Kratochvilova, Jana
active from year 1973
popular Czech female-singer of 70's and 80's with a harsh voice. after some seeking among styles in her beginnings (with interesting trips to chanson e.g. on single recordings Song / Rock taken from Polish Maryla Rodowicz) she had several big reggae hits. In 80's she left Czechoslovakia. She also used nicknames Jana Pope and Z Goddess. In the beginnings among others accompanied by Kroky, a band of Frantisek Janecek, with many good musicians. After she left, the band's keyboard player Ladislav Stancl became the lead singer under the new name Michal David and produced mean disco-pop garbage. Kratochvilova later worked with many other excellent musicians (see Pavel Trnavsky Band). Her uncontrollable nature did not fit in the image of the genuine communist artist. Finally, the communist régime succeeded in getting Jana out of the country. In 1983 she emigrated to London where she recorded an album with Pavel Trnavsky and her life partner Jiri Hrubes for Polydor. The original intention was to present her as "Madonna from the East" which did not work; Jana was not willing to get herself formed into a good little pop star, neither in Czechoslovakia nor in Great Britain. In the end, Polydor even did not put the already finished album to distribution. Jana then performed under various names (Jana Pope, Z Goddess, Uriel etc.) but even after she was able to perform and record back in freed Czechia, she never found her original energy and rock drive back again.
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