Ruffus
Encyclopedia
Ruffus was a britpop
band from Estonia
that was originally known as Claire's Birthday. They represented their country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003
.
of Eurovision Song Contest
and won it with the song "Eighties Coming Back
".
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
band from Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
that was originally known as Claire's Birthday. They represented their country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
.
Members
- Vaiko EplikVaiko EplikVaiko Eplik is an independent Estonian pop-composer, producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist.Vaiko Eplik was born into a music-loving family. Vaiko studied music at the Tallinn Music School, specialising in pop-jazz singing and also studied the guitar, which he now teaches...
(vocals) was born in 1981 in RaplaRaplaRapla is a town in central Estonia, the administrative centre of Rapla County and Rapla Parish. It has a population of 5,618 .-External links:*...
, into a music-loving family (as most of the band) of collective farm workers. Eplik studied music at the Tallinn Music School, specialising in pop-jazz singing and also studied the guitar, which he now teaches.
- Jaan PehkJaan PehkJaan Pehk is an Estonian writer, singer and guitarist.Pehk is a member of the Young Authors' Association in Tartu and the Estonian Writers' Union.-Collaborations:Claire's Birthday...
(guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) was born in 1975 in TüriTüriTüri is a town in Järva County, Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Türi Parish. Since 2000, Türi is known as the "spring capital" of Estonia.- History :*1347 Türi first mentioned in historical records by the name of Turgel...
. He has a degree in environmental protectionEnvironmental protectionEnvironmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
. He studied pop-jazz singing at the Tallinn Music School and is now an active poetPoetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
in the literary group Tartu Young Poets' Club (NAK).
- Ivo Etti (bass) was born in 1979 in Väike-Maarja. He studied at the Children's Music School in Rakvere and graduated from the Tallinn Music School, where he specialised in playing the clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
. He is also the brother of former Estonian Eurovision representative, InesInesInes is a variation of the name Agnes.Ines may also refer to:* Inès, French variation of the name* Saint Ines * Inés Sainz Ines is a variation of the name Agnes.Ines may also refer to:* Inès, French variation of the name* Saint Ines (c. 291 – c. 304)* Inés Sainz Ines is a variation of the name...
.
- Margus Tohver (drums) was born in 1971 in TallinnTallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. During the 1980s he played in the first Estonian thrash metalThrash metalThrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Palat.
- Siim Mäesalu (keyboards) was born in KohilaKohila ParishKohila Parish is the northernmost municipality of Rapla County, Estonia. It has a population of 5,925 and an area of 230.20 km².-Settlements:Borough:KohilaSmall boroughs:Hageri - PrillimäeVillages:...
in 1984. While he has been a keen music student, he has also studied other subjects. He graduated from the Tallinn Secondary School of Music and is currently studying electronic music at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.
History
Vaiko Eplik formed the band Claire’s Birthday in 1997. It became a national pop sensation, releasing three albums and winning Estonian Music awards. As a joke in 2003, the band entered the Estonian selectionEurolaul
Eurolaul was an annual televised competition to select a song to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest made by the Estonian Public Television Service ETV. For many years the competition differed from the national selections of most other countries in that the outcome was solely...
of Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
and won it with the song "Eighties Coming Back
Eighties Coming Back
"Eighties Coming Back" was the Estonian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, performed in English by Ruffus.The song was performed twenty-third on the night...
".