Jarmila Šuláková (27 June 1929 – 11 February 2017) was a

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places *Czech, ...

vocalist and occasional actress. She was a significant exponent of

Moravian traditional music Moravian traditional music or Moravian folk music represents a part of the European musical culture connected with the Moravian region of the Czech Republic. Styles of Moravian traditional music vary by location and subject, but much of it is c ...

, sometimes called the "queen of the folk song". She was born in

Vsetín Vsetín () is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. Originally a small town, Vsetín has become an important centre of industrial, economic, cultural and sports life during the 20th century. Administ ...

Moravian Wallachia Moravian Wallachia ( cs, Moravské Valašsko, or simply ''Valašsko''; ro, Valahia Moravă) is a mountainous ethnoregion located in the easternmost part of Moravia in the Czech Republic, near the Slovak border, roughly centered on the cities Vs ...

, into an artistic family. Her mother was an actress, dancer and singer, her father was a musician. She studied to be a

seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Nota ...

. In 1950 she began working as a sales assistant in the

Supraphon Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, oriented mainly towards publishing classical music and popular music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers. History The Supraphon name was first registered as a trademark in 1932. T ...

shop in Vsetín, where she remained until her retirement in 1985. She married the violinist Ludvík Schmidt (died in 1970). They had one child, daughter Zuzana. Šuláková sang in various ensembles since her school years. Since 1952, she was a soloist of BROLN (The Orchestra of Traditional Folk Instruments of the

Brno Brno ( , ; german: Brünn ) is a city in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Located at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers, Brno has about 380,000 inhabitants, making it the second-largest city in the Czech Republic ...

Radio), with which she performed in the former Czechoslovakia and abroad (Vietnam, China, Mongolia, the Soviet Union, Korea, Cuba, Belgium, United Kingdom, Senegal, Bulgaria, Romania, Japan, USA, Canada, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Finland, Denmark). Her collaboration with BROLN lasted until October 1993. From 1994 to 2011 she regularly performed with the folk-rock group Fleret. Her songs appeared on numerous audio recordings. In 1979, she was awarded the title Merited Artist and in 1989 she was named

National Artist National Artist is an honorary title issued by some states as a highest recognition of artists for their significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the nation. An equivalent title, People's Artist, has been known in countries of the f ...

. Additionally, she won 1955 bronze award and 1957 silver award at the

World Festival of Youth and Students The World Festival of Youth and Students is an international event organized by the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) and the International Union of Students after 1947. History The festival has been held regularly since 1947 as an eve ...

. Šuláková died in Vsetín on 11 February 2017 at the age of 87.

Selected discography

*''Jarmila Šuláková'' (LP,

1979, 1117 2549 G) *''A vy páni muziganti. Folk Songs From Moravian Wallachia'' (CD, Supraphon 1993, 11 1839-2 711) *''Fleret & Jarmila Šuláková'' (CD, 1995) *''Kyčera, Kyčera'' (songs from 1954 to 1971, CD,

Czech Radio Český rozhlas (ČRo) is the public radio broadcaster of the Czech Republic operating since 1923. It is the oldest radio broadcaster in continental Europe and the second oldest in Europe after the BBC. The service broadcasts throughout the Cz ...

+ Galén 2014, originally Supraphon, G 14 061 2)

Filmography

*''Ještě svatba nebyla'' (1954) *''Všichni mají talent'' (1984)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sulakova, Jarmila 1929 births 2017 deaths Czechoslovak women singers 20th-century Czech actresses Czech film actresses Recipients of Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) People from Vsetín 20th-century Czech women singers 21st-century Czech women singers