost-like female figure emerged halfway through the song. Bilan wore a white vest with the number representing his place in the contest's running order — 13 and 10 in the semi-final and final respectively. Due to Russia's poor result the previous year, Bilan had to qualify for the final at the semi-final on 18 May. He qualified in the top ten there (finishing third with 217 points) and moved to the final.

In July 2006 Bilan was one of the four artists who took part in the biggest musical event in Russia of 2006 - "The Red Summer" show in Red Square in Moscow, where he performed on stage with Shakira, The Black Eyed Peas and t.A.T.u.

In September 2006, for second year in a row, Dima Bilan won Artist of the Year and Song of the Year at MTV Russian Music Awards. On 2 November Bilan represented Russia at MTV EMA in Copenhagen.

On 15 November 2006 Bilan received award for Best Selling Russian Artist and performed at the World Music Awards in London along with Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Nelly Furtado and Bob Sinclair. His performance of Eurovision single Never Let You Go at WMAs was broadcast on Channel 4 in UK and 130 more countries, including United States.

2007 - 2008

In February 2007 Bilan started to record his first international album in English in Los Angeles, Miami and in Philadelphia in collaboration with producer Jim Beanz and Ryan Tedder. One of the new tracks will be a duet with one of Timbaland's most successful artists, Nelly Furtado.

Also in 2007 he premiered his first single from new album — Number One Fan. According to Russian and Eastern Europe radio airplay chart, Number One Fan topped the charts for 8 weeks. Video for this song was shot in London by famous British director Trudy Bellinger, who has also made videos for acts including Girls Aloud, Sugababes and Sophie Ellis Bextor).

On 4 October, Bilan premiered his second single from the forthcoming album, Amnesia, at the MTV Russia Music Awards 2007. During this show, Bilan won three most prestigious awards for Best Performer, Best Song and — for the third consecutive year — Best Artist.

Dima Bilan performing at the Eurovision Song Contest final in Belgrade, 2008. He is accompanied by Edvin Marton (left) and Evgeni Plushenko (right).

In 2008, Bilan is planning to release three albums — in Russian, English and Spanish. He is also planning to release an English album in 81 countries in co-operation with Interscope Records (Universal Group). He is working on his English album, with some tracks produced by Jim Beanz and Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic). Also his new Spanish album will include a duet with Nelly Furtado.

On 20 February, Bilan went to Miami and recorded a few tracks for his Spanish album with famous producer Rudy Perez. The Spanish album will include a duet with Nelly Furtado and a Spanish version of his first international single "Number One Fan"

In 2008, Bilan once again represented Russia in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Believe", accompanied by Hungarian violinist Edvin Marton and Russian olympic and three-time world champion figure skater Evgeni Plushenko. On 24 May 2008, Bilan won first place in the contest, receiving 272 points and seven twelves. His victory's integrity was questioned by Ukraine's officials later in May.

With this victory, he became the fourth artist in the history of the contest to reach both the positions of winner and runner-up (After Gigliola Cinquetti, Linda Martin and Elisabeth Andreassen) and the first male performer to do so.

In 2008, Bilan won two awards from Muz TV: "Best male artist" and "Best ringtone" for the song "Nevozmozhnoe vozmozno". Dima also won the Best Russian Act award at MTV Europe Music Awards.

Also in 2008, Bilan finally changed his official name to Dima Bilan. Although Dima is a diminutive from Dmitry, he preferred the former, diminutive form, "Dima", as official. The name change followed Bilan's conflict with his producer Yuri Aisenshpitz's heirs, who claimed the rights on this stage name. Making it his official name would help to avoid any claimants.

Bilan performed his 2008 Eurovision-winning song "Believe" in the interval act at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Limassol, Cyprus.

2009 - 2010

During 2009 Bilan has continued with concerts and he also performed during the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, before leaving over the title of former Eurovision Song Contest winner to Alexander Rybak of Norway.

In 2010 Dima has recorded a demo version of the song "White Nights", which would be competing in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, but he hasn't entered in the contest saying that it would be too soon to return to the contest after just 2 years after his win at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.

Dima Bilan and Anastacia

On May 25 Anastacia recorded a duet with Dima Bilan in Los Angeles which was released in Russia first and later in the rest of Europe. They've presented the song "Safety" for the first time during the Muz-TV Music Awards show on June 11 in Moscow, Anastacia has also perform a song alone.

Awards

• 2006 - Honoured Artist of Kabardino-Balkaria
• 2007 - Honored Artist of Chechnya
• 2007 - Honoured Artist of Ingushetia
• 2008 - People's Artist of Kabardino-Balkaria

MTV Russia Music Awards

Dima Bilan record for most awards RMA - 10.

