Bodies celebrate 30 years. Frontman Luboš Beránek remembers milestones and invites to Chronos and Balbínka

Tela celebrated 30 years of its existence this year. When you started the band, could you have imagined that you would be around for so long?

Well, to be honest, we didn’t think about it at all at the time. We just wanted to play. By the way – for those 30 years only I have been working, I am the only one of the original members.

If you had to list important milestones of the band, what would they be?

I don’t know if it’s milestones, but I’ll try to remember a few important moments. Chronologically: 1993 – meeting and playing together with Starý hadry, later Chinaski, establishing cooperation with Bára Basiková’s Basic Beat, 1994 – month-long tour in Holland, 1995 – recording of the 1st CD, 1996 – triple victory in the SOS hit parade on TV Premiéra (now TV Prima) with the song Hej Báro, 1997 – performance in Snídani s Nova (there again in 2000), 2001 – collaboration with Jan Spálený, the band’s medallion in Music Zoom on TV3, 2002 – beginning of regular concerts in Balbín’s poetic tavern, 2004 – a musical medallion in the Pop Art show on Czech TV… There would probably be more… until 2018, when we had the opportunity to play in Brno and Prague in front of the legendary Slade.

Why did you name yourself Těla, it’s already quite a well-known story and we can find it on your website, but I heard somewhere that you changed your name for a while, can you tell us something about it?

This happened precisely in connection with Bára Basiková jumping ahead. Basic Beat bandleader Martin Němec approached us in 1993 saying that we were the second band after Oceán that interested him so much that he would like to help them. But he didn’t like the name “Těla” (he didn’t want it on the joint posters) and together with Jan Sahara Hedl, they insisted on changing the name to Nord. But, quite understandably, we didn’t like that – and we ended up with a compromise: We started performing under the name Zinkowski, which was the surname of my Polish great-grandfather. But that didn’t last long: the promised support of Martin Němek somehow fizzled out, and we returned to the original name shortly after.

By the way, in that 1993 Staré Hadry had just changed their name to Chinaski, and the ticket for our joint New Year’s Eve concert said Zinkowski + “Chinkowski” due to a typo. Smiling. A bit à la Šroubek and Vroubek from “Neználka”, as my brother said at the time.

That’s funny. How did it actually happen that the prized jazz singer Jana Koubková recorded two songs Smutnej pán and Dej mi, dej with you?

Jana Koubková was approached by our manager at the time, Pavel Bureš from Jičín, and fortunately for us, she was not at all against it. I could easily add the time spent in the studio with her to those imaginary milestones – an amazing collaboration with an amazing lady. I value this meeting and perhaps also the friendship very much.

Jan Spálený from ASPM named your third album, how did you get together with him?

Mr. Spálený used to have his listening program on Czech Radio and our two CDs got to him. He listened to them, and he contacted our manager himself, saying that he was getting loads of records and was one of the few who was interested in our band. And he offered to help, including producing the 3rd record. We were incredibly honored by his interest. Unfortunately, the collaboration on the CD did not happen in the end, Mr. Spálený had health problems at the time. However, he still took the time to visit us during the recording in the hosting studio (which he recommended to us), and even invited us to play together with “ASPM” – e.g. in Malostranská beseda.

We’ve been hearing new songs at concerts for a few months now – Selaví, for which there is already a clip on YouTube, Budu tu být and 41. Will you ever release them in a studio?

We would like to – we just want to add a few more to them. And since their birth depends above all on me, colleagues and fans must arm themselves with even more patience than before: It’s hard with me.

Bodies in concert with Slade in Lucerne (2018) | Hana Langrová

You recently returned to Home credit arena, I remember your spectacular concert at this place. Do you enjoy playing clubs, festivals or these bigger events like concerts with Slade or recently with Olympic?

Individual concerts are of course more important to us, whether in the mentioned Arena or in halls and clubs – people who come to see us, come exclusively to us, and we are all the more pleased with such patronage. However, “jumping ahead” in front of big bands is also of great importance to us – for example, the concerts before Slade in Brno’s Sono Center and in Prague’s Lucerna were an amazing experience.

I’ve always admired a certain uniqueness in your lyrics, and that you reveal a piece of your life in them. How does your family perceive it, does it enjoy publicity?

Neither my daughter nor my wife would be thrilled about possible publicity, but it won’t be so hot with her – in the lyrics, I usually wallow in my own feelings, I don’t reveal anything important about my loved ones, it’s always only a reflection of them in my life. And perhaps everyone concerned has come to terms with that. I hope so! (laughter)

Your biggest hit was the song Hej Báro, which you wrote for your daughter. Later, the second part of BB Queen was created, which I personally prefer. Your daughter lives in Britain and even starred in a movie about Queen. Are you happy that she sings and inherited her musical talent from you?

I don’t know if my daughter inherited any of her talents, but I’m happy for myself if she’s doing what she likes – and she’s doing well. I won’t say more about it because… you already know how Bára feels about the publicity… (Laughs)

I enjoy the play with words and nice cultured Czech in your texts. What kind of books do you like to read, and I know you also like spoken word. Can you recommend something that you enjoy right now?

