Age: 27
Education: Philology, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
Profession: Singer
Did you know? In her student years, she wanted to become a librarian.
When Khrystyna Soloviy decided to take part in the vocal show The Voice of Ukraine in 2013, she did not want to become a famous singer. What she desired more was Ukrainians to hear the beautiful but mostly unknown folk songs of Lemko, an ethnic group that originated in the Carpathian Mountains.
“I didn’t want to show my vocal skills or artistry — I wanted people to hear Lemko songs,” Soloviy says.
Soloviy did not expect the show to be a turning point in her life. Although she did not win, she suddenly became famous in Ukraine.
Seven years later, her schedule is packed with performances and her music videos have millions of views on YouTube. However, Soloviy had a long journey to reach that level of success.
She was born in Drohobych, a town in Lviv Oblast, into a family of musicians. From early years, Soloviy enjoyed listening to her grandmother singing Ukrainian folk songs. She loved singing herself and quickly memorized new songs.
Music became all the more important for Soloviy when she found out about her Lemko origin. Her predecessors’ songs, melodic yet powerful, magnified the singer and she realized they deserved a bigger audience.
So at the age of 20, Soloviy decided to take a chance at The Voice of Ukraine. Her touching performance moved Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, the frontman of Ukraine’s most successful rock band Okean Elzy and a former lawmaker, who was one of the judges of The Voice. Not only did Vakarchuk become Soloviy’s coach on the show, but also her producer after that.
Vakarchuk helped Soloviy with releasing her debut album “Zhyva Voda” (“Live Water”) in 2015, which was highly praised by local critics. The album included 10 Lemko songs and two of her own songs: “Trymay” (“Hold Me”) and “Synia Pisnia (“The Blue Song”).
“Trymay” is the first song ever written by Soloviy and one of her biggest hits. Its audio version on YouTube now has over 32 million views.
Soloviy’s second album, “Liubyi Druh,” (“Dear Friend”) released in 2018, mostly featured her own songs. Here, the singer also started blending folk with pop and electronic motives.
Soloviy says her third release is on the way.
Although the singer’s life changed drastically since her first appearance on the singing show, one of her principles remained intact. Back then, Soloviy said she would never sing in Russian, which often appears more commercially successful since covers audience in more countries. She remains true to her word.
“My native language is Ukrainian. I think, write and feel in Ukrainian and I don’t see any alternatives for myself,” Soloviy says.
Soloviy was an active supporter of protests during Ukraine’s turbulent 2014. She also supports the animal welfare initiative UAnimals and inspires others to do good.
“Being a singer is a great responsibility for me,” she says.