• 2005 - "Best Performer" and "Best Artist"
• 2006 - «Best Song» ( «Never Let You Go» ), «The Best Artist»
• 2007 - "Best Song", "Best Song" ("Невозможное возможно"), "Best Artist"
• 2008 - "Best Video", "Best Singer", "The Pop Project"

MTV Europe Music Awards

• 2005 - «Best Russian Act»
• 2006 - «Best Russian Act»
• 2007 - «Best Russian Act»
• 2008 - «Best Russian Act» entered into the category "Top5 Favorit Europe"
• 2009 - «Best Russian Act» hit the Top5 "Best European Actor"
• 2010 - «Best Russian Act» hit the Top5 "Best European Actor"

Muz-TV Award

• 2007 - "Song of the Year", "Album of the Year", "Best Performer".
• 2008 - "Best Ringtone", "Best Performer".
• 2009 - "Best Video", "Best Song".
• 2010 - "Best Performer".

Golden gramophone

Dima Bilan has repeatedly won the honored music award "Golden Gramophone".

• 2005 - for the song "На берегу неба"
• 2006 год — «Так устроен этот мир»
• 2007 год — «Невозможное возможно»
• 2008 год — «Все в твоих руках»

ZD Awards

Bilan repeatedly became the laureate of "Soundtrack" in various categories:

• For 2003 - «Top Sexy» (Sexiest Artist)
• In 2004 - "Singer of the Year"
• For 2007 - Soloist of the Year and Album of the Year (for the album "Время река")
• In 2008 - "Soloist of the Year"
• In 2009 - Singer of the Year and Album of the Year (for the album Believe)

Eurovision Song Contest

• 2nd place Eurovision 2006 (Athens)
• 1st place Eurovision 2008 (Belgrade)

Dima Bilan, Russia's first artist win Eurovision Song Contest

World Music Awards

• Best Selling Russian Artist 2006

Glamour

Dima Bilan was voted Man of the year the magazine «Glamour» in 2006 and 2009.

Discography

Albums

• 2003 — Я ночной хулиган (I'm a Night Hooligan)
• 2004 — На берегу неба (At The Sky's Shore)
• 2006 — Время-река (Time-River)
• 2008 — Против правил (Against the Rules)
• 2009 — Believe
• 2010 — 50/50

Singles

• 2003 — Ты, только ты (You, only)
• 2005 — Я тебя помню (I remember you)
• 2005 — Ты должна рядом быть (You must be close to me)
• 2005 — Not That Simple (english version of "Ты должна рядом быть")
• 2005 — Never Let You Go (english version of "Так устроен этот мир")
• 2006 — Это была любовь (That's was love)
• 2008 — Believe (english version of "Всё в твоих руках")
• 2008 — Lonely (english version of "Тоска")
• 2009 — Dancing Lady (english version of "Со мною")
• 2009 — Lady
• 2009 — Это модно (This is fashionable)
• 2009 — Changes (english version of "Больно")
• 2010 — По парам (On the pairs)
• 2010 — Safety (ft. Anastacia)
• 2010 — Я просто люблю тебя (I just love you)

Clips

2000

• «Осень» — Osen (Autumn)

2002

• «Бум» — Bum (Boom)
• «Я ночной хулиган» — Ya nochnoy huligan (I'm a night hooligan)

2003

• «Ты, только ты» — Ty, tolko ty (You, only you)
• «Я ошибся, я попал» — Ya oshibsya, ya popal (I’ve made mistake, I’ve swallowed the bait)
• «Я так люблю тебя» — Ya tak lyublyu tebya (I love you so much)

2004

• «Мулатка» — Mulatka (Mulatto girl)
• «На берегу неба» — Na beregu neba (Between the sky and heaven)
• «Поздравляю!» — Pozdravlyayu! (Congratulations!)

2005

• «Ты должна рядом быть» — Ty dolzhna ryadom byt (You must be close to me)
• «Not that simple»
• «Как хотел я» — Kak hotel ya (How i wanted)
• «Take me with you»
• «Я тебя помню» — Ya tebya pomnyu (I remember you)

2006

• «Это была любовь» — Eto byla lyubov (It was love)
• «Never let you go»
• «Невозможное возможно» — Nevozmozhnoe vozmozhno (Impossible is possible)
• «Lady flame»

2007

• «Время-река» — Vremya-reka (Time-river)
• «See what I see»
• «Number one fan»
• «Я твой номер один» — Ya tvoy nomer odin (I'm your number one)
• «Горе-зима» — Gore-zima (Grief-winter)

2008

• «Believe»
• «Lonely»

2009

• «Dancing lady»
• «Lady»
• «Changes»

2010

• «По парам» — Po param (In the pairs)
• «Safety» (совместно с Anastacia)
• «Я просто люблю тебя» — Ya prosto lyublyu tebya (I just love you)

Filmography

Dima Bilan starred in several Russian films and serials

• 2005 - Not Born Beautiful (cameo)
• 2006 - Club (cameo)
• 2006 - The Adventures of Pinocchio (Duremar)
• 2007 - Star break (Fortiano)
• 2007 - Kingdom of Crooked Mirrors (Gurd)
• 2008 - Goldfish
• 2009 - Pinocchio (visiting singer)

External links

• Official website
• Dima Bilan Video's and Live performances
• Dima Bilan @ MTV Russia: IDOLS
• The official Dima Bilan Polish Fan Website
• Dima Bilan: Friends Club in Kazakhstan