Female Vocalist: Slava Popova

1. Let's start with a quick introduction of the band.

There are 5 members in the band. We have Bill on the guitars, Anna on keyboards, Yuri on drums, myself--Slava, doing vocals, and at the moment we are searching for a permanent bass player to stay with us full time. More details on each member are available on our website: www.Operatika.com >

2. So Operatika is comprised of members from Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S., how did you all meet?

Well, regardless of where we are all from originally, those of us who are not originally from here have been in the U.S. for a long time--at least 10 to 12 years. We met at different times and different circumstances, but all of it had to do with the kind of music we all enjoy--metal. Our drummer Yuri and I knew each other for a long time before we met Bill & Anna. We wanted to start a power metal band and were searching for other musicians who would be interested to take part in this project. Through a mutual friend we heard of Bill and his skillful guitar playing. We got together with him and shortly after that all three of us decided to see what we could accomplish together. Some time after that we met Anna through some other mutual friends and that's how the 4 of us met and stayed together.

3. So you have been involved with music since you were five. Are you involved with any other musical projects besides Operatika?

The only other projects I am currently involved in are my voice lessons and singing in an a cappella chamber choir when I have the time. I really enjoy being able to use my voice in many different ways. I also strongly believe in continuous training and strengthening of my voice. In terms of band projects though, Operatika is definitely what I am committed to the most and is a priority.

4. For new listeners of the band how would you describe the sound?

The sound is really difficult to describe in words--it's best to hear it! But I think the easiest way to describe it--is to say it's a mix of fast-paced melodic power metal with operatic female vocals.

5. In September Operatika played with Kamelot and Epica, how did those shows go?

The shows we played with Kamelot and Epica went really well. We were very excited to play one of those shows at one of the biggest and well-known New York City venues--The BB King Club. We were very well received by the crowd and had a great time while performing. In fact, just days after those shows, we were invited back to the BB King Club to open for Stratovarius, which was another great show to play.

6. So being a highly trained vocalist, how does it feel to be in a metal band?

Well, "highly trained" is not exactly how I would describe my voice. In fact, despite being involved in music pretty much all of my life and continuing lessons on as much of a regular basis as my schedule allowed, I still had to learn a lot on my own but that helped me to develop my personal singing style. It feels great to be in a metal band because not only do I really enjoy the music, I also really enjoy using my voice in many different ways and combining different singing styles.

7. Are you in general a fan of metal music?

Of course!

8. Is Operatika building a fanbase back in the Ukraine?

We try to present our music to the rest of the world as much as possible but without any specific priorities on some countries over the others. To answer your question, I would say we are focused on building a world-wide fan base and of course hopefully that includes Ukraine, as much as other countries.

9. Have you toured at all in Europe?

No, we haven't toured Europe yet. That is something we would like to do in the near future.

10. Is there something you would like to incorporate into Operatika's music that you haven't yet tried?

I don't think so, at least at the moment. I am very happy with our sound and overall arrangement. Of course, there are always new things to try and explore, yet considering we have already found our style and individual sound, we probably won't be introducing any drastic changes to our music, at least for now.

11. What do you enjoy most about being in this band?

Everything! I enjoy the bond that we have formed as musicians and friends; I enjoy the fact that we are all very focused on our music and on producing quality over quantity. So while stage presence means a lot, we have high expectations of each other in the quality of our performance. I enjoy being out there presenting our music to the world and wondering just how far all of this will take us.