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Violetta Villas is a Actor Polonaise born on 10 june 1938 at Liège (Belgique)
Czesława Gospodarek (10 June 1938 – 5 December 2011), known by her stage name Violetta Villas, was a Belgian-born Polish and international cabaret star, singer, actress, composer and songwriter. Her voice was characterized as coloratura soprano, which spanned over 4 octaves. She could play the piano, violin, and trombone and had absolute pitch. Characterisations of her included "the voice of the atomic age", "the singing toast of the continent", "a voice like French champagne", and the "Polish Yma Sumac". Villas was the first star of the Casino de Paris at Dunes Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (1966–1971).
Villas was known for her conspicuous wardrobe and number-one hits. During her show business career, Villas acted in six films, performed in numerous musical shows, and recorded almost three hundred songs in ten languages, including Polish, English, French, German, Italian, Latin, Neapolitan, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese. She was an animal rights activist.
Villas was a very controversial person for her alcohol and morphine addiction and being a Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs informant with the code name Gabriella. Moreover she had a delusional disorder, which has a bad influence on her contacts with her environment and family.
In 2011, Villas received the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
Villas was born in Heusy, Liège province, the third of four children. She spent her childhood in Belgium. Her father Bolesław Cieślak (4 December 1907 – 9 May 1960) was a miner and bandmaster, and her mother Jane (26 January 1914 – 17 February 1985) was a housewife. In 1948 she came with her parents to Poland and settled in Lewin Kłodzki where she began studying music. She played the piano and violin in her youth.
In 1956 she began studying solo singing at the State Musical High School in Szczecin. She continued her artistic education in Wrocław with a professor Gisela Posh. In 1959 she began classical vocal lessons with a professor Eugenia Falkowska in Warsaw.
1960–1965: Early career
In 1960, Villas made her debut on Polskie Radio at the invitation of its director of music, Władysław Szpilman. Her first broadcast songs were Gdy zakwitną czereśnie and Ja nie mogę tamtej drugiej znieść. She recorded her first album, "Rendez-vous with Violetta Villas" in 1962. She received her first noteworthy prize at the Sopot Festival in 1961 and 1962. In 1964, 1965 and 1966 she performed at National Festival of Polish Song in Opole.
In the early 1960s, Villas toured many countries in Europe, including Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania, as well as in the United States, Canada and Israel.
In 1964 at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, Bruno Coquatrix invited her to France. At the 3rd Festival International des Variétés et Music-Halls in Rennes, Villas received her Grand Prix International d'Interpretation (she sang including Ave Maria). In 1965, she performed at the Fontaine Theatre (show Roue de la Chance, director André Chanu). In 1966, at a personal request of Bruno Cocquatrix, Villas appeared in the Grand Music Hall de Varsovie, revue program at Olympia. The premiere was 26 July 1966. Villas sang including Ave Maria no Morro and Hiroshima Mon Amour. In Paris she was approached by Frederic Apcar, who invited her to Las Vegas.
1966–1971: Las Vegas and Casino de Paris
In December 1966 Villas performed at the Casino de Paris at Dunes Hotel & Casino. In her first program she sang including "Under Paris Skies", "Granada", "O Sole Mio", "Strangers in the Night" and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici". Villas sang in duets with Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Barbra Streisand, Charles Aznavour, Sammy Davis, Jr., Eartha Kitt, Dean Martin.
Her personal stylist was Patrick Valette, a Frenchman from fashion house Dior. She performed her show with a hundred-person French ballet. She lived in a villa with private swimming pool. In late 60s Villas recorded twenty songs for an American Television and Capitol Records. In March 1968 began a screen test for MGM film studio, where she was later signed to a movie contract.
1971–1987: Isolation and comeback
Villas was offered a lucrative eight-year contract with Paramount Pictures but turned it down because of her mother's illness which saw her to return to Poland. The Polish Communist authorities onfiscated her passport, which confined her in Poland for over a decade. However, she was not completely banned from the media and was able to pursue her career locally. In 1985, she made a comeback, just a few years after martial law ended, in a series of sold-out performances. Authorities returned her passport, and she resumed her international career. She later toured the USA and Australia.
In 1987 she went to the tour, "Violetta" after the United States and Canada. The premiere was September 14 at Carnegie Hall, where she received a standing ovation. In New York her concert was sold out. Villas performed in Las Vegas, Denver, Miami, Texas, Montreal and Chicago.
Source : Wikidata
Violetta Villas
Birth name Czesława Maria Cieślak
Nationality Pologne
Birth 10 june 1938 at Liège (Belgique)
Death 5 december 2011 (at 73 years)
Nationality Pologne
Birth 10 june 1938 at Liège (Belgique)
Death 5 december 2011 (at 73 years)
Villas was known for her conspicuous wardrobe and number-one hits. During her show business career, Villas acted in six films, performed in numerous musical shows, and recorded almost three hundred songs in ten languages, including Polish, English, French, German, Italian, Latin, Neapolitan, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese. She was an animal rights activist.
Villas was a very controversial person for her alcohol and morphine addiction and being a Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs informant with the code name Gabriella. Moreover she had a delusional disorder, which has a bad influence on her contacts with her environment and family.
