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Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!
Monday, March 9, 2020
ESC Queen Katja Ebstein’s 75th birthday
ESC Queen Katja Ebstein’s 75th birthday: Between Berlin brat and Dame von Welt – Panorama – Gesellschaft
Long red hair is her trademark: Even half a century after her musical
breakthrough, Katja Ebstein still has her characteristic long hairstyle
with bangs – most recently seen when the pop singer took part in the
funeral service for former Brandenburg SPD Prime Minister Manfred Stolpe
in January. This Monday the artist celebrates her 75th birthday.Public
life began for Ebstein when she won third place at the Grand Prix
d’Eurovision in 1970 with the catchy tune “There are always miracles”.
Since then she has had a diverse career. Peter Maffay once described the artist as “an interesting mixture of a Berlin brat and a world lady”.
A street inspired her by her stage name
Ebstein
was born in 1945 as Karin Witkiewicz near Wroclaw in Silesia. Shortly
thereafter, her family fled to Berlin – there she later lived in the
Reinickendorf district on Epensteinstrasse, from which the singer
derived her stage name. She was urged to do so by her record label, as
Ebstein once said in an interview: she would “never have changed the
name if the record label hadn’t said that nobody could say that”. Berlin,
that’s her city, she says, Berliner Schnauze and such. But the
Silesians also praised them: They are “a cosmopolitan tribe”, Ebstein
appreciates the peaceful coexistence of the religions there, visible,
for example, in the cemeteries where graves of Christians, Jews and
Muslims lay side by side. “I have a great relationship with Russia
or Poland because for me they are large cultural groups from which the
whole world benefits. That kind of mindset suits me. I’m a bit like that
too. I’m so open that you always have to count on getting one on the
lid. ”
Her songs became classics
When she then competed in
the Grand Prix d’Eurovision, Germany, just like today, regularly
received ridicule for the constant defeats in the competition. Already
in the 1960s the “Spiegel” in connection with the singing competition
reported about the spitefulness of the neighboring countries: “Better
German tanks than German hits”, it was said in post-war Europe. And
then came Katja Ebstein: Although she did not take first place, she did
twice third and once second. Her breakthrough came: her hits “Miracles are always there”, “Theater” and “This World” became hit classics,
sometimes the songs also appeared in Japanese, Spanish or Portuguese.
She sings Heine, Brecht and Weill
Ebstein
has released more than 30 records in the course of her long career –
and not just as a pop singer. She is much closer to music by Heine and
Brecht, songs by Kurt Weill and all the other Berlin greats from the
twenties to the present day, from Tucholsky to Biermann. Sociocritical,
political art. “I just want to encourage people with what I do on
stage,” says Ebstein. “And I learned from the many different stage work
that it is easier to say the difficult thing today than it used to be.”
This is important to her: “Without a slight hope of change, I won’t let
people go home.”
Friends of Rudi Dutschke
Even before her
world success, Ebstein lived an eventful life: in Berlin she was friends
with student leader Rudi Dutschke, who was shot down and seriously
injured by a neo-Nazi in 1968. It demonstrated against nuclear power,
against the Vietnam War, against the building of the wall. In 1972 she
supported the SPD Chancellor Willy Brandt in the election campaign. She
didn’t just go on trips to chanson music and poetry. In the meantime,
the singer was also on theater and musical stages. And she also got into
the entertainment of private television: In 2007 Katja Ebstein took the
RTL dance show “Let’s Dance” at the age of 62 and reached the finale.
Woidke recognizes it as “straightforward, human, politically clear”
In
2017, the State of Brandenburg sent Katja Ebstein to the Federal
Assembly on a proposal from the SPD, which elected Frank-Walter
Steinmeier as Federal President. The close connection to Brandenburg is
also shown in the congratulations of Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD)
on her birthday: “As a great artist with an attitude, you have always
remained true to yourself: straightforward, human, politically clear,”
it says in a congratulatory letter that was released on Sunday. In
reference to a great hit by the singer, Woidke continued: “With your
great social commitment, not only in Brandenburg, you ensure that there
are always miracles.” Katja Ebstein is also involved in the
children’s aid organization. Her “Katja Ebstein Foundation” in Potsdam
with patron Ingrid Stolpe looks after children of financially weak
families. According to the state government, Ebstein was one of the
first signatories to the “Alliance for Brandenburg”. In 2008 she was
awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for her social commitment. In 2015
she received the Brandenburg Order of Merit. She
also speaks in clear terms when it comes to social hotspots, exclusion
and migration: “Assimilation is part of it,” she says, respect for women
should also be done by migrants: “Without denying your own culture, you
have to get closer to ours.”No more dates for concerts are listed on their website. However, Ebstein has not withdrawn: Last year she joined with Ralph
Siegel live in the ZDF television garden. She also had a short
appearance in the music video of the band Deichkind in 2019 for their
song “Who says that?”. For
years, Ebstein has been asked repeatedly how she will stay so young
despite her age. “It comes from the pear,” the pop singer with the
Berlin snout said casually a few years ago. And pointed to her head with
the red mane. (AFP, dpa)
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Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
