Czech Prime Minister expresses condolences over the death of legendary Romani singer

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš expressed his condolences last week over the death of the legendary Romani singer Věra Bílá. "Allow me to express my deep and sincere condolences over the loss of this exceptional person," his condolence letter reads.
The letter is addressed to the ROMEA organization and expresses the PM's deep sympathy over the news of the singer's death. He wrote that Bílá, "thanks to her unforgettable voice, energy and talent, managed to charm crowds and bring people of different backgrounds together."
"She sang her songs with all her heart and won many fans and the interest of the general public and the media both in the Czech Republic and far beyond our borders. Through her artistry, Ms Bílá demonstrated that our country can offer the world diverse, authentic music," the letter reads.
The funeral for Ms Bílá, who passed away on 12 March, was held 23 March in Rokycany, Czech Republic. The service featured several live bands.
The singer was born on 22 May 1954 in Rokycany into the Giňa musical family. At the age of 15 she began to live with her husband, František, and 10 years later they adopted a son.
Bílá began her singing career at family celebrations, weddings and parties, accompanied by her father, Karol Giňa, on cembalom. At the turn of the millenium she was the best-known female singer in the world from the Czech Republic.
She became famous abroad and at home above all for her performances with the Kale band. They put out four albums together.
The debut album, Rom Pop, was released in 1996 and the musicians enjoyed success with it in France especially, but concert organizers in many countries were interested in booking the act. In 2005 she parted ways with the other musicians over disagreements.
Her life was most impacted by the tragic deaths of both her beloved son and husband. The documentary filmmakers David Vondráček and Roman Šantúr describe the dramatic events over two of the last year of her life in their recently released film "The Last Hope of Věra Bílá".
Don't miss:
- VIDEO: 2 000 people in Rokycany, Czech Republic, pay their respects to the Queen of Romani Music, Věra Bílá
- LIVE BROADCAST TODAY from the Czech Republic: Funeral of the Queen of Romani Music, Věra Bílá
- England: Requiem mass held for Věra Bílá, the Queen of Romani Music
- Funeral for Romani vocalist Věra Bílá to be held Saturday in Rokycany, Czech Republic
- Věra Bílá, legendary singer from the Romani community, has passed away in the Czech Republic
- Famous Romani vocalist Věra Bílá returns to the Czech music scene with Jan Bendig and Milan Kroka
- Czech Television presents documentary film about Romani singer Věřa Bílá
Related articles:
- Romani rapper Alex Dzurko's new video criticizes "Facebook warriors" and racists, laments social divisions
- Iveta Bílková: Czech society should not tolerate words like "Cigán", "Cigoši", etc.
- KHAMORO World Roma Festival and Prague Spring classical music festival given the EFFE Label
- Czech film of "The Painted Bird" features Romani child actor in the main role
- Former Culture Minister joins Czech Government Human Rights Council
- Romani musician Jan Surmaj has passed away in the Czech Republic
- Martina Horváthová's statement of resignation from the Czech Gov't Council on Romani Community Affairs
- Commentary: Is the Czech PM just a liar, or is he also paranoid?
- New vice-chair of the Czech Govt Romani Affairs Council: Problems must be addressed, especially in difficult times
- LIVE BROADCAST TONIGHT: Final Gala Concert of the Khamoro Festival
- Commentary: What can the European elections improve? The Czech Republic's global image
- Former Czech Justice Minister slated to become Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner
Tags:
Andrej Babiš, Film, Hudba, Věra BíláHEADLINE NEWS
