Marta Kubišová told her life story at the Night with Legend event in Prague
Update: 22/09/2022 22:13
Issued by: 22/09/2022, 22:13
Prague – Marta Kubišová, who ended her career as a singer on November 1, 2017, told her life story today at the Lucerna cinema in Prague at the Night with a Legend event. The packed hall immediately followed the discussion with the moderator supplemented by a projection with the guests, who were actress Iva Janžurová, popularizer of social etiquette Ladislav Špaček, cardiologist Petr Neužil and model Taťána Kuchařová. The evening ended with congratulations on Kubišová’s approaching 80th birthday, which falls on November 1.
Kubišová, who was one of the stars of the Czechoslovak music scene of the 1960s, was greeted by a standing ovation as soon as she came on stage. In a relaxed atmosphere, she summarized her stormy life, communicated vividly with guests and the audience and did not avoid sensitive topics, such as her two divorces, abortions, health problems or disputes with former colleague Helena Vondráčková. In moments when she could not remember an event exactly, she apologized to the listeners for her memory problems.
“I have always admired her uncompromisingness. I struggled to find my way in the profession, but Marta shone like a star of truth,” said Janžurová.
Former press spokesman for President Václav Havel Špaček compared Kubišová to the late British Queen Elizabeth II. “I don’t know if I’m that noble, but I shared a love for animals with the queen,” responded Kubišová.
During the discussion, Kubišová ruled out that she would return to performing. She recalled that she last sang in Prague’s Lucerna on November 16, 2019, when she was a guest of the program called Samet 30. “All I have to do is finish the book,” she noted.
These days, Luďek Chochola and Marta Kubišová’s publications in songs and programs are published, a chronologically compiled musical profile, which includes a list of essential songs, TV programs and concerts and is supplemented with quotes, musical highlights, photos and other materials. Kubišová has been working on her autobiography for a long time.
The autumn tour Noc s legendou will continue on October 15 in Nymburk, where she grew up, on October 22 she will perform in her native České Budějovice and finally visit Kladno on October 29.
Kubišová won the poll for the most popular singer Golden Nightingale three times (1966, 1968 and 1969) and also won the Golden Bratislava Lyre in 1968. She performed, among other things, at the Paris Olympia, in Cannes at the MIDEM festival and played in her ex-husband Jan Němek’s film Martyrs of Love or in the TV series Song for Rudolph III. in which the Prayer for Martha was also heard.
During normalization, Kubišová was affected by the communist regime. The former spokesperson for Charter 77 was able to return to performing only after almost 20 years in November 1989. She released her last studio album called Soul six years ago.
On June 9 this year, the premiere of the Marta recital dedicated to Kubišová’s 80th theatrical birthday this year took place in the courtyard of Prague’s Kampa Museum. Among those present was Kubišová, who was greeted by the audience with a standing ovation upon her arrival.