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2005

For tsunami victims

Helena performed on the big charity concert on February 12 for the victims of the tsunami disaster in Asia at the end of 2004. She sang three songs and among them her great hits "Dlouha noc" and "Nebudemy sedet doma".

Cats - the musical

In April 2005 Helena played 19 times Grizabela in the Czech set up of the musical "Cats" at the theatre Milenium in Prague. Helena's performance of "Memory" was absolutely stunning.

"Solo pro tve oci" on CD

The 1986 album "Solo pro tve oci" (Solo for your eyes) was re-released in the spring 2005 in the remastered version on CD with some outstanding bonus tracks. The record company "Supraphon" had even found some more wonderful pictures from the 1986 photo session which had been added to the booklet. If you want to see the pictures go to the section Helena before 1997. The album was a kind of pop-techno project recorded in the best possible-available sound quality in 1986 and the remastered version sounds still very modern.

May

Meeting with the press on May 19th

Helena's management arranged a press conference to inform the press about forthcoming plans and the big celebration of Helena's 40 years on stage.

Practical joke on Polish TV

In May Helena toured in East Europe together with Karel Gott and other Czech, Polish and Russian artists. On May 25 she performed in Warsaw and on May 27 in Moscow. The concerts were as usual very successful. During her stay in Warsaw she was totally fooled by her friend - the Polish pop star - Maryla Rodowicz and the Polish TV channel "TVN".

The Polish show "Mamy cie" (We've got you) broadcasted weekly presented well-known stars who were subject for practical jokes. "The beautiful Helena" as she is called in Poland were together with Maryla on the meeting with fans which is held in a club outside Warsaw. The problems started when Helena and Maryla wanted to get back to Warsaw to the concert hall where Helena would rehearse and perform the same evening.

The first taxi driver did not want to drive them to Warsaw. He is very rude, takes pictures with Helena and disappears. Both stars took a drink in the bar waiting for the next taxi. During the same time Helena's luggage disappeared but the taxi was finally there.

The car was in a horrible shape and it was parted in two pieces as soon the driver started it. It was "too much" for Helena who still did not understand that everything was only joke. The driver accused the ladies for everything and said that they were too heavy and that's why the car became destroyed. He wanted money for the reparation. After several discussions between all involved the TV team finally came out. Helena was totally shaken of everything but at the end she found the whole situation quite funny anyway.

The international tour

Helena toured together with Karel Gott and other artists in Europe in May. The tour was called "The European Stars Tour 2005 - Europe 60 years without war" and it went to: Prag (Czech Republic), Warsaw (Poland), Moscow and St Petersburg (Russia).

Helena in the tennis center Rakovnik

Helena and other pop stars performed in the tennis center in Rakovnik (Czech Republic) on May 28 & 29.

Thanks Martin France for the wonderful pictures

June

New York, New York

The New York show at Carnegie Hall featuring Helena and Karel Gott was a great success. The songs performed during the evening on June 16th were among others: Ja pujdu dal (I will survive), Nebudemy sedet doma, Prejdi jordan, New York New York (OF COURSE!), Archimedes, Somwhere and many more.

Rendez-Vous - the album promotion

Helena signed her latest album "Rendez-vous" in the shopping centre in Prague on June 23.

August

Helena was special guest on Czech TV in August 05 on the TV show "Jagr Team proti zbytku sveta". She performed two songs - one of them together with Karel Gott.

Photo sessions - summer 2005

September

In Germany

The German TV channel MDR aired a big gala show from Weisswasser in Sachsen with a lot of schlager stars from Germany and other countries. There is no doubt about it that Helena was the biggest star of the evening. She performed twice. The first song was an old Helena hit "Archimedes" which was even hit in East Germany in the 1970s. Helena performed this song in German. Her second stage appearance was at the big final. The singer sang her brand new hit in Germany "Wunder geschehen". The show ended in many ways like the ABBA in Japan 1978 TV special with extremely big confetti falling from above on all artists. Both Helena performances were brilliant as usual and the new hit was appreciated by the audience.

