Eugene Hütz ([ˈjʊəɡeːnə hyts] Ukrainian: Євген Гудзь [jɛvɦɛn ɦydsʲ], Yevhen Hudz′; born Yevheniy Aleksandrovich Nikolayev-Simonov, Russian: Евгений Александрович Николаев-Симонов, 6 September 1972) is a Ukrainian-born singer, composer, DJ, and actor, most notable as the frontman of the Gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello.

Biographie

Hütz is an avid supporter of Romani rights, using his music to introduce the gypsy culture to a wider audience. When he’s not touring with Gogol Bordello, Hütz can be found DJ-ing at the Bulgarian Bar also known as "Mehanata" in New York or touring with the Russian gypsy group Kolpakov Trio, led by his mentor Sasha Kolpakov. Eugene has no siblings, although he refers to his maternal cousin as his brother; his cousin made an appearance in the movie Everything is Illuminated playing the trumpet. Both Eugene and his cousin are 1/4 Romani. His maternal grandmother is his tie to his Romani roots, although this knowledge was kept away from him until he was fourteen. In October 2008, Hütz told the L.A. Weekly that he had moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In November 2009, he told Pagina/12 that he had moved to São Paulo.