Zi Faámelu

Zi Faámelu
Зі Фамелу
Faámelu in 2019
Born (1990-12-12) 12 December 1990
Chornomorske, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Other names
  • Boris April
  • Ziandzha[1]
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • television personality
Years active2008–present
Musical career
GenresPop
InstrumentVocals
LabelIndependent

Zi Faámelu (born 12 December 1990) is a Ukrainian singer and songwriter. She is best known for her participation in the television shows Star Factory, Star Factory. Superfinal, and The Voice of Ukraine, and for her four-octave vocal range.[1] She came out as a transgender woman in 2014.

Early life

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

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]

Faámelu then 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".[4]

Star Factory. Superfinal

In March 2010, a new television project Star Factory. Superfinal has started. During her participation in Superfinal, Faámelu 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.[5]

On 11 April 2010, based on the results of voting and evaluations of the jury, Faámelu left the project.[6] 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.[7] Resulting in protests and pickets at the entrance to the Dovzhenko Film Studios, where the show was filmed.[8] 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 25 April, show host Maria Efrosinina announced from the stage that Faámelu had disappeared and her location was unknown.[9][10]

On 6 May, the agency Talant Group reported that Faámelu was found in Yalta, and was transferred to the hospital in Kyiv.[11] Faámelu stated that she was extremely exhausted and depressed by the show and the treatment by other participants and organisers.[12][13][14] While in the hospital, she was diagnosed with anorexia.[12] At the end of the season, Faámelu returned to participate in the gala celebrating the end of the show.[15]

After the show

In October 2010, Faámelu released her debut album Incognito.[16]

From May to September 2012, Faámelu toured with the ballet Persona P in China.[17] The tour was celebrated as a success.[18]

After Faámelu's return from China, she collaborated with writer Lada Luzina to launch a photo project. Named "Dying Kyiv", it was a series of photos created to tell about the decaying buildings of the city. During the shooting in one of the old buildings, Faámelu suffered a minor injury.[19] On 13 November 2012, a photo exhibition was presented at the Museum of History of Kyiv.[20] After the photo exhibition, all photos and some of the personal belongings and lots from 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.[21]

In 2018, Faámelu participated under the name Ziandzha in the eighth season of The Voice of Ukraine, where she lost in quarterfinal.[1]

In December 2020, after eight years without new releases, Faámelu released two new singles: "Fallen Angel" and "Undiscovered Animal".[22]

Personal life

On 12 December 2014, her 24th birthday, Faámelu made a post coming out as a transgender woman.[23] She also announced that she had a boyfriend and was preparing to release a new album.[24] She has often discussed the transphobia she experienced in Ukraine.[25][26] She stated that her former producer Natalia Mohylevska had put her through conversion therapy, which resulted in her adopting a more masculine appearance for some time,[12] and that she became estranged from her parents.[25] She attempted to legally change her gender marker in 2016 but found the process too "humiliating and demoralising".[25]

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Faámelu fled the country.[27] As her legal documents still listed her as male, she feared being considered a man of fighting age and thus being drafted.[26] According to her, she attempted to flee multiple times but was returned to Ukraine each time until she swam across the border with Romania.[27] She eventually left for Germany, where she lives with a host family in Magdeburg.[28] Her story received international attention.[26] Although she fled the country illegally, she has expressed her love for Ukraine and her hope that it wins the war.[25][26]

Discography

Year Title Notes
2008 Star Warrior[29] Single and music video
Space, hello![30]
2009 I Need Your Love So Much[31]
2010 We Are White[32]
Incognito Debut full-length album
2011 P.S. Love You Single and music video
2012 Electricity Single
2020 Fallen Angel
Undiscovered Animal[33]