She even helped with the promotion of the new album of Martin France, well-known musical artist in Czech Republic.

Thanks Martin for the pictures

October

New Helena recording

Helena Vondrackova and Lucie Bila have recorded a new song together - a cover of Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand's hit "Tell Him" in Czech.

Helena - the first 40 years

The biggest event for Helena and her fans in 2005 was the big gala show to celebrate her 40 years on stage. The show on October 18th was held at the "Top hotel"  in southern part of Prague. As Vondrackova is a big name even in other countries the show was attended not only by Czech and Slovakian fans but even by fans from Germany, Poland, Russia and Sweden. The show was recorded by Czech TV Nova for TV broadcast on December 26th at 9 p.m. The show is on DVD "Helena Gold".

Helena invited 40 guests among them: Marta Kubisova and Vaclav Neckar (with whom she sang in late 1960s as the group Golden Kids), Jiri Korn, Karel Gott, Ilona Csakova, Jitka Zelenkova, Petra Janu, Lucie Bila and many more big Czech stars. The show contained the biggest hits of Helena but of course not all of them as it is completely impossible to have all Helena hits in a two-hour-show.

Helena was as usual professional, beautiful, relaxed and happy. Helena received standing ovations which lasted for 10 minutes. Raffem.com had a big pleasure to meet both Helena and her husband Martin Michal. It was a great meeting as both Helena and Martin know and appreciate our homepage. We will thank Helena and Martin for those nice minutes together and for giving us the possibility to take private pictures for Helena fans on www.raffem.com. Before and after the show we met other stars. Check our Exhibition.

December

The Queens of Swing

On December 2nd Helena participated in the TV recording of a show featuring swing evergreens. She was one of the artists invited to the show which was filmed in Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary). The show was to be aired in March 2006.

The Golden Collection

The 4 CD-collection summing Helena's career between 1964 and 2005 was released in Czech Republic at the beginning of December. Helena embarked on her traditional Christmas tour.

Helena awarded with Czech Nightingale again

The singer received the bronze Czech Nightingale as the third most popular singer in Czech Republic in 2005.

2006

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Hello Dolly - the musical

The Tour of the Stars in Europe

Helena and Marta - The Ungelt theatre summer stage - June

Helena Gold - The DVD release

The Sopot Festival - September

New album - promotion - Litvinov Gala show

Zastav se (... a poslouchej) - the new album - October 23rd

Promotion in Lucerna in Prague, November 11th

Helena in Poland - December 2006

The Golden Nightingale Prize, December 9th

The beginning of the year 2006 brought the new photos of Helena taken at the end of 2005. The singer was extremely busy in December 2005 touring in Czech Republic and preparing the role in the musical "Hello Dolly" in Bratislava (Slovakia).

Hello Dolly in Bratislava (Slovakia)

The musical "Hello Dolly" had its official premiere with Helena in the title role at the theatre "New Stage" in the capital of Slovakia Bratislava on January 27th.

TV Nova 12 years

Helena participated in the gala celebrating 12 years of one of the most popular Czech TV channels "TV Nova". She sang two songs as well as she participated in a "drumming" sketch together with the moderators of the show. If she looked beautiful? Check the pictures...

The tour of the Stars in Europe

The tour of the Stars in Europe

After the huge success of the 2005 Tour of the Stars the same kind of tour was arranged in May 2006 with Helena as a Queen of the show. The premiere of the show took place in the Concert Hall Zofin in Prague on May 12th and the last concert was played on May 30th in the capital of Ukraina, Kiev.

On the summer stage, Prague June 14th, 2006

On June 14, Helena appeared on the summer stage of the theatre "Ungelt" in Prague as a special guest in Marta Kubisova's show. Both ladies performed their smash hit from late 1960s "Oh Baby Baby" and together with the chief of "Ungelt" they talked about good old times. Helena had even presented some of her greatest hits for the hot audience. As both singers said after the show this evening's audience was absolute great.

