Ondřej Havelka (born 10 October 1954) is a Czech jazz and swing singer, actor, and director. He began his musical career singing with the jazz band Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra in 1976 and went on to form his own group, Ondřej Havelka a jeho Melody Makers, in 1995. He has worked as an actor since the 1970s, and he is the director of several documentary films as well as the 2018 feature Hastrman.
Early life Ondřej Havelka was born on 10 October 1954 in Prague, Czechoslovakia (present-day Czech Republic). He is the son of actress Libuše Havelková and composer Svatopluk Havelka. After graduating in acting from Prague's DAMU in 1980, he pursued postgraduate studies in opera directing at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno, graduating in 1988. Between 1973 and 1983, he also worked at Prague's Studio Ypsilon theatre, and he did a sting at Prague's Karlín Music Theatre.
Career Music Havelka joined the Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra (OPSO) in 1976 as its lead vocalist, releasing five studio albums with the group. He left in 1995 to form his own band in Berlin, the Golden Prague Syncopated Orchestra, taking several members of OPSO with him. The ensemble was later renamed Ondřej Havelka a jeho Melody Makers, and it remains active to this day.
Film and television
In 1989, Havelka began working as a screenwriter and director in television. In 1990, he wrote the script and directed the music documentary Originální pražský synkopický orchestr, about his former band, which won the "Silver Rose" award at the 1991 Rose d'Or festival. In 1995, he wrote the script for and directed the television documentary Mezzosoprano Magdalena Kožená. In 1999, he wrote, directed, and appeared in the documentary film Zdravý nemocný Vlastimilený Brodský. In 2008, he directed the documentary film Magdalena, once more about Kožená. In 2012, he made the documentary film Perla baroka, about the theatre at Český Krumlov Castle. In 2018, Havelka wrote and directed his first feature film, Hastrman, which starred Karel Dobrý and Simona Zmrzlá.
Awards In 1995, Havelka won the Gramy award for directing the best music video, for the song "Děkuji, bylo to krásné". A year later, he won once more, this time for best jazz performer.
In 2018, he received an honorary citizenship from the Prague 5 city hall for "lifelong contributions to society", namely, in the field of culture.
Personal life Havelka has two sons, including actor and musician Vojtěch Havelka (who has played in his father's band) and singer, actress, dancer, and former model Rozálie Havelková.
Discography with Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra at Breda Jazz Festival (live, 1979) Originální Pražský Synkopický Orchestr (1979) Stará, Natoč Gramofon (1982) Jazz & Hot Dance Music 1923–31 (1984) Sám s Děvčetem v Dešti (1989) Hello Baby (1994)
Solo Ondřej Havelka uvádí The Swings (1995)
with Ondřej Havelka a jeho Melody Makers Mě to tady nebaví (1998) Šťastný nový rok '98 (1998) Jen pro ten dnešní den (1999) Rhapsody in Blue: Pocta George Gershwinovi (1999) Swing It (2000) Sing, Sing, Sing featuring Sestry Havelkovy (2001) Vzpomínky na hvězdný prach (2002) Nejlepší kusy z repertoiru Ondřeje Havelky a jeho Melody Makers (compilation, 2003) Tentokrát zcela rozvrkočení (2005) Ondřej Havelka a jeho Melody Makers vám přejí veselé vánoce. Bílé a oranžové (2005) Rhapsody in Blue Room (2007) Saturnin (2010) Dávají perly swingu (2012) Kríze sem, kríze tam... (2014) Nás to tady furt baví (2015) Cole Porter with Magdalena Kožená (2017) Swing nylonového věku (2021) Nebe Na Zemi with Adam Plachetka (2023)
Selected filmography Writer and director Originální pražský synkopický orchestr (1990) Mezzosoprano Magdalena Kožená (1995) Zdravý nemocný Vlastimilený Brodský (1999) Poslední mohykán (The Last of the Mohicans, 2009) – documentary mapping the life of jazz musician Jiří Traxler Magdalena (2008) Perla baroka (2012) Hastrman (2018)
Actor
+ Year Title Role Notes1977Řeknem si to příští létoKarel1980Koncert na konci létaFenixKrakonoš a lyžníciTeacher1980–1985BakalářiVarious rolesTelevision series; 4 episodes1982Incomplete EclipseEye doctor1983Pod nohama nebePetrOblouk světlaVenclTelevision series; 2 episodes1984Cesta kolem mé hlavyProfessor Robert Kilián1985RumburakMr. Tumlír1986Není sirotek jako sirotekJirka SpěváčekChobotnice z druhého patraBódaTelevision series; 1 episode1986–1990Malý televizní kabaretTelevision series; 13 episodes1988Nefňukej, veverko!Father's friendPanoptikum města pražskéhoDr. SoučekTelevision series; 10 episodes1989Dobrodružství kriminalistikyAlphonse BertillonTelevision series; 1 episode1991KafkaFriend of Kafka1994SaturninJiří Oulický1995Zdravý nemocný Vlastimilený BrodskýHimself
References
External links
Ondřej Havelka at CSFD.cz Ondřej Havelka a jeho Melody Makers official website