Leona Machálková has started a new stage in her life, she is also brushing up on her Italian because of it
If you had the chance after graduation, would you go to study abroad?
Certainly. But if you had asked me in 1985, I don’t know what I would have told you. Under socialism, one had completely different feelings, a different level of courage, etc. Nowadays, when the possibilities are what they are, I would definitely go and try it. Going out into the world is very beneficial. After all, that’s what drives my son too. Not only the good school he chose, but he also wants to know another culture.
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But you have to be built for that…
He always had fun on the beach with the Australians and the Dutch on holidays… I was happy for that. He always danced with me and told me who he was talking to and what he was talking about. Languages really do give freedom, and he knew that as a child. He was always learning new things and it pleased him. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to study in Italy.
How do you communicate in Italian?
I know the basics because I have a sister married in Italy. He lives in Calabria, part of our family is Italian. My son has already mastered Italian a long time ago, because he knew he was accepted to the school, and I am now brushing it up with him. I thought I would take it seriously because it opens doors for me and my nieces and nephews. My brother-in-law speaks English well, but his Italian is beautiful, so I have personal commitments that I would like to improve. I can see from my son that he enjoys it, so I’m going to get into it now and I hope to get into it soon.
You cut your hair short. Is it related to your new stage in life – the passing of your son?
I’ve had Mikado for a long time. I wanted to cut my hair short, but nothing specific led me to it. Change is life, there was no specific event behind it.
Leona Machálková and Artur Šípek
Where can we see you from September?
I had a wonderful vacation this year. I rested during the week and had concerts every weekend. I’ve played with the band as many times as I haven’t in a long time, I’m excited about it. We have a slogan in the band: We’ve already been home. During covid, we really enjoyed our time off, so we are happy that we can enjoy playing now, in the summer it was mostly open air concerts, and now we are following them up with a relatively full season. We have a lot of work to do and I knock it on the teeth that don’t burn, we appreciate it very much and we are happy that it is so.
Are you afraid that covid will still affect our lives?
I tuned in to get rid of fear as such. I have experienced various fears in my life, not only in connection with covid, and I know that it paralyzes a person and in the end it does not help him. So now I’m gathering strength to be strong and help myself, and thus someone else. I don’t want it to sound rude, but I’m not afraid. I live in the present and what will happen, I will solve case by case. That’s the only thing I can control. I’ve never been the type of person who would crash ahead and constantly think of catastrophic scenarios that might not even happen. Let’s live and give at the top of our lungs.
Covid became somewhat fatal for the singer Hana Zagorová, who went through it and weakened her a lot in her other illness – a rare disorder of hematopoiesis. What do you think of her departure?
We were all surprised that she could no longer solve her condition and it ended with her leaving. It hit us hard. When I’m doing concerts, I always come across people telling me how terrible it is that Hanička died, and of course I sympathize with them.
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How long have you known each other?
We have known each other since the ninety-fifth year. I remember we tried it on the occasion of the opening of the musical Dracula, in which I acted. We have been in touch since then. At that time, a number of entertainment programs were also being filmed, so together we experienced clouds of filming and joint concerts like the Queen of Pop, New Year’s Eve shows, various gala evenings… And when I was really close to Hanička, it was the period when we played together in the musical Jack the Ripper Your Patejdla , we were alone in the dressing room together. And you know how it goes, when you’re sitting together alone in the dressing room, you often say a lot of private things to each other, so we knew each other really well.
How would you characterize her?
She was very wise, but her wisdom always ended in laughter. Whatever we talked about, even serious things like ill health, death and what not, it always ended with a light at the end of the tunnel. She was a great fighter and a person of great character. We often talked together about different life values that we had in common.
Pavel Šporcl invited you to the celebration of his new album Tribute to Jan Kubelík to play the violin with him and other colleagues. When he came up with this offer, how did you react?
I immediately nodded.
How are you playing the violin?
First of all, I have to say that I admire Pavel very much, we are friends, we have known each other for many years and we have such nice life parallels and interests. In addition to music, for example, tennis. I was pleased that he engaged me in such a “fun party”. I learned the violin only at the folk art school, but I always played the violin in my student bands, I played it at the Semafor Theater, and I actually returned to it as part of the production of sou at Christmas concerts, where I take out the violin and The performance is refreshing and always makes people happy, so I’m so casual and it’s always a good time.
And did you train?
As soon as he sent the sheet music, I was already looking at it. (laughs) I was somewhere in the forest, so I ran to a friend to print it out for me that I wouldn’t look at my mobile phone, and I tried not to underestimate it and practiced a little, but I believe that a small mistake will not be an obstacle.