Vytautas Kernagis (May 19, 1951 – March 15, 2008) was a Lithuanian singer-songwriter, bard, actor, director, and television announcer. He is considered a pioneer of Lithuanian sung poetry.^[1]

Career

Vytautas Kernagis was born to the family of actors Aleksandras Kernagis [lt] and Gražina Kernagienė [lt]. He attended M.K.Čiurlionis school (first 3 years) and Vilnius 23rd school. In 1973 he graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.

He was a member of the pioneering Lithuanian big beat bands Aisčiai (1966–1968) and Rupūs miltai (1969–1972).

Kernagis recorded his first album of sung poetry in 1978. Kernagis also took part in the first Lithuanian rock opera Devil's Bride, first Lithuanian musical Ugnies medžioklė su varovais (1976), and first Lithuanian musical for a puppet theatre Šokantis ir dainuojantis mergaitės vieversėlis.

Kernagis hosted the 1st season (2007) of Žvaigždžių duetai TV show.

Kernagis suffered from gastric cancer and died March 15, 2008. He was cremated and interred in the Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius.

Filmography

• Kai aš mažas buvau (When I was little) (1968)
• Mažoji išpažintis (Little confession) (1971)
• Atsiprašau (I'm sorry) (1982)
• Kažkas atsitiko (Something happened) (1986)
• Anastasija (Anastasia) (2006)

Discography

• Akustinis (1978 LP album, 1994 CD ir MC, 2006, Vilniaus plokštelių studija)
• Baltojo nieko dainelės (1979, Vilniaus plokštelių studija; 2000, „"Čiki Piki")
• Vytautas Kernagis (1979 LP, Melodia C60-10889-90)
• Kabaretas „Tarp girnų" (1982 small vinyl, 1984 LP, Vilniaus plokštelių studija)
• Vytautas Kernagis Čikagoje (1985, Cassettes studija)
• Dainos teatras:
  • Žvilgsnis nuo kalno (1986, Vilniaus plokštelių studija)
  • Eik savo keliu (1987, Vilniaus plokštelių studija)
  • Povo link... (1989, Vilniaus plokštelių studija)
  • Apie medžioklę (1990, Vilniaus plokštelių studija)
• Keistumas (1991 m., "Lituanus")
• Dainos teatras – Abėcėlė (1993, "Bomba")
• Vaikai vanagai (1994, "Bomba")
• Kabaretas „Tarp girnų“ 1979–1994 (1994 m., "Bomba")
• Baltas paukštis (1998, Vilniaus plokštelių studija)
• Teisingos dainos (2003, "Tigris")
• Dainos teatras (2006)
• Klasika (2007, 5 CD collection):
  • Akustinis
  • Baltojo nieko dainelės
  • Dainos teatras
  • Teisingos dainos

Awards and remembrance

• 1995 – Antanas Šabaniauskas music award
• 2000 – "Bravo" music award [lt]
• 2002 – Officer's Cross of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas^[2]
• 2008 – Lithuanian National Prize for Culture and Arts, for the professionalism in modern creativity and artistry.^[3]

A bench sculpture in Nida by Romualdas Kvintas [lt]^[4]

A sculpture to his song in Marijampole.^[5]

A sculpture bench with a guitar by Gediminas Avenue, Vilnius^[6]