ARTIST INFORMATION

Гран-при (GrandPrix) is a group (dance music studio) from Veliky Novgorod. The soloist of the group, Irina Minina (AKA Шмель or Akita-ino), has been singing professionally since age 17. She graduated from the Gnessin School of Music with a degree in jazz vocals. The second member - Novgorod musician, composer-arranger and poet - is Vladimir Kopysov (ex-'Календарь'). Sadly, he died in a car accident in 2007.

After GrandPrix split, Minina worked with the group Liga Blues, where she took part in blues festivals: 'Блюз в России', 'Perita Blues' in Latvia and others. In 1992 fate brought her to Cologne, where she began a joint project with jazz pianist Valeri Kyulem. Since 1994, she is the soloist of the group 'MD@C PAVLOV'. The group took part in a competition for young performers called 'Поколение-94', where they received the grand prize 'Золотую грушу'. In 1995, she was involved with the group 'КРОССРОУДЗ', back-vocal. Performances in nightclubs, tours, studio work. They went on tour with Vladimir Presnyakov, back-vocal.

1997 - recording solo album 'Пляшет луна в Сантъяго', with participation of the group 'Моральный кодекс'. Producer - Andrei Zuyev.
1999 - cooperation with Arthur Pilyavny, work on the solo project 'ШМЕЛЬ'. Soloist of the group 'X-EllE'. Wrote album in the style ethno-trip-hop. Producer - Alexander Tolmatsky.
2000-2003 - active participation in hip-hop projects, in cooperation with Vlad Valov.
2003 - TETRIS - participation in album recording. Video shot for song 'Last drop'
2005 - recorded album 'Людям о людях' with the group 'Игра слов'. Known hit - 'Алина Кабалева'
2006 - recorded solo album in studio '100про'. Producer - Vlad Valov. Change in stage name from 'Шмель' to the new 'Akita-ino'.