Slovak singer, keyboardist and lyricist Vašo Patejdl, co-founder of the Slovak music group Elán, died today at the age of 68 after a short and serious illness. The band, which after a break of several years on the music scene was preparing concerts in Prague and Bratislava for September 2024, announced this on social networks.
Yours Patejdl. | Photo: Deník/Martin Divíšek
“It is with infinite pain and emptiness in our hearts that we inform you that today, August 19, 2023, in the wee hours of the night, after a short and severe illness, an extraordinary and precious person, our lifelong friend, an exceptional and brilliant musician and world-class megahit music composer, has left us forever. Yours, Patejdl,” he wrote Zeal on Facebook.
The band said they would announce the time and place of the funeral at a later date. “It’s so fresh, at the request of the family, I won’t share the details,” said his manager Jiří Strážnický to ČTK regarding the final farewell to the musician.
Read the interview with Vašo Patejdl from 2021:
Vašo Patejdl: The eighth part was the culmination of Elán’s efforts to get on the podium
As part of the Elán 70 event, the group planned two concerts next year – in Prague and Bratislava. The musicians last performed in 2018, when at their tour in the Czech Republic and Slovakia among others, they sold out Prague’s O2 arena. Frontman Jožo Ráž subsequently said goodbye to Elán several times. The reason for the one-time return in 2024 was to celebrate the 70th birthday of Ráž and Patejdl.
Patejdl, who was born on October 10, 1954 in Karlovy Vary, also collaborated with the Slovak singer Richard Müller, for whom he composed the hit Po schodoch. He also created the music for the film Fontána pro Zuzana from 1986 or for the film fairy tale Seven Ravens from 2015.
According to music columnist Jindřich Göth, Patejdl’s contribution to the Elán band was mainly that he “had a flair for supporting melodies”. “He was an excellent musician, he had feelings and hearing. Thanks to this, Elán’s songs are still popular and are still played. He was to a large extent the engine of the band, so I think that the planned Elán concerts will not take place next year,” Göth told ČTK.
Your Patejdl – If you are not mine:
Source: Youtube
One of Patejdl’s last performances was a concert at the Venátská festival on July 27 this year! in the village of Liberec. The Slovak block was started by Vašo Patejdl with his accompanying group. “My concerts recently have a commemorative character,” said Patejdl to the audience at the time, who offered songs from the popular Fontány pro Zuzana as well as compositions from his solo career. He remembered Elán, for example, with the songs Zloděj súrnecíc, Mláďatá or Neglected Sex. Enthusiasm was then aroused by the hit “Water that keeps me afloat”.
The greatest composer of Slovak popular music
“He was a great guy, great fun with him. To Venice! I was really looking forward to him and he was very cool. But he always was. The concert was excellent and I was thinking that we would come up with something for next year as well,” the co-organizer of the Venátská! festival told ČTK. Petr Pečeny.
Chief Kalichu about Vašu Patejdl: A respected musician has passed away
The publishing house Opus and Warner Music Czech Republic also expressed their regret over the death of the popular musician. In your case, like no other, enormous talent was combined with excellent education and great diligence. That’s why we consider him one of the greatest, if not the greatest, composer of Slovak popular music,” she said in a statement. “Goodbye, the greatest artistic and human authority, we will miss you very, very much,” concluded Marcela Dvořáková on behalf of both publishers.
The group Elán was founded in 1968. They released 15 studio albums, five English albums and a number of compilations, for the sales of which they received 25 platinum records. Among their biggest hits are Láska moje, I can’t be alone or Tanečnice z Lúčnice. Patejdl, who in addition to singing also played keyboards, formed the backbone of the group together with Ráž and Jan Baláž.
2023-08-19 12:47:00
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