Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous 2011.

Look forward to some new articles soon!

Merry Christmas!

From Dschinghis Khan in English.

Leslie Mandoki: I Immediately Fell in Love with Munich.

http://www.bild.de/BILD/regional/muenchen/leute/2010/12/01/leslie-mandoki/ich-habe-mich-gleich-in-muenchen-verliebt.html

A continuation of the last part, in which Leslie and his friends had just barely escaped with their lives by fleeing through a train tunnel.

I Immediately Fell in Love with Munich

Tutzing/Munich -- Colourful signs, clean air, and cold drinks. As Leslie Mandoki arrives in Munich in the summer of 1975 from Hungary, he thinks he is in paradise. "I was thrilled, and immediately in love with the city."

Fascinated, he stays with his friends Laszlo Bencker and Gabor Csupo outside City Hall for half an hour at a tram stop. "There was a road map, that we did not know," says the musician. "And that was mistaken for us. The tram actually went to this plan." (Trans: Not sure what he's saying here.)

The trio goes to the Hungarian mission in Bogenhausen. "My uncle was the boss there and I was hoping he would take us in for a few days," says Mandoki. "But because of our long hair, he has us kicked out. Until his death, I never forgave him."

The young men sit at a loss in the Marienplatz to get help from strangers. "This has touched me deeply in my heart." Nevertheless, the musicians go on. "We wanted to get to Sweden, then America." But in Denmark they are picked up by police and sent back to Germany.

Mandoki ends up in a refugee camp in Zirndorf. For three weeks, every day for twelve hours he learns German and reads books, and integrates quickly in his new home. "I would have been stupid, not to open this rich new culture."

He rose from first appearances in hotel bars to large concerts in clubs, to being a very sought-after studio musician. Finally, he became a member of "Dschinghis Khan." Mandoki later produced Phil Collins, Lionel Ritchie, and the No Angels, and works closely with friends Peter Maffay and Thomas Gottschalk. He is internationally successful, playing with Star-Geiger David Garrett and trumpeter Till Bronner in China and the United States.

Moreover, the percussionist gathered in his "Soul Mates" rock stars such as Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), and Toto singer Bobby Kimball around. Mandoki has now released the CD "Thank You!" "I would like to thank Germany and Bavaria, for the warmth and cordiality which was shown to me. The pre-Christmas theme song is my love song to the country where I have to thank 35 years so much."

Leslie Mandoki: My Flight Through the Death Tunnel

http://www.bild.de/BILD/regional/muenchen/leute/2010/11/30/leslie-mandoki/meine-flucht-durch-den-todestunnel.html

Tonight's article is not an old article, but rather one that was published in the German newspaper BILD a few weeks ago. In it, Leslie finally speaks out about his flight from Hungary through a train tunnel in the middle of the night. It's a fascinating look into the "Wild Hungarian" of Dschinghis Khan.

This is part one. I'll post the next part soon!

My Flight Through the Death Tunnel

Tutzing -- Searchlights streak through the night. Armed gaurds patrol their rounds around the Karawankentunnel, accompanied by sharp shepherd dogs.


Leslie Mandoki and his friends Laszlo Bencker and Gabor Csupo observe the scenery from behind a bush. For three days and nights they have been there. They are cold and damp. But Mandoki does not feel it.

He wants freedom. From Hungary to Yugoslavia, the musician has already managed it. Now only this rail tunnel seperates him and his friends from the big goal.

The trio has left their belongings and instruments behind. "I had only notes, certificates, a few poems, a sweater and a pair of drumsticks with me," says Mandoki. His friend Laszlo Bencker noted in an A5 ring binder the times of the changing of the gaurd.

Then it's time. At midnight of the third day, they go running. At the changing of the gaurd, the soldiers play a game of cards. "In order not to alarm the dogs, we threw raw meat into the kennel."

Then they run for their lives. "I was scared to death, because the soldiers had not hesitated to shoot us." Mandoki runs and runs. As fast as he ever has.

The sharp gravel shredded his simple sneakers. His feet are bleeding and he has rat bites on his body. They feared being run over by a train. "Every 50 feet were small bays for the railway workers," says the drummer. "When we heard a locomotive, we had to get there. Because there was no room next to the tracks. And several times we made it at the last second."

After four hours, the trio managed the 8 km route. They were in Austria. "The first thing I saw in freedom was a transformer station. I embraced it in joy. The word 'danger' on it, we didn't understand. We didn't speak German."

