Norman Rothstein Theatre, Winter 2014.<\/b><\/p>\n
Lenka Lichtenberg creates uniquely Canadian world music, channeling the rich Toronto soundscapes of Middle East, India and Brazil, and her\u00a0own\u00a0East European heritage. Once a child star in her native Prague, Czech Republic, she is an award-winning recording artist, published composer, sought-after session vocalist (Yiddish, English, Czech, French, Russian, Hebrew), and bandleader with 6 solo CD releases and several collaborations on her resume. Lenka is in the midst of a diverse international concert career, traveling across continents as a solo artist, with a trio, her group \u201cFray\u201d, or with one of her collaborative projects. Most recently, she has commenced collaboration with Eccodek’s Andrew McPherson; the resulting remix of one of her songs, “Open My Eyes”, was picked as “Song of the Week” on CBC’s Here and Now in 2014. Summer touring found\u00a0Lenka in concerts with Yair Dalal and Alan Bern in Czech Republic, presenting a series of Lullabies from exile concerts in Canada, \u00a0and touring in\u00a0the U.S. with her band Fray in November, 2015.\u00a0Lenka’s plans for 2016\u00a0include publishing \u00a0a collection of her original Yiddish songs, releasing an EP of Eccodek remixes, filming two new music videos, and recording the bulk of an upcoming CD of Czech and Moravian songs, titled “Masaryk.” As well, the British world music label ARC is set to release Lenka’s “Yiddish Journey” in February, 2016.<\/p>\n
Interview:<\/p>\n
Ako mlad\u00e9 diev\u010da ste boli hviezdou v divadle Semafor. Pre\u010do pr\u00e1ve Semafor a ako si na toto obdobie spom\u00ednate?<\/p>\n
Maminka sly\u0161ela v r\u00e1diu pana Such\u00e9ho, jak si st\u011b\u017eoval, \u017ee mu Zuzanka Vrbov\u00e1, jeho prvn\u00ed d\u011btsk\u00e1 partnerka, vyrostla a \u017ee hled\u00e1 novou. Maminka mu napsala, a jednoho dne se Ji\u0159\u00ed Such\u00fdvozval na telefonu \u2013 a\u0165 p\u0159ijdu na konkurs. Ten jsem vyhr\u00e1la, pak nasledovala doba u\u010den\u00ed se p\u00edsn\u00ed, n\u00e1\u0161 prvn\u00ed hit \u201cNa louce zp\u00edvaj drozdi\u201d, a pak hra Benefice. Z t\u00e9 poch\u00e1zely p\u00edsne jako \u201cNa obloze tetelej se mr\u00e1\u010dky\u201d. Bylo to cel\u00e9 jako sen. Chodila jsem do skoly jakp \u201cnorm\u00e1lni\u201d d\u00edt\u011b ale sv\u011bt se mi \u00fapln\u011b zm\u011bnil. Po ve\u010derech jsem sed\u011bla v \u0161atn\u011b v Semaforu, mezi dosp\u011bl\u00fdmi, a u\u010dila se zemepis\u2026Byla jsem v Semaforu, krom\u011b p\u0159est\u00e1vky dvou let, a\u017e do 18 let. Bylo to jedin\u011b\u010dn\u00e9 d\u011btstv\u00ed a ml\u00e1d\u00ed, jsem za nej vd\u011b\u010dn\u00e1, I kdy\u017e tam byly tak\u00e9 n\u011bkter\u00e9 negativn\u00ed a i bolestn\u00e9 str\u00e1nky v\u011bc\u00ed. Jsem si v\u011bdom\u00e1, \u017ee mn\u011b to p\u0159edur\u010dilo dr\u00e1hu na zbytek \u017eivota.<\/b><\/p>\n
