Česky
Jitka Zelenkova comes from Brno, from a musical family, so you could say that music is in her genes. At the age of seventeen she became the winner of the national Talent competition and since then her popularity has been growing. She has collaborated with the best Czech musicians and composers. She was a soloist with Karel Gott, worked with the Ladislav Staidl Orchestra and the Gustav Brom Orchestra, and with many other personalities.
How did you find out about the Beroun Rehabilitation Hospital?
I have always heard great praise from many friends! A few of my friends have had longer stays here. After the recommendation of Professor Pavel Kolář, I did not hesitate. And I'm very happy, because I always have a great time here!
And how do you like it here?
It's one of the nicest rehabilitation hospitals I know and hats off to Mr. Zavalianis, the owner, and Mrs. Petsini, the director, for the way they manage and improve the whole area. Everything is set up like a well-oiled clock and everyone here is smiling, friendly and helpful at the same time. I have to mention especially the excellent MUDr. Ondřej Horáček and the head doctor Milena Kolářová and also the great physiotherapist Lada Kvapilová, who has been helping me to keep my skeleton in good condition lately (laughs). Her care is literally beneficial!
Personally, I had the pleasure of meeting you twice and I have to compliment you, you look great! How do you do it? How do you maintain your youthful appearance, energy, cheerful nature and mind?
Thank you for the compliment! As I often jokingly say: the cover is good, the inside is adequate. If we can talk about youthful appearance, it is certainly my mother who is primarily responsible for it. She must have passed on good genes to me. She's always had good skin herself. It's a bit more complicated with energy. You know I have days when I don't want to do anything, because I'm actually a terrible lazy person by nature and I often have to talk myself into things. But I have friends two generations younger than me around me who won't let me hang around for too long. And at the same time, I get that energy from being around them. I think that's why older people should have "young people" around them. You have to be on your toes and try to keep up with them.
You've focused on ballads, swing, jazz and chanson all your life, which of those styles do you like best and why?
I can't quite put it that way. I like good music first and foremost, and I don't worry too much about distinguishing between styles. There can be good swing and bad swing, just like there is good pop and bad pop. What I like most of all is good music with good lyrics and a combination of different genres. Would you call me a rapper? And yet it happened. In 1986, I released a song called Někdo nám do do dolez and it was probably the first Czech rap song in the Czech airwaves.
You're apparently a big film fan and many of the songs in your repertoire were originally composed for films or we know them from films - for example, Here's Where It Sounds in the original version of Láska nebeské. You've also sung songs directly into some films. For example, in Trhák you sing the character played by Dagmar Veškrnová. Are there any other films where we can hear you?
Yes, it's true that I love films and film music, and many foreign film melodies got Czech lyrics thanks to that, such as Vyprávění v pokoji, Čímkoliv tu být, Ty mně smíš i lhát, for which Eduard Pergner wrote the lyrics, or the aforementioned Sem tam with lyrics by Pavel Vrba. Years ago I sang the opening song of Elton John's film musical The Lion King. Eduard Krečmar wrote beautiful lyrics for it, and interestingly enough, Walt Disney's production also entrusted me with the Slovak version with lyrics by Kamil Peteraj. You can also hear my voice in Marie Poledňáková's film Anchor at the Ferry.
For fourteen years you have worked intensively with Ladislav Staidl and Karel Gott. That's impressive. There must have been times when she was a "submarine", did you have any "trick" - advice - how to get out of such a situation?
We were together almost all the time those years, because it was often a nomadic life after endless concert tours. I was practically always living out of suitcases at that time. I was either packing them or unpacking them or transporting them. But even though we were together so much, the submarine wasn't coming. There was no time for it. Around Karel, a great group of musicians had formed, they were real aces even internationally, and it worked great humanly. We had a lot of fun, and I have many wonderful memories of that time.
Last year you released the single Vincent with an original animated music video. Why did you choose that song for this video?
Because it's beautiful! Pavel Bobek sang it almost fifty years ago and I wanted to recall that beautiful song and Zdeněk Rytíř's great lyrics and give it a new coat. The animated clip was the obvious choice from the beginning. What other song should have it than the one about one of the most famous painters? The task was taken on by the duo of young creators Pavla Šnajdarová and Ondřej Mladý and I am very happy with the result. I've never had an animated clip before and it's a nice change.
What are your plans for this year?
To make people happy with my songs. I've been like this all my life and it's still the main driver for me. Every time I'm on stage, I feel incredibly happy. And it's also because I'm lucky to have real gentlemen musicians - for years I've been singing with the brilliant pianist Lev Rybalkin and the equally brilliant double bassist František Raba. Playing with them is like a dream! We have a great chemistry and I'm very happy when the energy goes to the audience and they return it in spades.
Photo: Archive of Jitka Zelenkova
