Tonight, the second episode of the blind auditions of the eighth season of the Voice of Lithuania will be broadcast on LNK TV. It will feature a group of talented contestants with not only strong voices but also exceptional stories.
One of the biggest stars of today's show is Jonas Jonušas, former lead singer of B'avarijos. After a twenty-year break from music, Jonas chose the Voice of Lithuania stage for his comeback.
Jonas was one of the main vocalists in the five-man band B'avarija, which was formed in Klaipėda two decades ago and quickly became popular. However, after three albums with the band and an unexpected surge in popularity, Jonas decided that he and the band should part ways.
"It was pretty cool. But then, I just didn't like the direction we were going. I didn't like the behaviour of one of the band members, he was a very unpleasant person, so I think he was the one who influenced my decision the most", recalls the conflicts with band member Juozas Liesius.
Jonas is currently working on video commercials and his greatest passion is cooking. He has traded the music scene for the kitchen and for the last few years has been working in a culinary studio, advising restaurants on menu development and styling dishes, and has a passion for travelling, learning about the cuisine of other cultures, and introducing new flavours to his countrymen.
"For me, the table looked like a stage. I realised it suited me because it's just a different scene. But the interaction with people is much closer and more interesting. In no other job is there such a quick response as here. For me it's about people's appreciation of what I've done, their experience, their reaction," says Jonas.
However, Jonas says he has not told anyone about his decision to participate in the project. So for his children, today's performance on stage should be a big surprise.
"I don't know how my children will feel about it. They always ask me why I can't just be normal and not do all this nonsense. But I will never be normal", smiles Jonušas.
Whether the participant's long break in the music will keep him from impressing the stars sitting in the teachers' chairs and whether the teachers will recognise their stage deity, whose posters were even hanging on the walls of their own homes - you will see tonight at 19:30 on LNK.
