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Zi Faámelu

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Zi Faámelu
Зі Фамелу
Zi Faámelu on stage holding a microphone.
Zi in 2011
Background information
Birth nameBorys Kruglov
Born (1990-12-12) December 12, 1990 (age 33)
Chornomorske, Ukraine
GenresPop
OccupationsSinger, songwriter, TV personality
Years active2008–present
LabelsIndependent Artist
Websitehttps://zifaamelu.de/

Zi Faámelu (born; December 12, 1990) is a Ukrainian singer and songwriter. Participant of the programs "Star Factory" (season 2), "Star Factory. Superfinal" and "The Voice of Ukraine" (season 8). Has a vocal range of 4 octaves[citation needed]. In 2014, she came out as transgender on her Instagram page.[1]

Early life

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Faámelu was born and spent her childhood in the town of Chornomorske, Crimea, Ukraine, where she graduated from music school. According to her, she was often beaten in school by her male classmates for acting too feminine.[2]

"Star Factory"

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Singer with bright white hair on a stage wearing black leather jeans, coat and white shirt. Surrounded by 4 dancers wearing silver-grey body suits.
Zi in Chernivtsi as a "Star Warrior"

At the end of September 2008, the TV project "Star Factory 2" was launched in Kyiv. Zi, at the time student of Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, decided to participate. She dyed her hair in a bright white colour, to match an image of "star warrior" and took the stage name "Boris April". During the audition, her performance and outrageous appearance impressed the jury. So seventeen-year-old, at that time, Faámelu became the youngest participant.[3]

During her time as a participant, she was bullied by fellow participants, due to her eccentric appearance.[4]

Zi developed a dedicated fan base. According to the results of the audience vote, at the end of the project, she received a special prize from the "Tele 7" magazine - "For the greatest sympathy of readers." During her time at the project, she had numerous collaborative musical performances, with famous Eastern European pop-music acts, including Ukrainian singer Evgenia Vlasova, winner of 2004 Eurovision Song Contest Ruslana and Romanian europop band "Morandi".[5]

"Star Factory. Superfinal"

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In March 2010, a new television project "Star Factory. Superfinal" has started. During her participation in the "Superfinal", Zi sang six new songs, two of them - in English, as well as Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila", for which she wrote her own text in Russian.[6]

On April 11, 2010, based on the results of voting and evaluations of the jury, Zi Faámelu left the project.[7] Fans of the artist, not wanting to accept the departure of their idol from the project, continued to go to concerts, demanding her return onto the project.[8] Resulting in protests and pickets at the entrance to the Dovzhenko Film Studios, where the show was filmed.[9] As a result of the protests, the organizers of the competition decided to organise an online vote for the return of one of the retired participants to the project, which Faámelu won. Despite this, on April 25, show host Maria Efrosinina announced from the stage that Zi had disappeared and her location was unknown.[10][11]

Group of protesters holding signs.
Protesters demanding the return of Faámelu on "Star Factory. Superfinal"

On May 6, "Talant Group" agency reported that Zi was found in Yalta, and was transferred to the hospital in Kyiv.[12] Faámelu stated that she was extremely exhausted and depressed by the show and the treatment by other participants and organisers.[13][14] While in the hospital, she was diagnosed with anorexia.[15] In the end of the season, Zi returned to participate in the gala celebrating the end of the show.[16]

After the show

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In October 2010, she released her debut album "Incognito".[17]

From May to September 2012, Zi toured with the ballet Persona P in China.[18] The tour was celebrated as a success.[19]

After the return of the singer from China, Zi and journalist and author of numerous novels about Kyiv Lada Luzina launched a joint photo project called "Disappearing Kyiv". A series of photos created to tell about the old houses of Kyiv that are under the threat of collapsing. During the shooting in one of the collapsing buildings during Zi even suffered a serious injury.[20] On November 13, 2012, a photo exhibition was presented at the Museum of History of Kyiv.[21] After the photo exhibition, all photos and some of the personal belongings and lots from Zi Faámelu and Lada Luzina, as well as other famous kyivans were sold at a charity auction to raise funds for the restoration of one of Kyiv's famous historic buildings - The Chocolate House.[22]

In 2018, she participated in the 8th season of "The Voice of Ukraine", where she lost in quarterfinal.

