Marie Rottrová, the Czech singer often referred to as “Lady Soul,” continues her career despite twice announcing her retirement, most recently returning to live performances in 2013.
The artist, who turned 85 in November, maintains that she performs because she enjoys the work, having found that her earlier attempts to step away from the industry were unsustainable due to a persistent desire to sing.
The singer first attempted to leave the spotlight in 2011 at the age of 70, citing extreme mental and physical exhaustion, as reported by Novinky. While she enjoyed her time away, focusing on family and travel, she eventually realized that the absence of music left a void in her life.
“I didn’t regret a single minute of what I experienced afterward,” Rottrová told Novinky.
“I decided that if it were possible, I would return, but I would be more careful, I would watch myself more, and I would rest more.”
Her comeback was catalyzed by a 2012 invitation from singer Hana Zagorová to perform as a guest at a concert in Prague’s Lucerna.
According to Aktualne.cz, the enthusiastic response from the audience—which surprised and moved Rottrová—persuaded her that she still had a place on stage. She subsequently performed with Jaroslav Wykrent in Přerov, further solidifying her decision to return to the music industry.
Career breaks and musical evolution
This was not the first time Rottrová had stepped away from the public eye. In 1988, she moved to Germany after marrying, remaining there until 1992. She told Novinky that the decision was driven by physical fatigue from an intense touring schedule and a desire to settle in Stuttgart.
During that time, she still performed occasionally, including a 1990 tour for emigrants accompanied by a jazz band that featured her son, Martin, on guitar, according to Novinky.
Her return to the Czech scene in the mid-1990s was gradual, starting with performances accompanied only by a pianist before releasing the album Jeřabiny in 1995.
Rottrová’s transition from rock groups to soul and pop in the 1970s was influenced by the changing landscape of Czech radio, which began favoring domestic content, she told Novinky.
She credited lyricists like Jiřina Fikejzová and composers such as Jaroslav Wykrent with shaping her pop repertoire. Aktualne.cz notes that her early career was marked by soulless performances with the band Flamingo, later renamed Plameňáci, where she often sang in English before shifting to Czech-language hits like “Kůň bílý.”
Supraphon vydal sbírku k 85. narozeninám
To mark her 85th birthday, the label Supraphon released a comprehensive collection titled Řeka lásky / To nejlepší, featuring 85 songs. Rottrová, who has recorded over 600 tracks throughout her career, stated to Novinky that she does not intend to record new material, as she believes her existing catalog remains timeless.
Despite her long career, she remains selective about her activities. She stopped playing the piano publicly after breaking her thumb several years ago, noting to Novinky that her only significant public performance on the instrument was a four-handed duet with actor Josef Abrhám for the show Divadélko pod věží.
Otázky o návratu k hudbě a hře na klavír
Why did Marie Rottrová decide to return to music after her 2011 retirement? No. Although her father was a church organist and she trained on the piano, she told Novinky that she never considered herself a professional pianist.
She rarely played the instrument on stage, with the exception of a duet with Josef Abrhám during her television show, Divadélko pod věží.
Released to celebrate her 85th birthday, the collection serves as a retrospective of her career, containing 85 songs from her extensive discography, as reported by Aktualne.cz.