Marta Kubišová

Marta Kubišová

Marta Kubišová (1 November 1942 České Budějovice, then in Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia) is a Czech singer most popular in Czechoslovakia in 1960s. She won Zlatý slavík TV award in 1967.

Life

Family

Marta Kubišová’s father was a cardiologist and her mother a housewife. Her family moved to Poděbrady in 1952. She married Jan Něměc, who later emigrated and they got divorced. Her second husband was director Jan Moravec. Her daughter Kateřina was born on 1 June 1979.

Career

Her singing career started with a dance group in Nymburk. She reached the finals in Hledáme nové talenty in 1961. In 1963 she moved to Plzeň to perform. In September 1964 she performed in theater Rokoko. She won Silver Lyre of Bratislava with Helena Vondráčková in 1966. She created the group 'Golden Kids' with Václav Neckář and Vondráčková in 1967. Her song Prayer for Marta became a symbol of national resistance against the occupation of Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. During the Prague Spring, she recorded over 200 SP records and one LP (Songy a Balady), which was immediately banned from stores. The government unjustly banned her from performing in February 1970. She signed the Charter 77 and she became their speaker.

She suffered a miscarriage and survived clinical death. Marta was also an actress and she met her husband Jan Němec while filming. In 1990s and 2000s she also took part in concerts to promote human rights. She was awarded the Honorary Medal of T. G. Masaryk in 1998 and in October 2002 she got the St. Wenceslas Honours.