Po odchode z \u010ceskoslovenska v 70. rokoch ste \u017eili v D\u00e1nsku, nesk\u00f4r v Kanade, kde \u017eijete doteraz. \u010c\u00edm v\u00e1m u\u010darovala pr\u00e1ve Kanada?<\/p>\n
Romantikou ml\u00e1d\u00ed. Jako d\u00edt\u011b jsem byla posedl\u00e1 \u201cIndi\u00e1ny\u201d, jak jsem je \u201cznala\u201d z knih Karla Maye, a pak z filmu o Vinetou. Neuve\u0159iteln\u00e1 p\u0159\u00edroda, hory, mo\u0159e, nekone\u010dn\u00e9 d\u00e1lky. V porovn\u00e1n\u00ed s roztomil\u00fdm, placat\u00fdm, malinkat\u00fdm D\u00e1nskem to byl r\u00e1j na zemi. Ale mo\u017en\u00e1 to hlavn\u00ed bylo, \u017ee jsem si ihned uv\u011bdomila, \u017ee tady m\u00e1 p\u0159injemen\u0161\u00edm ka\u017ed\u00fd druh\u00fd p\u0159\u00edzvuk \u2013 co\u017e v D\u00e1nsku byl probl\u00e9m, zat\u00edmco tady v Kanad\u011b o tom nikdo nep\u0159em\u00fd\u0161l\u00ed.<\/b><\/p>\n
Va\u0161e detstvo v \u017eidovskej rodine sa pr\u00edli\u0161 nel\u00ed\u0161ilo od detstva in\u00fdch det\u00ed v Prahe. Zlom nastal po va\u0161ej prvej n\u00e1v\u0161teve Izraela. Ako to zmenilo v\u00e1\u0161 \u017eivot?<\/p>\n
Rozhodla jsem se, \u017ee budu v\u00e9st \u017eivot \u201cpo \u017eidovsku\u201d \u2013 ne z ortodoxn\u00ed n\u00e1bo\u017eensk\u00e9 str\u00e1nky, ale hlavn\u011b z profesion\u00e1ln\u00ed. \u017de se za\u010dnu zab\u00fdvat \u017eidovskou hudbou, proto\u017ee v\u0161echno ostatn\u00ed najednou pozbylo smyslu.<\/b><\/p>\n
Spievate v \u0161iestich jazykoch. Vlastne vytv\u00e1rate ak\u00fdsi most medzi kult\u00farami od Eur\u00f3py po orient. \u010co pre v\u00e1s spev znamen\u00e1?<\/p>\n
Moje du\u0161e se vyjadruje zp\u011bvem. Zp\u011bv je m\u016fj osobn\u00ed jazyk. Jde z mnohem v\u011bt\u0161\u00ed hloubky ne\u017e slova.<\/b><\/p>\n
P\u00e1r rokov dozadu ste dokon\u010dli zauj\u00edmav\u00fd projekt P\u00edsn\u011b pro d\u00fdchaj\u00edci st\u011bny \/Songs for the Breathing Walls\/. \u010co v\u00e1s k nemu in\u0161pirovalo?<\/p>\n
Jezd\u00edm \u010dasto do \u010cesk\u00e9 republiky, a st\u00e1le \u010dast\u011bji tam koncertuji. P\u0159i koncertech v synagog\u00e1ch jsem si v\u0161imla jak ka\u017ed\u00e1 synagoga m\u00e1 sv\u016fj siln\u00fd osobn\u00ed character. Byla jsem p\u0159esv\u011bd\u010dena, \u017ee se jedn\u00e1 o vice, ne\u017e pouhou akustiku. Zp\u00edvala jsem liturgick\u00e9 p\u00edsn\u011b a \u017ealmy pro st\u011bny, kter\u00e9 nebyly pr\u00e1zdn\u00e9, n\u011bco se mi vracelo. Rozhodla jsem se nahr\u00e1t tento cyklus s t\u00edm, \u017ee ka\u017ed\u00e1 p\u00edse\u0148 bude nato\u010dena v jin\u00e9 synagoze, a z\u00e1rove\u0148 s hudbou, bude zachyceno I to \u201cn\u011bco\u201d co tam existuje, tzv. \u201cgenius loci\u201d. Mysl\u00edm, \u017ee je to v nahr\u00e1vk\u00e1ch sly\u0161et\u2026 Byla to snaha o uct\u011bn\u00ed pam\u00e1tky t\u011bch, kte\u0159\u00ed ty budovy kdysi plnili sv\u00fdmi \u017eivoty, a kte\u0159\u00ed zcela zmizeli- a jsou zachyceni pr\u00e1v\u011b pouze v t\u011bch \u201cd\u00fdchaj\u00edc\u00edch\u201d st\u011bn\u00e1ch (v\u011bt\u0161ina t\u011bchto synagog se nach\u00e1z\u00ed v m\u00edstech, kde u\u017e \u017eidovsk\u00e1 komunita neexistuje).<\/b><\/p>\n
