Ilja Livschakoff

Born November 15, 1903 in Екатеринодар (Yekaterinodar), Russian Empire (today Krasnodar, Russia). Died June 10, 1990 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ilya Livshakoff fled the Soviet Union to Warsaw at a young age after his father was murdered by the Bolsheviks. There he studied music (violin) at the Conservatory (now Fryderyk Chopin University of Music). In 1927 Livschakoff moved to Berlin and from then on devoted himself more and more to the light muse. Livschakoff and his ensemble soon became one of the most important record orchestras. He accompanied well-known singers of the time such as Erwin Hartung, Leo Monosson, Max Mensing and Paul Dorn, as well as singing film stars such as Paul Hörbiger, Curt Bois and Renate Müller. But he also stood in front of the microphone as a violin virtuoso. Ilja Livschakoff recorded a total of more than 800 shellac records, often using pseudonyms, as was customary at the time. He was sometimes called Fred Marley or Harry Hiller, and his ensemble often played under the names La Plata Tango Band and The Rhythm Maniacs. Ilya Livshakoff, who was of Jewish descent, managed to remain active in Germany until early 1937, when he was expelled from the Reich Chamber of Music. The artist emigrated to Argentina, where he continued to work as a bandmaster, as did his colleagues Dajos Béla and Efim Schachmeister. Until the 1960s he could be heard there in the cafés of Buenos Aires.