Merged topics - edited by persuazn Alsou Ralifovna Abramova (Tatar: Alsu Rälif qızı Abramova, Russian: Алсу́ Рали́фовна Абрамова), better known as just Alsou (Russian: Алсу́, born on June 27, 1983) is a popular Tatar-Russian singer. Early life Alsou was born in Bögelmä, Tatarstan, USSR. Her father, Ralif Rafilovich Safin is a former Russian oligarch and a member of the Federal Council, the upper chamber of the Russian parliament. He is also the owner of the Sochi football team Zhemchuzhina and was named the 100th richest Russian by Forbes Magazine in 2004. Alsou's mother, Razia Iskhakovna, is an architect and she also has two brothers, Renard and Marat. When Alsou was 1 year old her family moved to Siberia. At 5 years old, Alsou asked her parents for a piano, and was subsequently allowed to attend music school to learn it. By 10, having moved first to Moscow when her father started to expand his business, she moved New York City to attend school. Personal life Alsou is now one of a few Russian artists who are known in other parts of the world. She is also well known in Germany, France, USA, Canada, Australia as well as Ukraine and other former Soviet Union republics. She is often featured in Russian magazines, and often in other European magazines. On March 18, 2006 Alsou married Yan Abramov, a millionaire, who comes from an Azerbaijani Jewish family. Yan allegedly proposed to her with a fireworks display. On September 7, 2006 Alsou gave birth to a 7-pound daughter Safina at the famous Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. The name for the girl was chosen by Yan and it is spelled the same as Alsou's maiden last name, with the accent falling on the second syllable making the only pronunciation difference (Alsou's maiden last name is pronounced with the accent falling on the first syllable.) It is said to be an ancient Arabic name, which means 'a ship'.