Helena Vondráčková
1947 (78 лет)Vondráčková spent her childhood years in the town of Slatiňany. She took piano lessons from an early age. In 1964 Vondráčková came to prominence when she won a national talent contest that 27 of April then that 3 of September she made her first recording: a Czech rendering of "Red River Valley" entitled "Červená řeka" ("Red River Valley"). In 1965, the year she graduated high school, Vondráčková was voted the most popular singer in Czechoslovakia by the readers of the magazine Mladý svět earning the Golden Nightingale award for the only time in her career although Vondráčková would subsequently earn second or third place a total of twenty-seven times with eleven Silver Nightingale awards and sixteen Bronze Nightingale awards. In the summer of 1966 Vondráčková began her music festival career competing in the inaugural Bratislavská Lýra festival as a duo with Marta Kubišová: their entry "Oh Baby Baby" earned the second-place Silver Lyre award. Vondráčková's music festival debut as a solo act was at the Rio de Janeiro International Music Festival in November 1967 where her entry "Vzdálený hlas" received the Golden Rooster award: in June 1968 Vondráčková returned Bratislavska Lyra in a duo with Waldemar Matuška and a resultant Bronze Lyre award for their entrant "To se nikdo nedoví" and in 1969 Vondráčková participated in the 1969 European Cup Festival in Knokke Belgium.
Having reached #2 on the Czechoslovakian hit parade with the Kubišova duet "Oh Baby Baby", Vondráčková reached #1 in September 1967 with "Nedoufej" a rendering of the Sonny & Cher hit "Little Man": this was one of a number of Czech language cover versions Vondráčková cut for the Supraphon label, others being ""Pátá"" ("Downtown"), "Chytila Jsem Motýlka" ("I Only Want to Be with You") and "Růže kvetou dál", a rendering of the Gilbert Becaud hit "L'Important c'est la Rose" which afforded Vondráčková a second #1 in November 1967 and remaining in the Top Ten until March 1968. Vondráčková returned to the Top Ten in 1968 with "Hej, Pane Zajíci!" a duet with Marta Kubišova and also with a Czech-language rendering of "Gli Occhi iei" entitled "Utíkej". Vondráčková's debut album appeared in 1969: entitled "Růže kvetou dál it was a compilation of her singles released from 1964 on.
(Wikipedia)
The Terribly Sad Princess
Bořivoj Zeman
Helena Vondráčková, Václav Neckář
Musical fairy tale tells the story of prince and princesses from neighbouring friendly countries who have to marry each other, as decided by their wise fathers with their advisors. However, the royal children want to decide their fate themselves. They meet in the royal garden, where princess pretends to be a maid and prince to be a herdsman. Prince under cover is imprisoned and helps princess with rebellion. She becomes sad all the time, because she does not want to marry anyone. Luckily, love finds way to their life . . .
The Terribly Sad Princess
Magický hlas rebelky
Olga Sommerová
Marta Kubišová, Aneta Langerová
"The Magic Voice Of A Rebel" portrays the story of the Czech singer Marta Kubisová, who without never intending it, became a symbol of freedom for all generations in the newly free Czhecoslovakia in 1989. It is Marta herself who tells us her life story and how the Soviet invasion in Czechoslvakia in 1968 changed her life. Because of her deep involvement in the Prague Spring movement, she went from being the most popular singer in the country to being banned and suffering a sudden removal from the public scene by the new authorities imposed from Moscow. She refused to escape to exile and together with other banned intelectuals and artists became a disident instead. Blacklisted and persecuted by the secret police, she also suffered the betrayal of beloved people who were collaborating with the regime.
The Magic Voice Of A Rebel
The Tale of John and Marie
Karel Zeman
Otakar Brousek, Antonín Procházka
Young knight John travels the world in search of fame and fortune, but also to help others and prove himself. However, things go dire fast and he becomes burdened with life's hardships. But then he meets a pretty water nymph, Mary.
The Tale of John and Marie
Jen ho nechte, ať se bojí
Ladislav Rychman
Luděk Sobota, Helena Vondráčková
School supply teacher timid folk art Ales Brabec won first prize at a music festival and will therefore offer to work for the Prague little theater in the basement. Its director Soukup just needs a few songs for the upcoming musical, and so is willing to do everything to Alex to create the right atmosphere for composing.
Let Him Face the Music!
