Prague, Czech Republic – ondลej Suchรฝ, a prolific artist spanning multiple disciplines, will celebrate his 80th birthday on Tuesday,โค September [date not specified in original text]. While often recognized as teh brother โof celebrated artist Jiลรญ Suchรฝ,Ondลej forged a distinct and accomplishedโข path in the world of artโฃ and entertainment,a fact Jiลรญโ himself acknowledges: “By letting me roller on my own,he did the best he coudl.”
Suchรฝ’s career began with โmusic, playingโค bass guitarโข with the band Crazy Boys led by Mรญky Volek.He then transitioned too painting and poetry, ultimately finding his niche in writing and cartoon humor. He served โขas an editor and, from 1979, oversaw the entertaining supplement to Svobodnรฉ slovo โข(Free Word) for 13 years. โคHis humorous style is evident in over โtwo dozen published books, including biographies of figures like Vlasta Burian, Oldลich novรฝ, Jan Werich,โฃ Lรญda Baarovรก, and Charlie โChaplin.
A successful lyricist, Suchรฝ cites โboth “I, either or I,” written for Hana Heger based on a French folk song, and โคthe children’s song “I caught theโ earthworm at Passece,” for Dada Patras, as highlights of his work.
He โขis also a โคfamiliar face and voice on Czech radio and television, having participated in the children’s cabaret Malรก televize (Smallโค Television) and โคhostingโ Cafรฉ U zapomenutรฝch (Cafรฉ of โthe Previously Born). He narrated audio recordings ofโข travels with Frantiลกek Nepil andโค createdโค a memorial album โdedicatedโฃ to Vladimรญr Menลกรญk.
Beyond his individual pursuits,โ Ondลej and Jiลรญ Suchรฝ are connectedโ to the cultural center of the “nostalgic Mouse” in ล emanovice, Kokoลรญn region. In 1995, they transformed a former pig farm into a multipurpose space and cultural center, furnished with props from the โSemafor Theatre. The location โฃalso served as a filming site for โtheir radio talk show, โ Nostalgickรก Muzea zรกbavy (Nostalgic Museum โof โEntertainment), โand for programs featuring IS Jรกra cimrman, โincluding โ Salon โCimrman.