Waldemar Matuška
Encyclopedia
Waldemar Matuška (ˈvaldɛmar ˈmatuʃka; July 2, 1932 - May 30, 2009) was a Czech
singer who became popular in his homeland during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1986, he emigrated to the United States
.
, then Czechoslovakia
(now Slovakia
), and spent his whole childhood in Prague
. His mother was a singer in the Vienna
operetta
theatres. He worked as a glass
maker and performed on various musical instruments with many different bands. In 1960 he recorded his first song Suvenýr (Souvenir). Later he became an actor in the theatre Semafor
. On the stage he performed with Karel Štědrý, Jiří Suchý
and, starting in 1961, with Eva Pilarová
. He won the Zlatý slavík
("Golden Nightingale") music poll twice, in 1962 and 1967, and placed second several times.
As his popularity grew he started acting in movies and writing songs for movies. Waldemar and Eva Pilarová left Semafor and joined the ensemble of the theatre Rokoko. But Pilarová soon returned to Semafor, and Matuška began singing with Helena Vondráčková
, Marta Kubišová
, Jitka Zelenková and others. He participated in other projects besides the theatre, mainly duets with Hana Hegerová
and Karel Gott
.
banned all his songs, destroyed recordings of Jsem svým pánem ('I'm My Own Master'), deleted his opening song in the popular television series Chalupáři (just the melody remained) and changed the title of the series Rozpaky kuchaře Svatopluka. Matuška continued to perform in the United States, mostly for emigrants from Czechoslovakia.
in Czechoslovakia, his songs were returned to their proper place in the television series. He lived in Florida
, at times performing in the Czech Republic.
and heart failure, aged 76. Asthma
may have contributed to his death.
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
singer who became popular in his homeland during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1986, he emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Early career
Waldemar Matuška was born in KošiceKošice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, then 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...
(now Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
), and spent his whole childhood in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. His mother was a singer in the Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
theatres. He worked as a glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
maker and performed on various musical instruments with many different bands. In 1960 he recorded his first song Suvenýr (Souvenir). Later he became an actor in the theatre Semafor
Semafor
Semafor is a Czech theatre in Prague established by Jiří Suchý in 1959. It belongs to the so called "Theatres of small stages". Suchý himself has performed there for many years and is the current owner...
. On the stage he performed with Karel Štědrý, Jiří Suchý
Jirí Suchý
Jiří Suchý is a Czech film actor, writer and stage actor. He also writes music. Currently he is the owner of the theatre Semafor in Prague where he has performed for many years and helped establish in 1959.-References:...
and, starting in 1961, with Eva Pilarová
Eva Pilarová
Eva Pilarová - born on 9 August 1939 in Brno, is a Czech singer and actress. Four times winner of the Golden Nightingale in category singers in accordance to the reader's poll Czech Nightingale...
. He won the 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...
("Golden Nightingale") music poll twice, in 1962 and 1967, and placed second several times.
As his popularity grew he started acting in movies and writing songs for movies. Waldemar and Eva Pilarová left Semafor and joined the ensemble of the theatre Rokoko. But Pilarová soon returned to Semafor, and Matuška began singing with 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...
, Marta Kubišová
Marta Kubišová
Marta Kubišová is a Czech singer of iconic significance. By the time of the Prague Spring of 1968, with her song "Modlitba pro Martu" , she was one of the most popular female singers in Czechoslovakia.In 1967 she won Zlatý slavík award...
, Jitka Zelenková and others. He participated in other projects besides the theatre, mainly duets with Hana Hegerová
Hana Hegerová
Hana Hegerová , is a leading Czechoslovakian singer, actress and uncrowned queen of Czechoslovakian chanson. Foreign critics call her "The Great Lady of Chanson", "The Piaf from Prague", and "The Chanteuse with a Slavic Soul"...
and Karel Gott
Karel Gott
Karel Gott is a Czech Schlager singer, and an amateur painter. He is considered as the most successful male singer in former Czechoslovakia and currently in the Czech Republic; he has being voted the Most Favorite Male Singer in the annual national pool Český slavík in total thirty-six times...
.
Emigration
In 1976 he married singer Olga Blechová. His popularity at home was high, and he also gave concerts abroad. In 1986 he left Czechoslovakia and settled with his wife in Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States. Meanwhile, in Czechoslovakia, the Communist partyCommunist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
banned all his songs, destroyed recordings of Jsem svým pánem ('I'm My Own Master'), deleted his opening song in the popular television series Chalupáři (just the melody remained) and changed the title of the series Rozpaky kuchaře Svatopluka. Matuška continued to perform in the United States, mostly for emigrants from Czechoslovakia.
Velvet revolution
After the 1989 Velvet revolutionVelvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
in Czechoslovakia, his songs were returned to their proper place in the television series. He lived in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, at times performing in the Czech Republic.
Death
He died in Florida on May 30, 2009, of pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and heart failure, aged 76. Asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
may have contributed to his death.
Further reading
- Ota UlčOta UlcOta Ulč is a Czech-American author and columnist.Ulč studied law at the Charles University in Prague. In 1959 he escaped via West Berlin to the West and finally to the U.S. There he proceeded to study political science at the Columbia University in New York. Afterwards, he gave classes on...
. Political Participation in Czechoslovakia. The Journal of Politics, Vol. 33, No. 2 (May, 1971), pp. 422–447.
External links
- Radio Praha article
- Waldemar Matuska - Czech pop legend turns 70. Radio Praha article