1971 – 54th Segment: “Yvetta”

In this series we present 100 songs which have gone down in the history of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic. On Czech Radio’s web pages you can find a poll, in which you can vote for the best hit from the past century. We look forward to your vote! We continue with the year 1971.

1971

Josef Škvorecký and his wife Zdenka Salivarová founded the well-known publishing house Exile in Toronto, Canada.

On July 12th, a section of the D1 motorway from Prague to Mirošovice was opened.

On October 23rd former Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka was born.

Most Czech rock groups from the 1960’s disintegrated or changed their musical focus under the pressure of the changing political situation in the early 1970’s. Many original rock musicians found themselves working in a less provocative mainstream song industry, subsequently injecting it with life.

Photo: Amiga

The beginning of Jiří Korn’s career is connected with the rock band Rebels, Shut Up and Olympic. Korn’s solo track was launched in 1971, and it was widely successful in Czechoslovakia, East Germany as well as in other countries. His premiere as a solo performer took place at the Intertalent competition, which was held in 1971 in Gottwaldov, now known as Zlín. Jiří Korn competed with a composition written by the well-known and experienced authors Karel Svoboda and Zdeněk Rytíř. The song, “Yvetta,” won the competition.

Vote for the best song of the century!