Full of optimism, they ran to the next station. "Actually, I was going to go to Sweden, and then to America," says the musician. But first he went with his friends to Munich. That was the beginning of his great love for Germany, and especially Munich.

Dschingis Khan: Earlier

I paid entirely too much for this article, but it is worth it just for the shot of young Leslie. Am I the only one who thinks he must have come out of the womb with a moustache and long hair? (Okay, now that's a horrifying mental image. Seriously.)
This article is mainly worth it for the pictures, however, because some of the information I've never heard of before, particularly Leslie's, and I wonder how accurate it is.

Clockwise, from top:

Dschingis Khan:

Where are the six "Wilds" from? What did they do earlier? BRAVO shows you a different way...

Wolfgang Heichel (top, as a Confirmant at 14) has been married to Henriette for three years. Studied art and went to a hotel-managing school. Was bos and singer of "New Blue Heaven." Studied four semesters of dentistry. He is the spokesperson of the band. There is no boss.


Steve Bender has the most musical career behind him of the Dschinghis Khan members. When he had hair (small photo), he had 17 singles and 4 LPs. Steve has been married for 10 years and has a four year old daughter. For a professional, he was a painter. He has sung with Donna Summer.


Edina Pop has over the years brought 15 singles and an LP to the market. Comes from Hungary and has been widowed for four years. She was married to the actor Gunther Stoll.


Henriette Heichel wanted to be an ice skater. She even took part in the Bavarian Championships. At 16, she suffered a double fracture and had to give up the sport. She is a trained make-up artist.


Leslie Mandoki is a professional drummer. He was born in Budapest and has been married for two years. He has studied Psychology for three semesters. The amateur-photographer also visited the Music-Conservatorium. He is the funniest one in Dschinghis Khan.


Louis Hendrik Potgieter is the Genghis Khan of the group. Privately, as the trained Solo-dancer (small photo), he appears not at all so terrifying. Louis was born in South Africa, he is single, and studied graphic arts. He has given up his theatre job.

Bravo: Dschingis Khan Interview

The interview page came to me already damaged, unfortunately, but it's still readable. There's quite a bit of text on the both pages

Left Page (The Interview)

(Photos from top, going clockwise)

Leslie Mandoki plays on the stage the "Rocking Son of Genghis Khan."

Henriette Heichel had never publically sung, before joining the group.

Wolfgang Heichel is the boss of the group, and is married to Henriette

Steve Bender plays in Dschinghis Khan the "Wild" Man.

Edina Pop also had success as a solo singer.

Group picture caption: Dschinghis Khan in Action: Where the group performs, it is jubilant. There are hardly any days off for Wolfgang, Henriette, Louis, Leslie and Steve (left to right)

Interview:

Bravo: You meet every day in a small room in Munich-Bogenhausen. Everything is very mysterious. What's going on behind those closed doors?

Wolfgang Heichel: We're rehearsing for our new big Germany Tour, that we're starting in the new year next year. We want to surprise our fans with a new 90-minute show.

Bravo: Can you explain this more?

Leslie Mandoki: We will not just sing and dance. Each of us will play one or more instruments.

Bravo: Do you get "reinforcements" for this tour, or do you travel alone?

Edina Pop: We get an accompanying orchestra. Whether or not this is possibly a choir, is not yet fixed.

Bravo: How long will this tour last? Will it only be in the big cities?

Steve Bender: How long we will be on the road, we also don't know yet. But it will be at least two months. This means that we will make appearances in small and middle cities too.

Bravo: You were recently in Israel and recieved an award...

Henriette Heichel: We have received the "Golden Oscar" of Israel for best foreign Pop group. This prize has us, of course, very pleased.

Bravo: Next year finds the Summer Olympics in the city of Moscow. Your last hit was called "Moskau." Will you be there?

Louis Henrik[sic] Potgieter: We have already received an official invitation to Moscow. A friend of mine, a dancer who lives in Moscow, wrote to me that we are already very well known in Russia, and many pictures of us already hang on the walls in record stores.

Bravo: You are constantly on the move. Does a make-up artist travel with you, to do your make-up?

Henriette Heichel: No. Edina and I do our own make-up. I also make-up my husband, Wolfgang. Louis Hendrik takes care of not only his own make-up, but that of Leslie and Steve as well. The whole process takes about an hour.

Bravo: How many TV-Appearances have you had in Germany this year?

Steve Bender: If we only take the regional programs, it was 21. We went on almost every major TV-show. Our next TV events are on December 17, on "Disco." We do a skit with Ilja Richter on the New Years Show, and on January 8, 1980 in "Pyramide."

