Celebrity Movie Blog

Who is Tatu?

Tatu, or actually t.A.T.u. is a pop duet formed in Moscow, Russia, in 1999. Ivan Shapovalov was the brainchild behind the group, consisting of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova. t.A.T.u. was the most successful international music act from Russia. Shapovalov admitted in 2003 about the origins of the idea that he “saw that most people look up pornography on the Internet and of those, most are looking for underage sex. I saw their needs weren't fulfilled. Later, it turned out, I was right. This is the same as my own desires. I prefer underage girls.” So he and his business partner arranged for auditions for teenage female vocalists. They initially only chose one girl – Lena Katina at just fifteen years old, but eventually added fourteen year old Yulia Volkova to the line up. The band’s name (very) roughly translates into “This One, That One”, although the group themselves say it means “This One Loves That One.” The complicated use of capitals and lowercase stemmed from a band in Australia already using the name Tatu. Their first film clip showed the girls kissing, and their young age created a storm of controversy. They were under a tight contract, however, and were ordered not to sign autographs, only give brief answers to the press, and not to speak about their personal lives in any way. They have since released seven albums and have another on the way.