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Melodies that bring a smile to your face, clever lyrics and recitation “charged” with a peculiar charm - no wonder that the compatriots in Australia evaluated a concert by Peter Nagy as one of the coolest they have ever experienced here.

Again, I had an opportunity to participate in the implementation of the Melbourne tour, organized in October in Sydney Australia by, as usual, an impresario Peter Vitek. Unlike singers Karel Gott, Helena Vondráčková, Marta Kubišová, and Olympic that we presented to Czech and Slovak viewers living in Australia in the past ten years, a Slovak singer Peter Nagy is not as known in the former exile since the beginnings of his artistic track dates from 1983.

Yet the Melbourne concert was sold out. The third and the newest wave of emigration filled the hall of the National House to the last inch. Among the spectators, however, we could find fans that emigrated in 1968 or even 1948 years old. Many of the respectable visitors were in fact members of the wonderful Slovak community that came to support their successful singer. Peter Nagy, however, is truly a “Czech – Slovak” singer. In 1985 he even managed something that only a few could do – to “steal away” the Golden Nightingale from the mighty Karel Gott. With his band called “Indigo” he recorded 19 albums throughout his twenty-five years of his existence. Many of his songs became the best-selling titles on the music market.

The Australian concert halls experienced many of Nagy’s hits and the audience enthusiastically sang along with lyrics that they knew by heart. The audience was actually composed of a wide spectrum of fans - from six-year-old children all the way to a 91 years old fan that still remembered performances by Voskovec and Werich but also admired Peter Nagy’s ability to entertain the audience.

Nagy is one of a few singers that can perform for two hours, while playing on guitar, entertaining audiences with his observations and jokes, but he can also write his own music and lyrics. It is indeed a rare curiosity, which is only realized by a few talented musicians, whether Czech, Slovak, or from other parts of the world. Moreover, Nagy’s songs are always unique. The Australian “one-man-show” by Peter Nagy was a remarkable combination of rapid pop rock hits - Profesor Indigo, Marcel z malého mesta, Láska je tu s nami, S nohami na stole, Aj tak sme frajeri, Sme svoji, Podme sa zachrániť, So mnou nikdy nezostarneš - to thoughtful and favorite songs - Kristínka iba spí, Máš čo máš, Psi sa bránia útokom… a commendable part of the singer’s repertoire also includes charming songs for children that do not go to puerility but bring in substantial life values to these young souls..

This was evidently visible at his concerts from stormy reactions of Sydney students – that were obviously grew up listening to his tracks. Perhaps this new generation still remembers the words from one of his popular children’s songs, where Nagy brings up one of the worst human traits - envy – A dung-beetle rolls the ball / other beetles observe from the corner of their eyes / They have no idea what it is, but are envying him terribly / Envy is short-sighted … / The rest is somewhere that we read in history / That envy is still stupid and never makes any sense.

Peter Nagy, an artist in his body and soul, is not only a musician but also an excellent photographer. He says that a good photograph is like a good singing performance that should be continuously practiced. He passionately photographed everything during his tours of Australian cities. When I wondered what he was shooting, he answered that he is capturing the moods of the city. He also likes nudity. He says that the female beauty must be natural. His pictures are full of poetry and imagination. They abound in his new album “Labutě a Havrany” (Swans and Ravens) on which he adheres to the core of his song: - I built a tower / of the cornerstones of my years / it’s time to be well above the matter / It is difficult not to go crazy / if everybody goes two hundred / smashed by advertisements… Apparently, Nagy has more than enough inspiration for new tunes and witty lyrics.

A charismatic man, who charmed countrymen in Australia, appeared youthful and well balanced – by April he gathered exactly fifty (as mentioned above) “stones.” He still sees everything optimistically from his “tower” and all Australian “Folks from Downunder” wish him all the best.

Photographs for CzechFolks.com © Barbara Semenov a Patrik Nemes

The article by Barbara Semenov was translated by Daniela Olszová and Paul Nelson

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