That’s right: I haven’t left the house in years without a radio play on my Walkman, I love it. But it is difficult to choose only a few from the hundreds of recordings. Anyway, in general I can recommend anything by Květa Legátová, Ludvík Ashkenazy or Daniela Fischerová. And when it comes to books, I used to be a fanatical reader, but in recent years I’ve been slacking. There’s no time, there’s not always the mood, there aren’t many opportunities to take it easy. After all, I already steal my favorite comics!

Currently, the second part of your book Fotr Bránek or Notes from “Sugar Mountain” is being created. How do you think the environment of social networks has changed since you started writing your thoughts and short stories on them? Do you still enjoy this type of communication?

Good question… Actually, it’s not even fun anymore. And I have a feeling that a lot of contributors who used to write wittily and meaningfully don’t either – I’d say they’ve generally decreased. Under pressure from my fans, I finally put two books together from Facebook posts, but I’m 100% sure that there won’t be another one. There’s nothing to take from it anymore – I’m really only minimally involved.

Let’s hope it changes. In the song Process, you sing in the chorus: And how do you live here, how does your heart beat, how do you fall asleep at night? How do you perceive the current situation in the Czech divided society and events in the world? Are you experiencing it or are you more closed in your world and focus on personal things?

I will answer succinctly: I have trouble falling asleep.

Short and sweet, let’s move on to something more pleasant. Recently, Sting had two concerts in the Czech Republic and will return to Pardubice in the summer. It is known about you that he is your favorite singer and every now and then you cut one of his hits at the post-concert jam. Is he the best singer?

Yes, it can be said that Sting is one of the cutest. But the list of my favorites would be very long – and diverse in genres. But I have to admit that I hardly listen to music at all. It just makes me happy especially listening to the performances of all those great actresses and actors in radio plays. I’m fine with them, the music is too loud.

That’s how it is when you do a lot of concerts, I understand. What awaits Tela this year?

Lots of concerts! Including three of them in our favorite Balbínka or performing again at Venátské in Liberec Vesci. Fans can find a complete list of places where you can see and hear us on our website or on our FB profile.

You actually played with Old Rags, now Chinaski, at the very first year of the Venatská…

Well, yes, it’s true: in 1993, we were approached by the Mikéz brothers if we would play at the boathouse on Mala Skála – that they were organizing such an event there, the Venetian Night. And at the same time, they asked us if we could find another group to join us. And Petr Gros and I heard the Staré Hadry band playing after us at a kind of mini-festival in the Liberec Natural Theatre, they really entertained us, we went to see them, word got around – and since then we have played together not only at the ever-growing Venice Nights. And they didn’t just play!

Several times a year they play Téla in Balbín’s poetic pub in Prague. | Hana Langrová

How is it actually with your performance in Balbínka, you play there several times a year and it is always sold out quickly. It’s an amazing space and I remember your concerts there fondly, there’s a great atmosphere and you’re very close to the audience.

The aforementioned Pavel Bureš also has a hand in this. In 2002, with the Governor General Jiří Hrdina, he arranged for us to play there, saying that it was a nice place, let’s try it. And we not only tried, but started playing there regularly. The first years even every month, and people still came to us. Last year we celebrated 20 years of “balbining” and – I have to knock – we are almost always sold out. Although in Prague, I can say that it is actually our home scene. We really always like to come back there.

You had a number of guests at the concert in the Liberec Warehouse, what will the Jablonec concert offer? Will you tell?

Above all, a more than two-hour concert with the full commitment of all seven Bodies. But the great celt-folk-rock band Isara will perform before us, whose member is the former Tělo, violinist, singer and guitarist Tomáš Nezdara. After that, he doesn’t put down his guitar and sings with us in several songs.

CONCERTS

18/03/2023 – Jablonec nad Nisou – CHRONOS, concert for the band’s 30th anniversary, from 8 p.m., guest: ISARA

05/13/2023 – Prague – Babínka, from 8 p.m

05/20/2023 – Liberec – to be specified!

07/08/2023 – Brniště, on a pilgrimage,

13/07/2023 – Vratislavice nad Nisou, on the roof of KC 101010 from 8 p.m.

14/07/2023 – Prachov – Prachov cottage,

07/15/2023 – Hrádek nad Nisou, Bar Panorama, concert for Ostrov života, from 7 p.m., Guests: Aleš Pokorný and guests

07/22/2023 – Bílý Kostel – village festivities, from 3:30 p.m.

22/07/2023 – Jeřmanice – village festivities, on the playground, from 7:30 p.m.

07/29/2023 – Liberec – Vesec – Venátská, from 5 to 6 p.m., stage to be specified

29/07/2023 – Kryštofovo Údolí, near Orloje, from 20:30

08/05/2023 – Purchases – Český ranch, from 7 p.m.

08/25/2023 – Hrádek nad Nisou – town festivities, on the square, from 6:30 p.m.

16/09/2023 – Hodkovice nad Mohelkou, on the square this time from 3:30 p.m.

September 16, 2023 – Prague – Babínka, from 8 p.m

21/10/2023 – Prague – Kamina boat music bar, together with Aleš Pokorný and guests, from 7 p.m.

25/11/2023 – Prague – Babínka, from 8 p.m