Bravo: And when will you have vacation time?

Wolfgang: Christmas. We're all looking forward to this festival. Everyone will of course celebrate with their family. But after the holidays, we must immediately go back to work.

Right Page

(Clockwise, starting at the top)

Henriette on a hot "Ofen." She cannot drive it, however.

Privately, Leslie loves these clothes: casual overalls and T-shirts

Wolfgang studied also art for a time. These paintings he has completed himself. He has a lot of talent.

So appears "Dschinghis Khan" Louis Hendrik Potgietr un-made-up.

Edina is a funny girl.

The four-year-old Melanie is the pride of Steve Bender. He plays with his little daughter for hours.

Dancer Louis Hendrik Potgieter was a solo-dancer with a Munich Theatre, before he slipped into the costume of Genghis Khan.

BRAVO Series: Louis Potgieter

In honour of World AIDS Day, I bring to you Louis' article from the BRAVO series covering each of the band members.

From this article, we can see that he had an extraordinary ballet career. He must have had some incredible talent, not to mention ambition and sheer determination, to not only have made it as a professional ballet-dancer after never taking a lesson until he was 21, and then to go from the very back row (a VERY bad placement, in a ballet dance) to a solo dancer in only 2 years. Such a thing is pretty much unheard of!

RIP, Louis...if only you'd been able to open that ballet-school...

Louis Hendrik Potgieter: The Genghis Khan from Africa

Well, I must be completely honest: when I jump over the stage as Genghis Khan in our newest hit “Moskau,” I sometimes yearn back to my theatre days on the big stage. All the big roles I've danced, in the last five years, come to mind, with the most famous partners, such as Margot Fonteyn, in my arms. That was my world. “Swan Lake,” or “Shah and Scheherezade.” Now I'm just Genghis Khan, with a few steps to rehearse.

But I can't complain. I willingly became Genghis Khan, and I don't regret it. I earn more money now than as a Solo-dancer. I am particularly strained: we travel constantly throughout the world.

I think our group will last a long time. We have with the founder of Dschinghis Khan, Ralph Siegel, a five year contract. It is important to me now to meet people I can later help. Maybe one day I'll even have my own ballet-school.

I am a South African national. My father's forefathers came from Holland, my mother's from France. My father is in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, a sales director of a construction firm. I have five siblings: a brother (Johan), and four sisters (Analiese, Karin, Erna and Talana). I haven't seen my family in four and a half years.

I speak on the telephone often with my parents. I sang for them “Dschinghis Khan” and “Moskau.” I always send them whatever the newspapers say about us. My parents are very proud of me, although my father was not very enthusiastic at first, when I became a dancer.

Dancing has always fascinated me. In school, I danced at school festivals and even made my own choreography. After I was finished with school, I studied Graphic Arts for two years. I had many ideas in my head: I wanted to be a fashion designer, a musician, or even a dancer.

At 21, I had not taken a single ballet class. I was introduced to the Ballet-Director of the Johannesburg Theatre. He saw that I had talent, and gave me a three-month probationary period. During those three months, I worked like an animal. Six, seven hours daily in the practise room. Afterwards, I could not feel my bones.

But it was worth it. I was hired. Although I was only in the group, and in the last row, I was there. And after two years, I was a solo dancer. My biggest wish was fulfilled.

One of my friends went to Ulm, Germany, as a ballet-chief. He invited me to meet him there. So I left my home and family just under five years ago. I spent a year in Ulm, and a year in the Swiss town of St. Gallen. But I wanted to be on a major stage. I travelled to Frankfurt where three or four times a year, many ballet dancers audition for ballet directors and heads of large houses. There I was hired as a soloist for the Munich Garden Place Theatre.

I had a great time at the Garden Place Theatre, although I had to appear in operettas, which I do not like so much. Incidentally, I was allowed to appear in various TV shows. I owe that to my role as Genghis Khan. The famous choreographer William Millie brought me to Ralph Siegel's attention when he was looking for a dancer.

At first I was curious about what would happen. I thought this might be a job for a few days. I had never seen the other members of Dschinghis Khan before. We were all pretty nervous. If you asked me then, if I ever would have believed in the success of our group, I would have said a thousand times, no. We six have it together. Of course, now and then we have differences of opinion, but they are smoothed over quickly.

As far as I know, we all have the same contract. As a dancer, I earn no more and no less than the others who sing.

I have a small advantage over my colleagues: On the street, no one recognizes me. Unmasked, I have my privacy.