I
Klári Katona

About:

20 October 1953

Born in Ráckeve and nicknamed Lárika she began to sing in 1966, aged 13, with a professional career starting after her song ‘Bővízű forrás’ on the Táncdalfesztivál of 1972, winning an award.  The song also won a Lyra at the musicfestival in Bratislava (Slovakia). She then continued singing in bands like Kék Csillag and (briefly) Neoton. then pursued a solo career. In 1976 she starting singing solo with concerts in Istanbul, Palma de Mallorca, and the musical festival of Sopot (again getting first prize). 1977 marked the release of her first album, Savanyú a csokoládé (Sour chocolat) backed by Ferenc Demjén and Bergendy.

Although critics placed her in the same league as Kati Kovacs, Zsuzsa Koncz and Zalatnay Charlotte commercial success had to wait until her third album ‘Titkaim’ created with composer Gábor Presser and Dusán Sztevanovity. The trio would deliver four best selling albums in the Eighties but Klári also started a career as a writer and journalist. At the end of the decade she was elected ‘Singer of the decade’ by critics.

In 1991 she began working for television with her own show ‘Napraforgó’ and became the spokesperson for MATÁV / Magyar Telekom spokesman for fundraising services. In 1995 she received the Order of the Hungarian Republic Small Cross. Her musical output was much lower at the time and it was until 2002 she returned to the stage in a duet for Tolcsvay László album ‘12 nő’ with the song ‘Hol késnek az angyalok’. She then released a live album herself called ‘Ünnep’. The album was showered with awards and Kati herself received a life-time achievement award. In 2009 her song ‘Hogyan szeresselek?’ was featured on a compilation with Hungary’s most beautiful love songs called ‘Dívák és szerelmek’.

On the web:

- Klari has no website of her own.

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

What do we think:

PR: Katona is a rare musical talent with a fantastic voice. Although she recorded many songs by Presser Gabor, she developed a style of her own, not comparable to other artists in the region. Later on in her career she started to (co-)write her own material. Her songs sometimes tend to the easy listening genre, but the structure and arrangements are always very subtle and creative, thus avoiding of becoming a middle-of-the-road. Add to that her mysticl voice and (live) performance and you will know that this is high quality europop!

DB: Of the Hungarian female singers of the Seventies Klári undoubtedly has the best vocal control. Her voice can be whispering crystal clear and seconds later can whip up a storm with a volume that would make many Barbara Streisand jealous. Next to that her Eighties with made with Presser are of rare quality. O.K. if you’re looking for that raw bluesy edge you may find her a bit too clean and perhaps even hinting to jazzpop but fine sculpted pop-albums like ‘Titkaim’ and ‘Éjszakai üzenet’ are undeniably Europop gems to be cherished.

Recommendations:

♪♪♪ - Savanyú a csokoládé - 1977

♪♪♪ - Láthatod: Boldog vagyok - 1978

♪♪♪♪ - Titkaim - 1981

♪♪♪ - IV. - 1984

♪♪♪♪♪ - Éjszakai üzenet - 1986

- Mozi - 1989

- ...Neked - 1992

- Fekete gyöngy - 1996

- Most - 2001

♪♪♪ - Ünnep (live 2cd) - 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