Marta Kubišová
Encyclopedia
Marta Kubišová is a Czech singer of iconic significance. By the time of the Prague Spring
of 1968, with her song "Modlitba pro Martu" ("A prayer for Marta"), she was one of the most popular female singers in Czechoslovakia
.
In 1967 she won Zlatý slavík
award (Golden Nightingale). Her song "Prayer for Marta" became a symbol of national resistance against the occupation of Warsaw Pact troops in 1968
. During the Prague Spring
, she recorded over 200 SP records and one LP, Songy a Balady (Songs and Ballads, released in 1969), which was immediately banned from stores. In 1970, the government falsely accused her of making pornographic photographs leading to a ban from performing in the country until 1989. She was a signatory of the Charter 77
proclamation. Her first LPs after the Velvet revolution
in 1989 were a re-issue of Songy a Balady and a compilation of old songs, titled Lampa.
, Kubišová's father was a cardiologist, her mother was a housewife, who later sold records in Celetná street in Prague. In 1952 the family moved to Poděbrady
. Wanting to get to college after graduating from high school, she started to work in Poděbrady glassworks. Her singing career began with a dance group which sang in Nymburk
at the afternoon teas. In 1961, she reached the finals in Hledáme nové talenty ("The Search for Talent"). In 1962, she lost her job in the glass factory, and auditioned for the Stop Theatre in Pardubice
. In 1963, she moved to Theatre Alpha in Plzeň to perform in Black Dream, a production by Ludvík Aškenazy
. She began collaborating with Václav Neckář and Helena Vondráčková
in December 1965, when preparing for performances of Waiting for Fame. In 1967 she won Zlatý slavík. She wrote a song, "Prayer for Marta", that became a symbol of national resistance against the occupation of Warsaw Pact troops in 1968
. On 1 November of that year, she joined with Neckář and Vondráčková to create the popular group, 'Golden Kids'. In 1969 she won her second Zlatý slavík award and married film director Jan Němec
. A year later, she won the Zlatý slavík a third time, but she had to receive the award in secrecy of the office of the Mladý svět
magazine due to the commencing normalization
. The last performance of the Golden Kids took place on 27 January 1970 in Ostrava.
In February 1970, the government banned her from performing in the country on the pretext of alleged pornography, based on the three falsified photo-montages as evidence. She took the director of record label Supraphon
, Hrabal, to court for libel, and although she won, she only had her rights fully restored 20 years later, after the Czechoslovak communist regime fell in 1989. During that time, she could only perform at underground invitation-only events. In the late 80s, she auditioned to become singer of the group The Plastic People of the Universe
, but this was disallowed by the secret police.
In 1971, she underwent a miscarriage in the eighth month of pregnancy and survived clinical death. She married director Jan Moravec
after divorcing her husband, who had emigrated to the United States. After the ratification of Charter 77, her prosecution and monitoring by the secret police escalated. From 1977 to 1978 she worked as a spokesperson for Charter 77.
On 1 June 1979, she gave birth to her daughter Kateřina. On 10 December 1988 after a long absence from the public eye, she appeared in public at a demonstration on the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
, during which she sang the Czechoslovak national anthem. On 22 November 1989, during the Velvet Revolution, she sang her "Prayer for Martha" and the Czechoslovak national anthem from a balcony on Wenceslas Square. Then followed the reissue of Songy a Balady, and in 1990 she returned to the studio and the stage. On 2 June 1990 she performed the famous show "Marta v Lucerně", for which she was awarded the Golden Nightingale in 1970. The music was performed by the group Energit and directed by Lubos Andršt, with whom she then went on tour to perform 60 concerts around Czechoslovakia, as well as shows in Japan, Paris and Berlin. As of 1991 she co-hosts Advent concerts. Two years later she rejoined with Vondráčková and Neckář in a Golden Kids comeback. On 28 October 1995 she received the a state award – the Medaile Za zásluhy (Medal of Merit) – from President Václav Havel. Adam Georgiev released her biography, Chytat slunce (Catching the Sun), in 1995. On 7 March 1998, she was awarded the Honorary Medal of T.G. Masaryk at a ceremony in the ballroom of Prague Castle. In October 2002, she was bestowed with the St. Wenceslas Honours. Three years later, her second biographical book Asi to tak sám Bůh chtěl, written by Luboš Nečas, was published.
For several years, she regularly prepared recitals her home stage at the Prague Ungelt Theatre. There she also appeared in a chamber musical Líp se loučí v neděli, and was was awarded the Thalia prize for her performance. In 2005 she released a novelty album, Vítej, lásko, the full text to which was written by John Schneider. In 2008 Supraphon released her first DVD.
