Kvitka Tsysyk / illustration by Bakhmut IN.UA
Kvitka Tsysyk is a famous American singer of Ukrainian origin, who conquered many with her rare voice and a large number of songs and jingles for commercials. Today, April 4, she would have turned 65 years old.
The editors of Bakhmut IN.UA prepared 10 facts about her unusual life for the birthday of the famous Ukrainian singer.
Biography of Kvitka Tsysyk
Kvitoslava Tsisyk was born in 1953 in New York. Her family emigrated to the USA after the end of the Second World War, because they were fleeing from the persecution of the Soviet authorities due to the status of the intelligentsia, which did not fit into the concept of the USSR.
Since childhood, the girl was interested in music, especially that which was popular among Ukrainians. In addition, she engaged in academic vocals and learned to play the violin and piano
The Tsysyk family / photo from open sources
Kvitka Tsysyk and her family found themselves in a difficult situation after the death of their father. The future singer even had to leave her studies and perform in nightclubs. Subsequently, she had to work as a backing vocalist in recording studios and participate in work on film soundtracks.
In the early 1980s, Tsysyk was considered one of the most expensive performers of advertising jingles and songs in the United States. Its services were used by large corporations, including:
- Ford Motors;
- АBC;
- NBC;
- CBS;
- Chevrolet;
- Cadillac;
- Toyota;
- Burger King;
- McDonald’s;
- American Airlines;
- Delta Air Lines;
- Coca Cola;
- Pepsi-Cola.
Around the same time, the singer prepared and released two records with professional recordings of Ukrainian songs: “Flower” (1980) and “Two Colors” (1989).
Speech by Kvitka Tsysyk / photo from open sources
Kvitka died in 1998, five days short of her 45th birthday, from breast cancer. In Ukraine, streets in Lviv and Puscha Vodytsa, near Kyiv, were named in her honor.
Fact 1. Sisters Tsysyk
Kvitka Tsysyk with her sister Maria / photo from open sources
In the Tsysyk family, Kvitoslava’s older sister named Maria was also musically gifted. She became a famous pianist in the USA, as well as the director of the conservatory in San Francisco – it is one of the best institutions of higher musical education in the world.
Fact 2. Features of the voice
During her lifetime, Kvitka Tsysyk had a rare timbre of voice – a coloratura soprano, which is considered the highest possible female voice. This allowed the singer to be quite successful both in performing songs of popular genres, such as pop or jazz, and in opera singing.
She also possessed the technique of singing, which is common in Carpathian villages – “white voice”.
Fact 3. Queen of advertising
The voice of Kvitka Tsysyk could be heard in many advertising companies of American corporations. However, cooperation with Ford Motors is considered the most recognizable. For example, the musical jingle “Have you driven a Ford lately”, according to the estimates of representatives of the automobile company in 1989, was listened to by more than 20 billion people. In other words, every inhabitant of the planet at that time had to hear the voice of Kvitka Tsysyk more than four times.
Fact 4. Backing vocals
During her career, Kvitka Tsysyk worked with many famous American stars. For example, she sang backing vocals at the concerts of Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, and also participated in the recording of albums for Michael Bolton, Lind Ronstad and Robert Fleck.
Fact 5. “Oscar” and “Grammy” nomination
In 1978, Kvitka Tsysyk performed the song “You Light Up My Life” for the film, which won many awards, including the Oscar and the Golden Globe. She was also nominated for a Grammy in the Song of the Year category.
Note that the singer’s name was cut from the film’s credits. This is due to the fact that she had a conflict with the director of the film, Joseph Brooks.
Fact 6. Recognition of Ukrainian music
Kvitka Tsysyk recorded two Ukrainian-language albums at her own expense: “Kvitka” in 1980, and “Two Colors” in 1989. She was helped by her sister Maria and mother
In 1990, both collections were nominated for the “Grammy” award in the “contemporary folk” category.
Fact 7. Smuggling of songs
Unfortunately, the artist’s albums were not officially sold in Ukraine in the 90s. They were mostly smuggled into the country. People who received records re-recorded Kvitka Tsysyk’s songs and passed them to each other.
Fact 8. Kvitka Tsysyk and Ukraine
Kvitka Tsysyk visited Ukraine only once — in 1983, when she and her mother came to Lviv. As the singer’s niece Marta Tsysyk later said, this trip was not publicized and was almost a secret for everyone except the closest relatives.
After learning about Ukraine’s independence, the singer planned to come with a concert. However, this idea was never realized due to cancer.
Fact 9. Kvitka Tsysyk’s preferences
Kvitka Tsysyk on a horse / photo from open sources
The flower adored all flowers, but she loved simple field poppies and daisies the most. On one of her discs, she is even photographed with a bouquet of red poppies. Another great hobby of the singer was horses, with which she liked to spend time.
Fact. 10 Family life
Kvitka Tsysyk, Edvard Rakovich and their son Edvard-Volodymyr / photo from open sources
The singer was married twice during her life. Her first husband, Jack Kortner, is a famous jazz musician and one of the most famous musical theater composers. Her second husband was Edward Rakovich, a well-known sound engineer, founder and president of Clinton Recording Studios in New York, where Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett and others recorded. In her second marriage, in 1990, Kvitka had a son, Edward Volodymyr Rakovich, who became an academic pianist.
Read also:
Bakhmut lives here – subscribe to ours Telegram and Instagram!