References

  1. ^ a b c Ostrova, Anastasia (10 December 2018). "Борис Апрєль: як трансформувався зірковий воїн і чому в підсумку став Зіанджею" [Boris April: how the star warrior transformed and why he eventually became Ziandzha]. Znaj (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  2. ^ "Зіанджа відверто розповіла, що хлопчики її били у школі". liza.ua (in Ukrainian). 15 February 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Продюсер Алексей Гончаренко: "Иногда приходилось даже скрываться от конкурсантов, возомнивших себя... - Газета «ФАКТЫ и комментарии"". 22 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  4. ^ "БЛИК - БЛИК". www.blik.ua. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  5. ^ "KP.UA // На Суперфинале "Фабрики" поэкспериментировали над Борисом Апрелем и чуть не сожгли Диму Кадная". 23 May 2010. Archived from the original on 23 May 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Фабрика звезд суперфинал. Остались без харизматичного Бори Апреля. | ТелеОракул: телевизионный портал". 30 November 2010. Archived from the original on 30 November 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  7. ^ ""Фабрика звезд" тоскует без Бори Апреля - glamurchik.tochka.net". 30 October 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Бориса Апреля требуют вернуть обратно - glamurchik.tochka.net". 30 October 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Объявится ли Борис Апрель в "Суперфинале"? - glamurchik.tochka.net". 30 October 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  10. ^ "KP.UA // Исчез певец Борис Апрель". 18 May 2010. Archived from the original on 18 May 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Борис Апрель нашелся - glamurchik.tochka.net". 30 October 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  12. ^ a b c Sulyma, Valeriya (9 April 2023). "Куди зник Борис Апрєль: зміна статі, гучні скандали з Могилевською та незаконна втеча з України" [Where Boris April disappeared: Gender change, high-profile scandals with Mogilevskaya and illegal escape from Ukraine]. Television News Service (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  13. ^ "Газета "Бульвар Гордона" | Борис Апрель находится на грани суицида". 24 December 2010. Archived from the original on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Борис Апрель разочаровался в Фабрике звезд - glamurchik.tochka.net". 30 October 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Борис Апрель сменил имидж и обругал Доманского - Светская хроника и культура | KP.UA". 31 August 2010. Archived from the original on 31 August 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  16. ^ "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 10 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Борис Апрель отправился покорять Китай - Светская хроника и культура | KP.UA". 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  18. ^ "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". 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Шок! Апрель чуть не умер под старыми руинами :: Женский журнал Life-4you.com". 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  20. ^ "ФОТОПРОЕКТ ЛАДЫ ЛУЗИНОЙ И БОРИСА АПРЕЛЯ "ИСЧЕЗАЮЩИЙ КИЕВ"". 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  21. ^ "Борис Апрель отдал "себя" на аукцион ради благотворительности - Гламур - ТСН.ua". 13 December 2012. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  22. ^ zifaamelu (11 December 2020). "Undiscovered Animal". Twitter. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Финалист "Фабрики звезд-2" Борис Апрель совершил камин-аут как трансгендерная женщина" ["Star Factory-2" finalist Boris April came out as a transgender woman]. Gay Alliance Ukraine (in Russian). 14 December 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  24. ^ "Борис Апрель сменил пол и встречается с мужчиной (фото)" [Boris April changed gender and is dating a man (photos)]. Podrobytsi (in Russian). 13 December 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  25. ^ a b c d Lee, Julia (8 April 2022). "'Danger everywhere': War and transphobia create perfect storm for trans Ukrainians". NBC News. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  26. ^ a b c d Cohen, Li (1 March 2022). ""A war within a war": Transgender woman says transphobia and discriminatory laws keeping her hostage in Kyiv during Russian invasion". CBS News. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  27. ^ a b Conkling, Anna (24 March 2022). "A Dead-Name Passport and 16,500 Followers: How Zi Faámelu Escaped Ukraine". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  28. ^ Studnik, Joane (2 April 2022). "Zi Faámelu: Die Sängerin, die aus Angst vorm Töten vor der Ukraine flüchtete" [Zi Faámelu: The singer who fled Ukraine due to fear of killing people]. Berliner Kurier (in German). Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  29. ^ Борис Апрель - Звездный воин (клип), for boris-aprel.at.ua, 26 December 2008, retrieved 10 June 2022
  30. ^ Борис Апрель - Космос, прием!, June 2009, retrieved 10 June 2022
  31. ^ Борис Апрель - Мне так нужна твоя любовь, 17 December 2009, retrieved 10 June 2022
  32. ^ Борис Апрель - Мы белые, 21 June 2010, retrieved 10 June 2022
  33. ^ Zi Faámelu - Undiscovered Animal (Official Audio), 10 December 2020, retrieved 10 June 2022
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