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 studies 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, voníš deštěm (You Smell of Rain, My Love) - it was a remake of Black Sabbath 's ballad "She's Gone". He lives in Ostrava, has a 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 (Aimless), released in 1988 was an immediate sell-out. An aura of myth arose around Nohavica which survived even the crisis period of his treatment for alcoholism. His subsequent release of the lovely, slightly pessimistic Mikymauzoleum (Mickey Mousoleum), an album of mainly melancholy songs. In 1994 he live recorded an album Tři čuníci (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 Jaromír Nohavica and Kapela (ie. 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 Ďábla (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.
Apart from his native Czech Republic, he also enjoys some popularity in neighbouring Poland and Slovakia.

He has just released a brand new CD called Ikarus which was recorded during his January's sets of concerts in Ostrava.