Urmas Alender

Urmas Alender - Topic

Urmas Alender was an Estonian singer and musician, the vocalist of popular Estonian bands Ruja and Propeller.
Born in Tallinn, Estonia, Alender began his musical career in the rock band Shades in 1969 but left the following year to become the vocalist for Andromeeda.
In 1971, Alender fronted the progressive rock band Ruja with pianist Rein Rannap. The band was influenced by Western acts such as Genesis, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and King Crimson, and often incorporated the poetry of Estonian writers Juhan Viiding and Ott Arder into the lyrics. The band was nationally commercially successful. Alender would remain with the band until its demise in 1988.
From 1979 until 1980, Urmas Alender also fronted the Estonian punk rock band Propeller. Other bands Alender performed with were Teravik, and Data, and in 1983, he briefly played in an outfit called Kaseke.
In 1987, Alender appeared in the Estonian rockumentary Pingul keel alongside popular Estonian musicians Tõnis Mägi, Ivo Linna and Anne Veski.
After years of being harassed by the Soviet KGB and other local authorities, Alender temporarily emigrated to Sweden in 1989.