Věra Bílá


Věra Bílá was a Czech vocalist and musician of Romani ethnicity, who initially gained acclaim performing Romani folk and pop songs. She was the lead singer of the Czech recording act Kale, with whom she performed songs in Romani, Czech, and Slovak. She was highly acclaimed, toured internationally and was often called the "Ella Fitzgerald of Gypsy music" or the "Queen of Romany"

Biography

Bílá, a Rokycany native, was the daughter of singer Karol Giňa. She lived and worked in the Czech Republic. Her name Věra means "faith" in Slavic languages; and her surname "Bílá" means "white" in Czech. In 1999 director Mira Erdevicki-Charap portrayed Bila in the documentary "Black and White in Colour".
Bila died on 12 March 2019, aged 64 of a heart attack.

Recordings