Spievate, sklad\u00e1te, ve\u013ea cestujete a ned\u00e1 sa nespomen\u00fa\u0165, \u017ee ste dr\u017eite\u013ekou nieko\u013ek\u00fdch prest\u00ed\u017enych cien. Ste tie\u017e man\u017eelkou a matkou. Ako sa v\u00e1m dar\u00ed sk\u013abi\u0165 toto v\u0161etko dokopy? Kde na to beriete energiu?<\/p>\n
U\u017e je to o hodn\u011b jednodu\u0161\u0161\u00ed. D\u011bti jsou studenti a nebydl\u00ed doma. Energie zat\u00edm m\u00e1m dost, douf\u00e1m \u017ee mi j\u011b\u0161t\u011b chvilku vydr\u017e\u00ed.<\/b><\/p>\n
Vy ste sa narodili v Prahe, v\u00e1\u0161 man\u017eel je sefardsk\u00fd \u017did. Ak\u00e9 zvyky dominuj\u00fa u v\u00e1s doma?<\/p>\n
Man\u017eel je z rodiny poch\u00e1zej\u00edc\u00ed z Ir\u00e1ku. Tradi\u010dn\u00ed ir\u00e1cko-\u017eidovsk\u00e1 kultura je v mnoha sm\u011brech sou\u010d\u00e1st\u00ed na\u0161eho \u017eivota, ale nen\u00e1 to moc ve viditeln\u00fdch oblastech krom\u011b ur\u010dit\u00e9ho zp\u016fsobu slaven\u00ed sv\u00e1tk\u00fa. Tak\u00e9 j\u00eddlo samoz\u0159ejmn\u011b\u2026 co man\u017eel m\u00e1 r\u00e1d z d\u011btstv\u00ed a te\u010f u\u017e to m\u00e1m r\u00e1da i j\u00e1 a na\u0161e d\u011bti. Ale to hlavn\u00ed je sp\u00ed\u0161e v ur\u010dit\u00e9m druhu chov\u00e1n\u00ed, temperamentu. Tradi\u010dn\u00ed, solidn\u00ed, spolehliv\u00e9, hlasit\u00e9, a v\u00fdbu\u0161n\u00e9 jako sopka!<\/b><\/p>\n
\u010co pl\u00e1nujete v najbli\u017e\u0161ej bud\u00facnosti?<\/p>\n
Te\u010f vy\u0161lo nov\u00e9 CD, spolupr\u00e1ce s proslul\u00fdm izraelsk\u00fdm virtuozem Yairem Dalalem, Lullabies from Exile. Je to rozmil\u00e9 CD, a zn\u00ed na n\u011bm i \u010de\u0161tina a sloven\u0161tina! Tak v p\u0159\u00eds\u0161t\u00edch m\u011bs\u00edc\u00edch budou n\u011bjak\u00e9 turn\u00e9\u2026 tak\u00e9 pracuji na nov\u00e9m pod\u00e1n\u00ed sv\u00e9 hudby, tzv. DEM (dance electronica music), vyv\u00edj\u00ed se to zaj\u00edmav\u011b. Ale na co se snad nejv\u00edce t\u011b\u0161\u00edm, je pl\u00e1novan\u00e9 CD \u010desk\u00fdch \/slovensk\u00fdch lidov\u00fdch p\u00edsn\u00ed. To bych r\u00e1da nato\u010dila v l\u00e9t\u011b 2015, mezi turn\u00e9 po dal\u0161\u00edch \u010desk\u00fdch a moravsk\u00fdch synagog\u00e1ch. N\u00e1pad\u016f na dal\u0161\u00ed projekty m\u00e1m v\u017edycky p\u0159\u00edli\u0161! V\u00edce ne\u017e \u010dasu\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n
Viac o Lenke Lichtenberg n\u00e1jdete na jej webovej str\u00e1nke:\u00a0www.lenkalichtenberg.com\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rozhovor pripravila Svetlana B\u00e1rdo\u0161ov\u00e1 <\/p>\n
\nPhoto: Jan Zeman<\/p>\n