Dežo Ursiny facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Dežo Ursiny

Background information
Birth name	Dezider Ursiny
Born	(1947-10-04)4 October 1947 Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Died	2 May 1995(1995-05-02) (aged 47) Bratislava, Slovakia
Genres	Rock, Progressive rock, Jazz rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician, dramaturge, film director
Instruments	Guitar, vocals
Years active	1964–1995
Associated acts	The Beatmen, The Soulmen, The New Soulmen, Provisorium, Jaro Filip

Dezider Ursiny, known as Dežo Ursiny (born October 4, 1947 – died May 2, 1995), was a famous Slovak rock musician. He was also a writer and director for TV and movies. Many people think he was one of the most important and talented musicians in Slovak popular music. He is a legend of Czechoslovak Big Beat, a type of rock music popular in Czechoslovakia.

Dežo Ursiny played in bands like The Beatmen and The Soulmen in the 1960s. From the mid-1970s until he passed away, he worked on his own music. His solo music was very artistic and praised by critics. It was a mix of jazz rock and progressive rock, which is a style of rock music that often has longer songs and complex musical ideas. He also wrote music for several films, including the popular musical "Neberte nám princeznú" (Don't Take the Princess Away From Us). He even made some documentary films during his life.

Dežo Ursiny's Musical Journey
Music He Made
See Also

Dežo Ursiny's Musical Journey

Dežo Ursiny grew up in Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia. He started playing guitar when he was 11 years old. In the early 1960s, he played in amateur bands called Fontána and Jolana.

Joining The Beatmen

In late 1964, Dežo joined The Beatmen as the lead guitarist and singer. The next year, they became very popular across Czechoslovakia. The band played music similar to The Beatles. They wrote songs that critics really liked. Four of their songs were released on two singles. Even though he was only 17, Dežo wrote their best song, "Let's Make A Summer."

However, their success did not last long. The band struggled to stay popular. In 1966, the band decided to move to West Germany to find more success. They felt limited by the political situation in their home country. But Dežo Ursiny chose to stay in Slovakia. The band eventually broke up after not finding the success they hoped for in the west.

The Soulmen and New Beginnings

In 1967, Dežo started studying film and TV writing in Bratislava. From mid-1967 to mid-1968, he helped start The Soulmen. This group was named the best at the 1st Czechoslovak Beat Festival in Prague in December 1967. They played music similar to the band Cream. They released four songs on an EP (a small album) in early 1968.

Later in 1968, he formed The New Soulmen, but this group did not last long and did not release any songs. After the 1968 occupation of Czechoslovakia, it became much harder for musicians. They could not perform or release music as freely as before. The government's "normalization" period meant that English names for bands and English song lyrics were not allowed. Song topics were also checked very strictly by censors.

Provisorium and Solo Career

In 1970, Dežo started the band Provisorium. He met Jaro Filip, a keyboard player who would become his lifelong friend and musical partner. Provisorium only played two shows, but they managed to get a recording deal. Dežo and Jaro recorded an album with Czech musicians Vladimír Kulhánek and Jaroslav Erno Šedivý. They met these musicians just three days before recording!

Their album, "Dežo Ursiny & Provisorium," was released in 1973. All the lyrics were in English. It had four songs, including a very long one called "Christmas Time." This album had many jazzy melodies. Today, it is seen as a classic and one of the best Slovak albums ever. But when it first came out, most people did not notice it.

New Language, New Music

In the same year, Dežo finished his studies. He later started working at the Koliba film studios in Bratislava. In 1974, he met another lifelong friend, the poet Ivan Štrpka. Ivan would write almost all the lyrics for Dežo's future songs. Dežo changed his mind about English being the only language for rock music. All his later recordings had Slovak lyrics. He thought the lyrics were so important that his albums after his first Slovak one would say "Dežo Ursiny/Ivan Štrpka" on the cover.

