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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZDANZ, Tamara(b Breitingen, Thuringia, German Democratic Republic, 14 Dec. '52; d Berlin, Germany, 22 July '96) German singer and songwriter. A gifted linguist, she abandoned a career as a translator for the perils of rock, disenchanted with the prospect of mouthing others' graceless words. Rock in East Germany was not the entertainment commodity it became elsewhere, but part of a state-sponsored cultural network which enabled the GDR to keep an eye on potential trouble-makers; thus it was there to be subverted, and Danz was drawn to it. Like many of her generation, she grew disillusioned with GDR politics after East German troops took part in the invasion of Prague '68. She gained experience with a series of acts before joining Silly, formed '78; the group did not play at government-organized events but developed a cult following through taut, well-arranged and lyrically intriguing songs. 'Alles Wird Besser Aber Nichts Wird Gut' ('Everything Will Get Better But Nothing Will Be Good') provocatively articulated pessimism. Danz grew dismissive of post-reunification Germany; Ossis (East Germans) were equal only in name, and Danz's Songs such as 'Verlorene Kinder' and 'Die Ferne' ('The Distance') pointed to her generation's dissatisfaction and disillusionment; she was still a subversive voice, a spirit stifled by rock's commercial success in the West. She died of breast cancer after three unsuccessful operations, declining further treatment. |