In 2011 the play by Małgorzata Sikorska-Miszczuk based on Kubišová's life was staged at International Theatre Festival DEMOLUDY
in Olsztyn, Poland.
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
of 1968, with her song "Modlitba pro Martu" ("A prayer for Marta"), she was one of the most popular female singers in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
In 1967 she won Zlatý slavík
Zlatý slavík
Zlatý slavík was a music poll established by magazine Mladý svět along with Smena na nedeľu in 1962, and brodcasted on television.As later exposed, since the 70's the entries very frequently falsified by Communist Party of Czechoslovakia . The poll lasted until 1991, prior to the dissolution of...
award (Golden Nightingale). Her song "Prayer for Marta" became a symbol of national resistance against the occupation of Warsaw Pact troops in 1968
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
. During the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
, she recorded over 200 SP records and one LP, Songy a Balady (Songs and Ballads, released in 1969), which was immediately banned from stores. In 1970, the government falsely accused her of making pornographic photographs leading to a ban from performing in the country until 1989. She was a signatory of the Charter 77
Charter 77
Charter 77 was an informal civic initiative in communist Czechoslovakia from 1976 to 1992, named after the document Charter 77 from January 1977. Founding members and architects were Václav Havel, Jan Patočka, Zdeněk Mlynář, Jiří Hájek, and Pavel Kohout. Spreading the text of the document was...
proclamation. Her first LPs after the Velvet revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
in 1989 were a re-issue of Songy a Balady and a compilation of old songs, titled Lampa.
Biography
Born 1 November 1942 in České BudějoviceCeské Budejovice
České Budějovice is a city in the Czech Republic. It is the largest city in the South Bohemian Region and is the political and commercial capital of the region and centre of the Roman Catholic Diocese of České Budějovice and of the University of South Bohemia and the Academy of Sciences...
, Kubišová's father was a cardiologist, her mother was a housewife, who later sold records in Celetná street in Prague. In 1952 the family moved to Poděbrady
Podebrady
Poděbrady is a historical spa town in the Central Bohemian Region, Czech Republic. It lies on the river Labe 50 km east of Prague on the D11 highway. A historic milestone in the life of the town was the year 1905, when it was visited by the German estate owner Prince von Bülow...
. Wanting to get to college after graduating from high school, she started to work in Poděbrady glassworks. Her singing career began with a dance group which sang in Nymburk
Nymburk
Nymburk is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, located 45 km east of Prague on the Elbe River. It is also home to the Czech men's basketball team ČEZ Basketball Nymburk...
at the afternoon teas. In 1961, she reached the finals in Hledáme nové talenty ("The Search for Talent"). In 1962, she lost her job in the glass factory, and auditioned for the Stop Theatre in Pardubice
Pardubice
Pardubice is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the river Elbe, 65 miles east of Prague. Pardubice has an antique centre square and old town, with many restaurants that stay open until late in the evening. There is an old Tower and a recently renovated Castle...
. In 1963, she moved to Theatre Alpha in Plzeň to perform in Black Dream, a production by Ludvík Aškenazy
Ludvík Aškenazy
Ludvík Aškenazy was a Czech writer and journalist. He was born into a Jewish family in Sachsenberg, part of Český Těšín.He studied Slavonic philology in Lviv, which then was a part of Poland....
. She began collaborating with Václav Neckář and Helena Vondráčková
Helena Vondrácková
Helena Vondráčková is a Czech singer whose career has spanned five decades.- Early life/career :Vondráčková spent her childhood years in the town of Slatinany. She took piano lessons from an early age...
in December 1965, when preparing for performances of Waiting for Fame. In 1967 she won Zlatý slavík. She wrote a song, "Prayer for Marta", that became a symbol of national resistance against the occupation of Warsaw Pact troops in 1968
Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
On the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization...
. On 1 November of that year, she joined with Neckář and Vondráčková to create the popular group, 'Golden Kids'. In 1969 she won her second Zlatý slavík award and married film director Jan Němec
Jan Nemec
Jan Němec is a Czech filmmaker whose most important work dates from the 1960s. Film historian Peter Hames has described him as the "enfant terrible of the Czech New Wave."- Biography :...
. A year later, she won the Zlatý slavík a third time, but she had to receive the award in secrecy of the office of the Mladý svět
Mladý Svet
Mladý Svět was a magazine published in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. It contained editorials, comics and other works...
magazine due to the commencing normalization
Normalization (Czechoslovakia)
In the history of Czechoslovakia, normalization is a name commonly given to the period 1969 to about 1987. It was characterized by initial restoration of the conditions prevailing before the reform period led by Alexander Dubček , first of all, the firm rule of the Communist Party of...
. The last performance of the Golden Kids took place on 27 January 1970 in Ostrava.