Raffem.com had a pleasure to talk with Helena and take pictures during the rehearsal and the show. Some of the you can see below.

The videos

Each video opens in a new frame. Be patient - it can take some seconds before the video starts.

Pictures

The rehearsal

The show

Private with raffem.com (Raffe & Stefan)

Helena Gold - DVD - June

Long awaited second DVD was released in June in Czech Republic. The title "Helena Gold" says everything. The DVD features the 40-years-celebration of Helena's successful existence on stage recorded by TV in October 2005 in Prague. The big surprise for Helena's fans all over the world was the inclusion of rare material from Sopot Festival 2000 (Poland) and Carnegie Hall in New York in 2000. Even 6 video clips from the latest period of Helena's career have been included.

The promotion

Helena promoted her new DVD at the end of June. Among invited guests there was an old friend Karel Gott.

At home

New private pictures of Helena and her home were published in July.

Sopot Festival in Poland

On Sunday September 3rd Helena performed on the International Song Festival in Sopot in Poland. One more time Helena received standing ovations that only confirm that Vondrackova is probably the most famous Czech singer in Poland. The artist performed 3 songs: "A ty se ptas co ja" (the cover of ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All"), Malovany dzbanku (her Grand Prix in Sopot in 1977) and "Ja pujdu dal" (the gay hymn "I will survive" recorded originally by Gloria Gaynor). The audience in Sopot was great. People were dancing and screaming "Helena" during the whole show. She appeared for the second time as a special guest of the Polish pop star Maryla Rodowicz. Together they performed Maryla's old hit "Malgoska" (re-recorded by the both artists a couple years ago and released). On the last song in Maryla's part of the concert even Karel Gott came out to join the girls.

The Polish press has always called Helena as "The beautiful Helena" and so they did even this time. The pictures published in the Polish press only confirm this "pet name".

And finally Helena promised to come back to Sopot soon...

New album - photo sessions & promotion

In the middle of September photo sessions for the forthcoming new studio album were held in Prague. A couple of days after on September 16th Helena had her first gala concert promoting the album in Litvinov in the northern part of Czech Republic.

Litvinov, September 16th, 2006

Helena presented several new songs as well as lots of her old and very old hits. The guests were Jitka Zelenkova and Petr Muk. Together they performed a rocky version of an old ELO hit "Don't Bring Me Down" (Helena played drums!!!). The new songs were Helena's version of the world hit "It's Raining Men", "Zastav se a poslouhej" (Stop and listen) and two more new songs with latino sound. The smash hits "Dlouha noc", "Sladke mameni" and "Malovany dzbanku" were of course included. In the audience there were more than 3 thousand people. The show ended with fireworks.

We had a possibility to meet Helena after the show.
(Thank you Helena and Martin)

Zastav se (... a poslouchej) - the new album

The new studio album "Zastav se (...a poslouchej)" (Stop (... and listen)) was finally released on October 23rd, 2006. It contained 13 new brand new songs recorded in the spring 2006 in Brussels (Belgium). The first single promoting album was Helena's cover of the world hit "It's Raining Men". Even the title track was released for the promotional purposes. Helena decided to mix different styles: pop ballads, disco, samba and bossa nova. Wonderful photo sessions were taken at the beginning of September 2006. The CD contain even the video bonus - the TV performance of "It's Raining Men" (entitled in Czech "Ja vitam dest" - I welcome rain).

The "stop and listen" photo sessions

The show in Lucerna, November 8th, 2006

On November 11th, Helena performed in the probably most prestigious music hall in Prague - the legendary "Lucerna". The show promoted officially the newly released album "Stop and listen". Helena's friends - Jiri Korn and Jitka Zelenkova were special guest stars during the evening. Helena performed several songs from her new album as well as old evergreens as her own version of ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All" and of course "Malovany dzbanku" which is still Helena's most popular hit in Poland

Thanks Vasek and Lenka (www.vondrackova.net) for the beautiful pictures.