Alexandra Telliodora: Russian singer who has achieved success in the UK

Afisha.London magazine continues to talk about talented artists, performers and musicians who deserve attention. The hero of this material is Alexandra Telliodora, a singer from a small Russian town who has achieved success both at home and in the UK.

Alexandra Chernousova, also known by her pseudonym Telliodora, is a singer-songwriter and international artist based in the UK and Russia.

She was born in 1995 in a small Russian city, Komsomolsk-on-Amur into a musical family. She’s played the guitar and written songs in English and Russian since she was a child. Also, she was brought up on such singers as Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Amy Winehouse, and that was considered a rarity among her peers and for the culture of her country.

After moving to Moscow, she went from being a member of a gospel choir and working with Russian famous artists to an independent artist creating her own art.

In 2018, Alexandra participated in the Russian tv-show “The Songs”, where she performed her original songs. After the first performance, the singer received the maximum number of “Yes” from the judges, and her song Nothing Can Help You became the best song of the release according to the voting results. That prompted Alex to start working on her own album.

Follow us on Twitter for news about Russian life and culture

After that tv-show and thanks to good recommendations and extensive experience as a backing vocalist, she got into the official British tribute to “The Pink Floyd Show UK”, and came to the tours to Russia and Europe.

“Alexandra Telliodora is a unique young singer I’ve had the pleasure to work with over the last few years. She has a rich, powerful tone, and her stage presence is elegant, yet electric. I have worked with many backing vocalists and I know exactly what I’m talking about. She has a really great future,” — Durga McBroom, backing vocalist of Pink Floyd.

Working with British musicians and trips to the UK helped Alexandra get to know British culture, conveying the atmosphere in her own songs.

During one of her trips to London Alex met British drummer McNasty, who highly appreciated her music. He recorded an album with her, acting as a music producer, drummer and backing vocalist. It is important to say that McNasty invited the best British musicians who worked with Amy Winehouse, Chaka Khan, Lauryn Hill, Ledisi, George Michael, Emeli Sande, Robert Glasper, Leona Lewis, Jamie Cullum, Phil Collins, Bonnie Tyler, Gloria Gaynor and others.

“I think Telliodora’s voice is very kind of unique, quite husky, jazzy. Her voice is quite croaky, jazzy, very kind of Björk. She also reminds me all the African artists out UK. I think she’s unique because of her Russian slang, Russian vibe on her music and when you listen to her songs, you so much love it, you feel like you’ve never heard it before. So now I feel like she is a new chapter for generations,” — says MckNasty, British drummer and music producer.

After recording the album, they keep working together. Today they still have many plans as a recording new music, videos, shows.

Alexandra has already released a separate composition “My Man,” which has become a bold experiment, significantly different from the singer’s usual hip-hop and neo-soul sound. It is a heartfelt jazz ballad with minimalist instrumental accompaniment. Simple lyrics about love and a harmonious musical structure convey the sensual mood of the song. It has echoes of classic jazz, inspired by the style of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, which was highly appreciated by critics – it was included in rotation on Jazz FM and brought the singer a nomination for the prestigious “All Colors of Jazz” award.

Telliodora has an unusual, recognizable voice and unique, soulful accent which really distinguishes her among performers of similar styles of music. In 2021, Alexandra founded her vocal school where she helps vocalists sing like famous artists and to make their English better as their singing.

Telliodora is a resident of “Kozlov Club” in Russia — the best jazz club in the world in 2019. She also performed at such major venues in Moscow as Crocus City Hall, Vegas City Hall, Olimpiyskiy, VTB Ledoviy Palace, and The Kremlevskiy Concert Hall.

She continues to get inspiration from the UK and write music inspiring others. The album, recorded in London, is going to release this summer. This EP-album will be bright, authentic, and will definitely become a new chapter in the music industry.

Sasha Alexandrova

Publication date: 30 October 2024

Read more:

Vladimir Logutov: an artist rethinking the relationship between art and the viewer

Sackler name will be removed from British Museum galleries, rooms and endowments

Irina Evseenko: an unusual artist who creates her own worlds