In February 1970, the government banned her from performing in the country on the pretext of alleged pornography, based on the three falsified photo-montages as evidence. She took the director of record label Supraphon
Supraphon
Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, it is oriented mainly towards publishing classical music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers.- History :...
, Hrabal, to court for libel, and although she won, she only had her rights fully restored 20 years later, after the Czechoslovak communist regime fell in 1989. During that time, she could only perform at underground invitation-only events. In the late 80s, she auditioned to become singer of the group The Plastic People of the Universe
The Plastic People of the Universe
The Plastic People of the Universe is a rock band from Prague, Czech Republic. It was the foremost representative of Prague's underground culture . This avant-garde group went against the grain of the Communist regime and due to its non-conformism often suffered serious problems such as arrests...
, but this was disallowed by the secret police.
In 1971, she underwent a miscarriage in the eighth month of pregnancy and survived clinical death. She married director Jan Moravec
Jan Moravec
Jan Moravec is a Czech footballer. He currently plays for Bohemians 1905.-External links:* *...
after divorcing her husband, who had emigrated to the United States. After the ratification of Charter 77, her prosecution and monitoring by the secret police escalated. From 1977 to 1978 she worked as a spokesperson for Charter 77.
On 1 June 1979, she gave birth to her daughter Kateřina. On 10 December 1988 after a long absence from the public eye, she appeared in public at a demonstration on the 40th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
, during which she sang the Czechoslovak national anthem. On 22 November 1989, during the Velvet Revolution, she sang her "Prayer for Martha" and the Czechoslovak national anthem from a balcony on Wenceslas Square. Then followed the reissue of Songy a Balady, and in 1990 she returned to the studio and the stage. On 2 June 1990 she performed the famous show "Marta v Lucerně", for which she was awarded the Golden Nightingale in 1970. The music was performed by the group Energit and directed by Lubos Andršt, with whom she then went on tour to perform 60 concerts around Czechoslovakia, as well as shows in Japan, Paris and Berlin. As of 1991 she co-hosts Advent concerts. Two years later she rejoined with Vondráčková and Neckář in a Golden Kids comeback. On 28 October 1995 she received the a state award – the Medaile Za zásluhy (Medal of Merit) – from President Václav Havel. Adam Georgiev released her biography, Chytat slunce (Catching the Sun), in 1995. On 7 March 1998, she was awarded the Honorary Medal of T.G. Masaryk at a ceremony in the ballroom of Prague Castle. In October 2002, she was bestowed with the St. Wenceslas Honours. Three years later, her second biographical book Asi to tak sám Bůh chtěl, written by Luboš Nečas, was published.
For several years, she regularly prepared recitals her home stage at the Prague Ungelt Theatre. There she also appeared in a chamber musical Líp se loučí v neděli, and was was awarded the Thalia prize for her performance. In 2005 she released a novelty album, Vítej, lásko, the full text to which was written by John Schneider. In 2008 Supraphon released her first DVD.
In 2011 the play by Małgorzata Sikorska-Miszczuk based on Kubišová's life was staged at International Theatre Festival DEMOLUDY
International Theatre Festival DEMOLUDY
International Theatre Festival DEMOLUDY is organized by Jaracza Theatre in Olsztyn, Poland and its idea is to prepare space for multicultural dialog in East European countries....
in Olsztyn, Poland.
Solo
- Songy a balady (1969, 1996)
- Lampa (1990)
- Někdy si zpívám (1991)
- Singly 1 (1996)
- Nechte zvony znít (Singly 2) (1997)
- Dejte mi kousek louky (Singly 3) (1998)
- Modlitba (Singly 4) (1999)
Films and TV
- Pátrání po Ester (2005)
- Kameňák 2 (2004)
- Zdivočelá země II (2001)
- Zpověď Ungelt (2000)
- Noční hovory s matkou (1999)
- Stalo se na podzim (1994)
- Hodnota tváře (1992)
- Zvláštní bytosti (1990)
- Vražda ing. Čerta (1970)
- Proudy lásku odnesou (1969) (TV)
- Bylo čtvrt a bude půl (1968)
- Kulhavý ďábel (1968)
- Gramo / Hit 68 (1968) (TV)
- Náhrdelník melancholie - Sedm písní Marty Kubišové (1968)
- Jak se krade milión (1967)
- Píseň pro Rudolfa III. (1967)
- Mučedníci lásky (1966)
- Vysílá studio A (1966)
- Revue v mlze (1966)
External links
- Official website
- Prayer for Marta (Modlitba pro Martu)
- Those who were in the Revolution, are still riding on it - An interview with Marta Kubisova published in the Slovak internet weekly inzine.sk and the Czech daily Blisty in 2003