Radůza

Biography

As a singer, composer of music and lyrics and an instrumentalist, Radůza began her career with a sort of blues repertoire playing on the street. She was soon discovered there in 1993 by a Czech singer named Zuzana Navarová. Three days later Radůza was introduced to a wider public in Lucerna at a concert called "The end of Czech culture - no!" In May of the same year she was again performing on the stage in Lucerna as the opening act for the American pop-star, Suzanne Vega. Radůza then collaborat...

As a singer, composer of music and lyrics and an instrumentalist, Radůza began her career with a sort of blues repertoire playing on the street. She was soon discovered there in 1993 by a Czech singer named Zuzana Navarová. Three days later Radůza was introduced to a wider public in Lucerna at a concert called "The end of Czech culture - no!" In May of the same year she was again performing on the stage in Lucerna as the opening act for the American pop-star, Suzanne Vega. Radůza then collaborated for two seasons with a band called Nerez. In 1994 Radůza was invited by members of Nerez to participate in the recording of their Christmas CD "Nerez v Betlémě". She released MC at the firm Black point and in cooperation with the agency, Krach Jiřího Korna, she made a video-clip for Czech television.

In 1996 she performed as the guest of a well-known band, Marsyas, and in February 1996 she cooperated with Michal Pavlíček and the band, Abraxas, on the filming of a television program entitled "Na Kloboučku". In the summer of 1999 Radůza opened for Mike Oldfield. Since January 1999 she has performed in the Cabaret of Václav Koubek in Jazzclub Železná.

In 2001 Radůza finished her studies at the Prague conservatory, where she graduated from her studies in composition with the spiritual cantata recorded by the Czech Radio. In the same year her first CD called "Andělové z nebe" ("Angels from Heaven") was released by the company Indies records. She is also the composer of the backround music for the performance "Století touhy"/"Century of Desire"/ at the theatre Archa, "Lišák"/"Fox"/, and "Baron z Hopsapichu" /"Baron of Hopsapich"/ at the Theatre in Celetná, Spolek Kašpar.

As a guest, she participated in the recording of the CD of the Brno band named Cymbelín (CD called "Kolem osy" - "Round the Axis", 2001), cult band Jablkoň (CD "Cestující v noci" - "Travelling at Night", 2003) and released her author's CD "...při mě stůj" ("…stand by me") (Indies rec., 2003). In January 2003 Brno television transmitted Radůza's recital "Solo for…", in February of the same year Radůza appeared beside Zuzana Navarová in the program "At full blast" and accepted an invitation to the program "A night with an Angel". Her cooperation with the band Jablkoň reached its peak with the instrumentalisation of a piece of music for the 25th anniversary of the existence of the band Symphonic Jablkoň, when she sang in the Archa theatre with a symphonic orchestra.

Her music is partly derived from chanson, but Radůza is mostly inspired by folk music and the mood of city flash songs, which in her raw presentation offer unexpected musical and text phrases. Therefore she belongs to the youngest generation of Czech alternative music and she is successfully accepted not only in her home country, but also abroad.

The year 2003 brought her awards: three Golden Angels (Czech music industry awards) in categories: Singer of the Year, Discovery of the Year and the Folk&Country category. Her last CD "…stand by me" stayed near the top of IFPI CD sales chart for several weeks, therefore it is no surprise Radůza is going to be awarded a golden disc in June.

CD, MC Andělové z nebe, Indies rec., 2001
CD, MC Při mně stůj, Indies rec., 2003

Her album "...Stand By Me" has been at the top of the pop charts for a few weeks and so it was no surprise when she was awarded the golden record in June.

In the same year Radůza was awarded The Golden Nightingale Contest award for the artist who has increased in public popularity the most during the past 12 months.

In the beginning of 2005 Radůza went on a tour to France where she tried out her new songs in front of live audiences, which she recorded in a studio immediately after her return. Therefore her last album "V hoře" ("In a Mountain") has rocketed up the charts - again without any media campaign. Critics and audiences have responded very enthusiastically, but Radůza went on a few months later to add some new songs to her repertoire – songs that have not been recorded yet. She played the songs accompanied by the piano (which she used to play before the accordion) and her performances are therefore given a new dimension.

In September 2005 Radůza was invited to cooperate in a new film by Jan Hřebejk „A Beauty in Difficulties“. Not only can the audience look forward to songs known from her previous CDs, but to a completely new blues track that was written specially for this film, based on a text of Robert Graves. She is accompanied by members of Koa Band – Omar Khaouaj and František Raba. On this track Radůza plays harmonica solo and she is going to release the soundtrack as she does not suppose she will include this song in any of her future CDs. This blues track has an exotic flavour. It will be the first time the singer trying to avoid being in centre of media attention appears in a movie.

Hana Hegerová said about Radůza that she is the best chanson singer in this time.


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