Lucia Lužinská – Slovak Jazz Star

She has performed in Germany and Austria; participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo; performed in many musicals; worked in Radošinské naivné divadlo theatre; occasionally performed at charity events for various organisations and was awarded contracts to sing in Japan and Scandinavia.

She played Billie Holiday in the musical Kráľovná spieva blues (The Queen Sings the Blues) and starred as Mína in the independent film Blízko Nebe (Close to Heaven) directed by Dan Svátek. In 2005 she began studying jazz singing at Kunst Universität Graz. In May 2005 the All Time Jazz Trio and Lucia Lužinská released their album “FIRST TAKE” when Milan Lasica, with whom they recorded and released the English-Slovak version of the famous jazz standard “Christmas Song”, became the „Godfather“. Lucia and the All Time Jazz Trio attended a competitive swing festival in Germany and won first place in the small ensemble category where Lucia was also awarded a special judges’ award for her solo performance. Lucia is the author and implementer of a successful educational project for secondary schools – Jazz Goes to School. She was also a musical guest of Bobby McFerrin at his concert in Bratislava.

Lucia has been singing with the band All Time Jazz for 6 years at many domestic and foreign festivals, cultural and social events. They have played in clubs such as Birdland in Vienna but you can also find them singing in musical clubs in Slovakia where they present their new CD (UN)COVERED.

There are moments in people’s lives which sometimes, even though in a seemingly naive way, affect people’s profes­sional route. Do you remember such a moment?
„I think I loved music long before I was able to realise it. Perhaps the fact that in 1989 communism fell and as a young teenager I could travel around the world with the Cantica Nova choir greatly stimulated my imagination and I found the courage to live out my most secret dreams.“

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What was your idea of a singer’s life at the time when you first wanted to become one?
„A singer to me was a beautiful, smiling creature who enchanted crowds with her voice and changed human lives with her attitudes, her opinions. She was well dressed and always knew what to do, travelled a lot and people loved here everywhere as she brought them joy. She was special and that’s why everyone wished her success. She also wished success to others. Do you find it naive? In some ways I still believe in it.“

In what way do you think your career as an actress has contributed to your professionalism as a singer?
„There are many things such as the way that an actress comes onto the stage, how they begin their first sentence, how they create their circle of solitude but convey their thoughts as if “through the footlights” to the spectator at the same time, how they give meaning to thoughts, fill them with something of their own and play each performance as if played for the first time, all of these things are parallel to the life of a singer. The only tiny difference is that an actress plays a role, a character, which can be completely different from her own and a singer tells her own story. I think it is attractive to combine these two “callings”.“

What do you consider your greatest success as a singer so far?
„My greatest success is still to come… But I’ve had several moments when the time stopped for a second: at Eurovision in Oslo where I had my first performance as a back-up singer in front of such a huge crowd of people, at a Shirley Horn concert when I walked up the stairs of the Vienna Opera as if in a trance and got a text message from a guitarist Boris Čellár inviting me to cooperate with a jazz band, with whom I’ve since had the most fruitful period of my life, many important meetings, projects, beautiful concerts with great feedback. Then when I personally met with Dee Dee Bridgewater or Jon Hendricks who in spite of their world fame were so spontaneous and nice. And finally the time stopped perhaps for the longest when I was a guest of Bobby McFerrin at his concert in Bratislava and improvised and sang with him.“ 

And what rewards did you receive for your greatest success?
„The fact that I’m doing what I enjoy, that I have worked to get there myself, through hard work. I am always looking for ways of doing things, even if they seem impossible I will still try. I can pay my bills by doing what I love and in the morning I can look in the mirror with a clear conscience. And most importantly, I keep going, I’m moving ahead and won’t let anyone rob me of my dreams just because many give them up so easily.“ 

You’re studying jazz singing in Graz at the moment. What do you think makes this school special?
„Jazz College in Graz is the oldest one in Europe. It’s an international school with students and professors from all over the world. You can contrast your roots with other cultures which is often very inspiring. High educational standards and the long tradition of the university give you first -hand information and the opportunity to achieve the highest quality education in the fi eld of jazz as well as the opportunity to meet legends or today’s top musicians in this genre.“

You have spent a long time abroad. Did you assign a special place in your heart to any of these countries?
„I really liked Japan, their cuisine, atmosphere, the warmth of the people and also pride and some mysteriousness at the same time. But each country that I’ve visited offered me something I fell in love with. I am a natural globetrotter and if my destiny allows it I would like to travel and get to know different cultures for the rest of my life. There are many places I haven’t been to but am drawn to…“ 

Slovakia is lagging behind the world jazz tradition slightly. What do you see as the greatest drawbacks for jazz signers who are trying to make an appearance in Slovakia?
„I don’t think the drawbacks are related to the lack of opportunity to make oneself known. Rather the term jazz is not even included in Slovak legislation and that causes many complications, e.g. There is neither a school nor an official specialisation in jazz. As I often say – jazz in our country exists only on paper – we have our own word for this music – džez – but people know almost nothing about it. And if we don’t know about something, we don’t trust it. But recently more jazz festivals have been held and more and more young instrumentalists lean to this genre, which stirs up the still waters a bit…“ 

Your new arrangements include several classic pieces. What in this music has won your heart?
„Do you mean jazz standards? Well, harmonies of these pieces form the basis of popular music as such, in fact they are a source of knowledge. Moreover they have beautiful melodies and many of them even powerful lyrics. It helps me understand this music from within and inspires me when writing my own pieces.“ 

If you by any chance have a moment for yourself, how do you like to spend it?
„There are no chances, I only have free moments when I consciously make them. When you work hard and can’t relax, it will come back on you. I know it and that’s why I’m recently trying to take better care of myself. I go to yoga classes and a gym, I love the sauna and reading books which positively affect your subconscious. I try to visit with friends and family as I have spent little time with them lately.“

What are your goals in life?
„To finish my studies in Graz successfully. I also wish for our CD (UN)COVERED, which I recorded along with a great band called All Time Jazz and the guests Fritz Pauer and Thomas Howard Curtis, to reach listeners in other countries of the world along with our concerts. I would love to always have enough inspiration and resources to ensure that lack of them will never limit our music and that I would never need to make such compromises which kill music. Also, a lot of selfreflection in order to be able to withstand jealousy and envy and not to get overwhelmed by seeming success. And health, of course. I have many wishes.“ 

What would you like to say to your fans?
„Jazz is a very free music, there is a lot of beauty hidden in it. Just as a musician must deserve, through their hard work, to become its creator or a tool through which the music flows, the listener must also draw deep and open his or her heart to capture its beauty. Sometimes it takes time but the music itself will never disappoint you and everyone has the right to choose his own way. The main thing is that music should bring us joy. No matter what the genre is. And I believe that we are seeing and hearing each other more and more…“ 

By Beata Pašková
Photo: Archive L. Lužinská

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