Jaromír Nohavica

Jaromír Nohavica or Jarek Nohavica (born 7 June 1953, Ostrava) is a Czech songwriter, lyricist, and poet.
He was born in Ostrava and has played guitar since he was 13. He began studying at the Technical University of Ostrava but eventually left the school. He tried various jobs and eventually ended up working as a freelance lyricist. He gained fame with his first song for Marie Rottrová, Lásko, voní? de?těm (You Smell of Rain, My Love; actually a cover version of the song She's Gone by Black Sabbath). He lives in Ostrava with his wife and two children.
In 1982 he started performing in public, a sound decision in that a number of his songs gained wide popularity. His first album, Darmoděj (The Wastrel), released in 1988, sold out immediately. An aura of myth arose around Nohavica which survived even the crisis period of his treatment for alcoholism. He subsequently released the lovely, slightly pessimistic Mikymauzoleum (Mickey Mausoleum), an album of mainly melancholy songs. In 1994 he recorded a live album, T?i ?uníci (Three Piglets), intended for children, with humoristic songs.
In 1996 Nohavica released Divné století (Strange Century). He and his producer employed new instruments and voices for the new songs on the album, and it became a huge success. Two years later the Jaromir Nohavica and Kapela (i.e. the Band) came out with Koncert (Concert), a record featuring Nohavica playing with a band, and this fact recognizably changed his music. The album contains mainly older material, but the new treatment gave it a new appeal. His studio album from 2000, Moje smutné srdce (My Sad Heart), contains mostly sad songs about love.
Nohavica also starred in Petr Zelenka's movie Rok ?ábla (Year of the Devil), which was awarded the main prize at the 37th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2002 and several other international film festivals. He translated Polish musical Painted on Glass for Divadlo Na Fidlova?ce and poeticized Mozart's opera Così fan tutte for The National Moravian-Silesian Theatre.
Apart from his native Czech Republic, he also enjoys popularity in neighbouring Poland and Slovakia.