I
Kati Kovács

About:

25 October 1944

World War II left its scars on the Kovács family which new exile and divorce when Kati was still young. In high school she got inspired by jazz singers, Ella Fitzgerald in particular. Later the rock ’n roll virus caught up with her. In 1962 she appeared at the popular ‘Ki mit tud?’ talent show with a Little Richard song. The jury expelled her from the competition because her ‘screaming was totally unappropriate’. She started working as a medical clerk but rejoined the talent show in 1965, this time to win. A year later, she achieved some even greater successes with her performance of the song ‘Nem leszek a játékszered’ (I Won’t Be Your Plaything) which won the TV Dance Song Festivals in Hungary in 1966. In 1968 she also started acting, for example in the movie ‘The Girl’. In these years she develops herself as a popular beat-singer with help from bands like Omega and Illes. In Hungary and also in neighbouring countries. A 1970 debut album compiles her most popular singles. In 1972 she wins the Dresden song contest with the psychedelic spiritual ‘Add már, uram, az esőt!’ (Lord Send Us Rain). Between 74 – 76 she reaches her most creative period working with Locomotiv GT on three albums (Kovács Kati & Locomotiv GT, Közel a naphoz and Kati) and a compilation (Rock and Roller). Halfway the Seventies she appears in a comical trio together with Levente Szörényi  and Anna Adamis. Since 1979 the career of Klari takes a course change when she more and more scores hits with translated covers of several disco and hit songs originally performed by Donna Summer, Barbra Streisand, Laura Branigan, Madonna, and so on. She stays a popular guest in TV shows and music contests thorughout the Eighties. At the start she gets her own musical TV show called je ‘Szólj rám, ha hangosan énekelek címmel’ (Tell me if I sing out loud). Some songs end up on her 1992 album. During these years she also sings a number of children's cartoon movie themes. In 1996 she has unexpected chart succes with a Hungarian version of Vangelis’s ‘1492 - The Conquest of Paradise’ over which she wrote her own lyrics. Rapidly a album is created where Kati re-records some of her old classics. At the turn of the millennium she is again in a leading TV show with Peter Haumann (Music Television). In 2009 she works with the psychedelic soul-beat band The Qualitons for a tour with the singer's rare beat and funk songs. In 2010 she is suddenly also back in the international charts when Christina Aguilera samples ‘Add már, uram, az esőt!’ for her single ‘Woohoo’. In 2012, she joins the stage with Gábor Presser, Levente Szörényi, János Bródy, György Ferenczi and many others to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the Sziget Festival with a three hour ‘legends of Hungarian rock’ show.

On the web:

- Kati's website: http://www.kovacskati.hu/

If you like this, you probably like... / european counterparts:

Maryla Rodowicz (Poland)

Veronika Fischer (Germany)

What do we think:

DB: Kati is one of those artists that start of with some amazing albums. Stomping beat music, a raw voice, progrock, psychedelia, funk…everything is been thrown together for a boiling mix. Like a Hungarian Janis Joplin she sings her tonsils out. But if you start the wrong way and listen to her commercial (TV) work first you might get the wrong impression. Questionable production, strange choice for covers, sometimes even sung over a tape that sounds like it was bought on the black market. As her career develops she made some very popular TV appearances / shows and became entertainment for the whole family. Too bad because her early stuff is very worth seeking out. Gritty, raw and rock 'n roll….

Recommendations:

♪♪♪♪ - Suttogva és kiabálva - 1970

- Autogram helyet’t - 1972

♪♪♪♪♪ - Kovács Kati & Locomotiv GT - 1974

♪♪♪ - Intarzia - 1975

♪♪♪ - Közel a naphoz - 1976

- Kati - 1976

- Csendszóró Silentophone - 1977

- Szívemben zengő dal - 1979

♪♪ - Tíz - 1980

- Érj utol - 1983

- Szerelmes levél indigóval - 1985

- Kiváanságmüsör - 1986

- Forgószél - 1992

- Édesanyámnak szeretettel - 1999

- Kincses sziget - 2000

- Gyere, szeress! - 2002

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♪♪♪♪♪ = outstanding album, an absolute must-have
♪♪♪♪ = great album, highly recomended
♪♪♪ = nice album
♪♪ = be careful, requires listening before buying
♪ = best to be avoided