In 2011, Villas received the Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
Biography
Early lifeVillas was born in Heusy, Liège province, the third of four children. She spent her childhood in Belgium. Her father Bolesław Cieślak (4 December 1907 – 9 May 1960) was a miner and bandmaster, and her mother Jane (26 January 1914 – 17 February 1985) was a housewife. In 1948 she came with her parents to Poland and settled in Lewin Kłodzki where she began studying music. She played the piano and violin in her youth.
In 1956 she began studying solo singing at the State Musical High School in Szczecin. She continued her artistic education in Wrocław with a professor Gisela Posh. In 1959 she began classical vocal lessons with a professor Eugenia Falkowska in Warsaw.
1960–1965: Early career
In 1960, Villas made her debut on Polskie Radio at the invitation of its director of music, Władysław Szpilman. Her first broadcast songs were Gdy zakwitną czereśnie and Ja nie mogę tamtej drugiej znieść. She recorded her first album, "Rendez-vous with Violetta Villas" in 1962. She received her first noteworthy prize at the Sopot Festival in 1961 and 1962. In 1964, 1965 and 1966 she performed at National Festival of Polish Song in Opole.
In the early 1960s, Villas toured many countries in Europe, including Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania, as well as in the United States, Canada and Israel.
In 1964 at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, Bruno Coquatrix invited her to France. At the 3rd Festival International des Variétés et Music-Halls in Rennes, Villas received her Grand Prix International d'Interpretation (she sang including Ave Maria). In 1965, she performed at the Fontaine Theatre (show Roue de la Chance, director André Chanu). In 1966, at a personal request of Bruno Cocquatrix, Villas appeared in the Grand Music Hall de Varsovie, revue program at Olympia. The premiere was 26 July 1966. Villas sang including Ave Maria no Morro and Hiroshima Mon Amour. In Paris she was approached by Frederic Apcar, who invited her to Las Vegas.
1966–1971: Las Vegas and Casino de Paris
In December 1966 Villas performed at the Casino de Paris at Dunes Hotel & Casino. In her first program she sang including "Under Paris Skies", "Granada", "O Sole Mio", "Strangers in the Night" and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici". Villas sang in duets with Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Barbra Streisand, Charles Aznavour, Sammy Davis, Jr., Eartha Kitt, Dean Martin.
Her personal stylist was Patrick Valette, a Frenchman from fashion house Dior. She performed her show with a hundred-person French ballet. She lived in a villa with private swimming pool. In late 60s Villas recorded twenty songs for an American Television and Capitol Records. In March 1968 began a screen test for MGM film studio, where she was later signed to a movie contract.
1971–1987: Isolation and comeback
Villas was offered a lucrative eight-year contract with Paramount Pictures but turned it down because of her mother's illness which saw her to return to Poland. The Polish Communist authorities onfiscated her passport, which confined her in Poland for over a decade. However, she was not completely banned from the media and was able to pursue her career locally. In 1985, she made a comeback, just a few years after martial law ended, in a series of sold-out performances. Authorities returned her passport, and she resumed her international career. She later toured the USA and Australia.
In 1987 she went to the tour, "Violetta" after the United States and Canada. The premiere was September 14 at Carnegie Hall, where she received a standing ovation. In New York her concert was sold out. Villas performed in Las Vegas, Denver, Miami, Texas, Montreal and Chicago.
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Filmography of Violetta Villas (4 films)
Actress
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The Woodpecker (1971)
, 1h25Genres Comedy
Actors Wiesław Gołas, Irena Kwiatkowska, Władysław Hańcza, Violetta Villas, Alina Janowska, Wiesław Michnikowski
Rating62%
Heaven with a Gun (1969)
, 1h41Directed by Lee H. Katzin
Origin USA
Genres Western
Actors Glenn Ford, Carolyn Jones, Barbara Hershey, John Anderson, David Carradine, Violetta Villas
Rating62%
Preacher Jim Killian (Ford) arrives in a town divided between cattlemen and sheep herders. Killian is not just any preacher. He is a former gunslinger who has set upon a different path.
How to Commit Marriage (1969)
, 1h35Directed by Norman Panama
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Actors Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason, Jane Wyman, Leslie Nielsen, Paul Stewart, Maureen Arthur
Rating53%
Nancy, the 19-year-old daughter of Frank and Elaine Benson (Bob Hope and Jane Wyman), wants to marry David (Tim Matheson), the 20-year-old son of Oliver Poe (Jackie Gleason). What the bride doesn't know is that her parents are about to get a divorce.
Paint Your Wagon (1969)
, 2h46Directed by Joshua Logan
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Action, Musical, Western
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Films based on plays, Films based on musicals
Actors Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood, Jean Seberg, Harve Presnell, Ray Walston, Alan Baxter
Rating65%
When a wagon crashes into a ravine, prospector Ben Rumson finds two adult male occupants, brothers, one of whom is dead and the other of whom has a broken arm and leg. As the first man is about to be buried, gold dust is discovered at the grave site. Ben stakes a claim on the land and adopts the surviving brother as his "Pardner" while he recuperates.