Violetta Villas

Violetta Villas (real name Czesława Cieślak) was born June 10, 1938 in Liege, Belgium, to Polish emigrants. She is a Polish and international singer, actress, composer and songwriter. She has absolute pitch. She is known for her conspicuous, outstanding appearance, and a numerous number-one hits on her account. She is also a very controversial person. Violetta Villas is a coloratura soprano whose voice has an extraordinary register and a very wide range of vocal color. It covers four octaves from the tenor middle D3 to the soprano E7. Villas' best range is from C4 to C6. In her songs she shows a remarkable ability for naturally assimilative styles and for eliciting a multiplicity of voices. Villas can perform as a baritone, tenor, alto, mezzo-soprano, and as a soprano, a unique attribute amongst singers of any gender, in the fields of both classical and popular music. In her best days she was able to hit the 4,7 ocatve. In early 60's Violetta Villas toured many countries in Europe. In 1965, on the 3rd Festival International des Varié té s et Music-Halls in Rennes, France Villas received her Grand Prix International d'Interpretation. She toured USSR, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Romania. In 1966, Paris she was approached by Frederick Apcar who invited her to Las Vegas. She was supposed to perform along with renown star Line Renaud, but just after few weeks outshined her. Big neon over Casino de Paris shined with her name on. She singed with Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, and Charles Aznavour. In Carnegie Hall received standing ovation. In New York all the tickets for her concert were sold. She starred in two movies. Violetta Villas was offered a lucrative 8-year contract with Paramount Pictures but she turned that down, unfortunately. Later in the 70's Violetta Villas had to return to Poland to her dying mother. Communist regime authorities confiscated her passport and she was forced to stay in Poland for more than a decade, however she wasn't completely banned from the media and could pursue her local career. But her life became more obscure and isolated. Some proffesional criticasters acclaimed her "the Queen of Kitch" because of her conspicuous fashion and lifestyle but common viewers received her rather enthusiastically. In 1985 she had her great come-back, just a few years after the martial law ended. All the tickets were soldout on-stake, even a few weeks before her concerts. Authorities granted her passport back, and she could return to her international career. She went on tours to USA and Australia. In Las Vegas, Violetta Villas married Ted Kowalczyk her great fan, and American millionaire of Polish descent who gave her the theatre as a wedding present, a building specially designed and built for her vocal capabilities. She was tallented and he was very wealthy, however their marriage didn't last even a year. She left him and returned to Poland, again with great acclaim. She became almost an icon on Polish Television along with Irena Santor, Jerzy Połomski and Mieczysław Fogg. Later in the 90s she began isolating herself from the public. Her fortune dissipated. She was giving some concerts though, but she became overreligious and isolated. She sacrificed her life to charity and helping left-alone animals, cats and dogs. She has a mansion in Lewin Kłodzki where she lives alone in destitution with hundreds of animals which she is supposed to take care of, but has no means to. Despite a few million sold records, she lives in total destitution without pension and royalties because she couldn't do all the bureaucratic work that is needed. She is supported only by neighbours and people of good will. Some Polish artists like Michał Wiśniewski and Edyta Górniak have tried to organize charity concerts to raise money for support of her animal shelter but with little or no effect. Recently the state authorities ordered that all the animals must be taken away to the shelters because of horrendous conditions in her farm and the foul smell surrounding the area. She only was left with about 60 dogs and no cats. Rest of the animals starved to death or were eaten by each other. Violetta Villas gives small concerts only occasionally, rather in small provincial towns.