Helena Vondráčková facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helena Vondráčková
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| Background information | |
| Born | 24 June 1947 Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1964–present |
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Helena Vondráčková (born 24 June 1947, in Prague) is a famous Czech singer and actress. She has been performing for over 60 years! People know her for her strong voice and how popular she has stayed. Helena became famous in 1964 after winning a singing contest. Her first song, "Červená řeka" ("Red River Valley"), made her a star.
She had many hit songs like "Pátá" and "Sladké mámení." "Sladké mámení" became a classic from a popular Czech movie. Other hits include "Lásko má, já stůňu" and "Dlouhá noc." The song "Dlouhá noc" helped her become very popular again in the early 2000s.
In the 1960s and 70s, she won big awards at music festivals. She was also part of a famous pop group called Golden Kids. The group included Marta Kubišová and Václav Neckář. They were very popular in Czech culture. However, the group had to stop performing in 1970 due to political reasons.
Helena Vondráčková has also had a great career in musical theater. She played important roles like Fantine in Les Misérables and Donna in Mamma Mia!. After a period when her popularity dipped, her career bounced back in the 2000s. She released albums that sold millions of copies and performed in sold-out concerts. This made her one of the Czech Republic's most successful singers ever.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Childhood and First Steps in Music
Helena Vondráčková grew up in a town called Slatiňany. She started taking piano lessons when she was very young. In 1964, Helena became well-known after winning a national talent show. On September 3 of that year, she recorded her first song. It was a Czech version of "Red River Valley" called "Červená řeka."
In 1965, the year she finished high school, Helena was voted the most popular singer in Czechoslovakia. She won the Golden Nightingale award. She later won many Silver and Bronze Nightingale awards too. In the summer of 1966, Helena started performing at music festivals. She sang with Marta Kubišová at the first Bratislavská Lýra festival. Their song "Oh Baby Baby" won second place.
Helena's first solo performance at a festival was in Rio de Janeiro in November 1967. Her song "Vzdálený hlas" won an award there. She also performed with Waldemar Matuška at Bratislavska Lyra in 1968.
Early Hit Songs
Helena had a hit song with Marta Kubišová called "Oh Baby Baby." Then, in September 1967, Helena's song "Nedoufej" became number one. It was a Czech version of the Sonny & Cher hit "Little Man." She recorded many Czech versions of popular songs. These included "Pátá" (from "Downtown") and "Růže kvetou dál." "Růže kvetou dál" became her second number one hit in November 1967.
In 1968, she had another hit with Marta Kubišova called "Hej, pane Zajíci!" Helena's first album, "Růže kvetou dál," came out in 1969. It included her songs released since 1964. That same year, she starred in a fairy tale movie called The Incredibly Sad Princess.
The Golden Kids Group
Helena Vondráčková met singers Václav Neckář and Marta Kubišová while performing in Prague. They had worked together since 1965. In January 1968, Helena performed with Neckář and Kubišová at a music event in France. This led to the trio performing for a month at the Olympia Theatre in Paris.
On November 1, 1968, Helena, Neckář, and Kubišová officially formed a group called 'Golden Kids'. The group recorded two albums and performed a lot on TV in Czechoslovakia and Germany. However, they were forced to break up in February 1970. This happened because Marta Kubišová was not allowed to perform due to her strong opinions against the government at the time. The Golden Kids reunited for a concert in Prague on November 3, 1994.
Later Career and Achievements
International Performances and Festivals
In November 1970, Helena performed at the first World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo. This led to her signing with a Japanese record company. She recorded her first album not in Czech, called Isle of Helena, in 1971. It was sung in English. Since then, she has sung in French, Polish, Slovak, German, Russian, and Japanese.
Helena had her first big concert, Helena 71, in 1971. She spent most of the 1970s touring the world. She visited countries in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. She also continued to perform at many festivals.
In 1974, Helena won the Golden Lyre award at the Bratislavska Lyra festival for her song "Malovany dzbanku." In August 1977, she performed "Malovany dzbanku" at the Sopot International Song Festival. She won the Grand Prize there, which made her even more famous in Poland.
1980s to Today
Helena Vondráčková started the 1980s by touring in Canada. As the 1980s ended and the 1990s began, she reached a huge milestone: selling a million albums! She also performed in a Czech concert called Helena 90. In 1992, she took on the role of Fantine in the musical Les Misérables. In 1993, she released two musical albums with Broadway themes.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Helena and other older Czech pop stars faced a challenge. Some people linked them to the previous government. But after a few years, people started to appreciate Helena's talent again. From 1997, she appeared often on TV. In 2000, she made a big comeback with her album Vodopád. This album sold 35,000 copies and became Platinum. The song "Dlouhá noc" was a huge hit from this album.
Throughout the 2000s, Helena continued to release successful albums. She is the best-selling singer ever in the Czech Republic. In 2005, a special 4-CD collection of her music, The Golden Collection, was released. She also published her memoir, I Remember and I Don't Regret Anything. On October 18, 2005, Helena had a big concert in Prague to celebrate 40 years of performing. In 2006 and 2007, she appeared on the TV show Dancing With the Stars in Slovakia and Poland. In 2007, she received the Diamond Record award for selling half a million records.
Helena Vondráčková has written several books about her life. She has also appeared on German television shows for over 40 years.
Eurovision Song Contest Attempt
In February 2007, Helena Vondráčková was asked to compete in Eurosong 2007. This was the national competition to choose who would represent the Czech Republic at Eurovision 2007. The Czech Republic was joining Eurovision for the first time that year.
Helena was going to compete with her song "Samba." However, the song was later disqualified because it had been recorded too early. Helena then submitted a new song called "Ha ha ha." But she soon decided to leave the competition. She was not happy that the winner was chosen by text message votes.
Stage Career Highlights
On June 25, 1992, Helena Vondráčková made her debut in a musical. She played Fantine in Les Misérables in Prague. She played this role again in 2003.
In May 2005, Helena was invited to star in a production of Hello, Dolly! in Bratislava. She called the lead role in Hello, Dolly! her "life role."
Helena returned to the musical stage in 2009 in a new musical called Mona Lisa. She played the heroine's mother. Her role was made much bigger because of her star power.
In 2014, Helena turned down the main role of Donna in the first Czech production of Mamma Mia!. However, in May 2015, it was announced that she would take on the role. She debuted as Donna in Mamma Mia! on November 21, 2015.
Carnegie Hall Concerts
Helena Vondráčková has performed two sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York. The first was in 2000, and the second was in 2005.
Personal Life
Helena Vondráčková was married to German musician Helmut Sickel from 1983 to 2001. On February 22, 2003, she married Martin Michal, a businessman. He has also been her manager.
Her niece, Lucie Vondráčková, is also a successful singer and actress.
Discography
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Studio albums
Collaborative albums
Live albums
Compilation albums
Christmas albums
Soundtracks / Musicals
DVDs and video albums
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Images for kids
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Helena Vondráčková
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Birthplace of Helena Vondráčková in Slatiňany
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Helena Vondráčková with Liz Mitchell backstage in Chemnitz, 2012
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Helena Vondráčková during a concert, ca. 2012
See also
In Spanish: Helena Vondráčková para niños