In December 2020, after 8 years without new releases, Zi released two new singles: "Fallen Angel" and "Undiscovered Animal".[23]

Coming out

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On December 12, 2014, on her 24th birthday, Faámelu made a coming-out post, explaining that she was transgender.[24] She also announced that she has a boyfriend and is preparing to release a new album.[25]

Discography

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Year Title Notes
2008 Star Warrior[26] Single and music video
Space, hello![27]
2009 I Need Your Love So Much[28]
2010 We Are White[29]
Incognito Debut full-length album
2011 P.S. Love You Single and music video
2012 Electricity Single
2020 Fallen Angel
Undiscovered Animal[30]

References

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  1. ^ "Финалист "Фабрики звезд-2" Борис Апрель совершил камин-аут как трансгендерная женщина". Гей-альянс Украина (in Russian). 14 December 2014. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  2. ^ "Зіанджа відверто розповіла, що хлопчики її били у школі". liza.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  3. ^ "Продюсер Алексей Гончаренко: "Иногда приходилось даже скрываться от конкурсантов, возомнивших себя... - Газета «ФАКТЫ и комментарии"". 2014-02-22. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  4. ^ "Зіркові драми, Новий канал, 03.08.2010". Archived from the original on 2 March 2011.
  5. ^ "БЛИК - БЛИК". www.blik.ua. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  6. ^ "KP.UA // На Суперфинале "Фабрики" поэкспериментировали над Борисом Апрелем и чуть не сожгли Диму Кадная". 2010-05-23. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  7. ^ "Фабрика звезд суперфинал. Остались без харизматичного Бори Апреля. | ТелеОракул: телевизионный портал". 2010-11-30. Archived from the original on 2010-11-30. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  8. ^ ""Фабрика звезд" тоскует без Бори Апреля - glamurchik.tochka.net". 2013-10-30. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  9. ^ "Бориса Апреля требуют вернуть обратно - glamurchik.tochka.net". 2013-10-30. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  10. ^ "Объявится ли Борис Апрель в "Суперфинале"? - glamurchik.tochka.net". 2013-10-30. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  11. ^ "KP.UA // Исчез певец Борис Апрель". 2010-05-18. Archived from the original on 18 May 2010. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  12. ^ "Борис Апрель нашелся - glamurchik.tochka.net". 2013-10-30. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  13. ^ "Газета "Бульвар Гордона" | Борис Апрель находится на грани суицида". 2010-12-24. Archived from the original on 2010-12-24. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  14. ^ "Борис Апрель разочаровался в Фабрике звезд - glamurchik.tochka.net". 2013-10-30. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  15. ^ "БЛИК - БЛИК". www.blik.ua. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  16. ^ "Борис Апрель сменил имидж и обругал Доманского - Светская хроника и культура | KP.UA". 2010-08-31. Archived from the original on 2010-08-31. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  17. ^ "Борис Апрель: Инкогнито. Лицензионная музыка на CD и DVD дисках в Украине. Купить MP3 аудиодиски по лучшим ценам в Киеве — интернет-магазин Yakaboo". YAKABOO (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-06-10.[permanent dead link]
  18. ^ "Борис Апрель отправился покорять Китай - Светская хроника и культура | KP.UA". 2012-06-26. Archived from the original on 2012-06-26. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  19. ^ "Борис Апрель в Китае: Я их кумир, я их вдохновение - Звезды и знаменитости шоу бизнеса - Новости из жизни звёзд Шоу бизнеса - IVONA - bigmir)net - IVONA - bigmir)net". 2013-10-29. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  20. ^ "Шок! Апрель чуть не умер под старыми руинами :: Женский журнал Life-4you.com". 2013-10-29. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  21. ^ "ФОТОПРОЕКТ ЛАДЫ ЛУЗИНОЙ И БОРИСА АПРЕЛЯ "ИСЧЕЗАЮЩИЙ КИЕВ"". 2013-10-29. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  22. ^ "Борис Апрель отдал "себя" на аукцион ради благотворительности - Гламур - ТСН.ua". 2012-12-13. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  23. ^ zifaamelu (2020-12-11). "Undiscovered Animal". Twitter. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
  24. ^ "Финалист "Фабрики звезд-2" Борис Апрель совершил камин-аут как трансгендерная женщина". Гей-альянс Украина (in Russian). 14 December 2014. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  25. ^ "Борис Апрель сменил пол и встречается с мужчиной (фото)". podrobnosti. 2014-12-13. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
  26. ^ Борис Апрель - Звездный воин (клип), for boris-aprel.at.ua, retrieved 2022-06-10
  27. ^ Борис Апрель - Космос, прием!, retrieved 2022-06-10
  28. ^ Борис Апрель - Мне так нужна твоя любовь, retrieved 2022-06-10
  29. ^ Борис Апрель - Мы белые, retrieved 2022-06-10
  30. ^ Zi Faámelu - Undiscovered Animal (Official Audio), retrieved 2022-06-10
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