In 1975, they started working on a big musical project. The 18-minute song "Ostrov" (Island) from his first Slovak album, "Pevnina detstva" (Childhood's Mainland), came from this project. This album was recorded in late 1977 and released in 1978. Again, it did not become very popular. This was partly because the media and music companies did not promote it due to censorship issues. However, fans of Czechoslovak progressive music now consider this album a classic. "Ostrov" is seen as a jazz rock masterpiece, and Štrpka's lyrics are also highly praised.

Popular Songs and Later Works

In 1979, another album, "Nové mapy ticha" (New Maps Of Silence), was released. This album had shorter songs and lyrics that were easier to understand. His band for this album was called Burčiak. With this group, Dežo also released "Modrý vrch" (Blue Hill). Many fans and critics consider "Modrý vrch" to be his best album.

By this time, he had written music for several films. This included the popular TV musical "Neberte nám princeznú" (Don't Take the Princess Away From Us). Singers like Marika Gombitová, Miroslav Žbirka, and Marie Rottrová performed the songs from this musical. These songs are probably the most remembered of all the music Dežo Ursiny ever wrote.

In 1983, the album "4/4" was released with a band called Prognóza. In 1984, "Bez počasia" (Without Weather) came out, with the band again named Provisorium. These albums had simpler lyrics and music, and some funky elements. However, these albums also did not reach a wide audience. His next albums, "Zelená" (Green) and "Na ceste domov" (On The Way Home), again had long songs. During this time, he also composed music for other movies.

Final Years and Legacy

In 1989, Dežo Ursiny became very sick. He partly recovered in 1990. In 1991, his movie "O rakovine a nádeji" (Of Illness and Hope) was shown for the first time. In 1992, he released a double album called "Ten istý tanec" (The Same Dance). This album mostly had his own lyrics, many of which were about his life and thoughts.

In 1994, his health got worse again. He released his final album, "Príbeh" (Story), which is now one of his fans' favorites. In December 1994, he played his last show in Prague. Dežo Ursiny passed away on May 2, 1995.

After his death, two collection albums were released: "Pevniny a vrchy" in 1997 and "Pevniny a vrchy 2" in 2000. These albums include official recordings from his singles and EPs. They also have rare songs from The Beatmen and The New Soulmen, plus songs that were never released before. The second disc of "Pevniny a vrchy 2" has live recordings of The Soulmen from 1967 and Provisorium from 1971. The album "Pevniny a vrchy" was part of a book about Dežo Ursiny by Marián Jaslovský.

Music He Made

With The Beatmen

Singles

Safely Arrived/The Enchanted Lie - 1965 (Supraphon)
Break It/Let's Make A Summer - 1965 (Supraphon)

With The Soulmen

Sample Of Happiness/Wake Up/I Wish I Were/Baby Do Not Cry – 1968 (Panton)

Solo Career

Studio Albums

English Album

Dežo Ursiny & Provisorium – 1973 (Supraphon)

Slovak Albums (all but the first one as Dežo Ursiny – Ivan Štrpka):

Pevnina detstva (Childhood's Mainland) – 1978 (Opus)
Nové mapy ticha (New Maps Of Silence) – 1979 (Opus)
Modrý vrch (Blue Hill) – 1981 (Opus)
4/4 – 1983 (Opus)
Bez počasia (Without Weather) – 1984 (Opus)
Zelená (Green) – 1986 (Opus)
Na ceste domov (On The Way Home) – 1987 (Opus)
Momentky (Snapshots) – 1990 (Opus)
Do tla (Burned To Embers) – 1991 (Opus)
Ten istý tanec (The Same Dance) – 1992 (Arta)
Príbeh (Story) – 1994 (BMG Ariola)

Compilation Albums:

Pevniny a vrchy (Mainlands And Hills) – 1997 (Bonton/Slovenský rozhlas)
Pevniny a vrchy 2 (Mainlands And Hills 2) – 2000 (Sony Music Bonton)

Live Album:

Posledný príbeh live (The Last Story Live) – 2000 (Rádio Bratislava)

Single:

Hra je hra/Stá pieseň o daždi – 1980