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Kamil Behounek
Kamil Běhounek (29 March 1916 – 22 November 1983) was a Czech-German accordionist, composer, and bandleader known for his contributions to jazz and popular music. Born in Blatná, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary, Běhounek was largely self-taught on the accordion, learning by imitating recordings and BBC broadcasts. He studied law in Prague and began performing in clubs, with his first solo accordion recordings dating back to 1936. In the late 1930s, he collaborated with the Blue Music Orchestra, Rudolf Antonín Dvorský, Jiří Traxler, and Karel Vlach.

During World War II, Běhounek was compelled by the Nazis to move to Berlin in 1943 to arrange music for the bands of Lutz Templin and Ernst van't Hoff. After returning to Czechoslovakia in 1945, he used some of these arrangements for his own band. He emigrated to West Germany following the communist coup in 1948, where he continued his work as an arranger for bandleaders such as Adalbert Luczkowski, Willy Berking, Heinz Schönberger, and Werner Müller. Běhounek also led his own ensemble, performing in Bonn and for American soldiers' clubs in West Germany.

Between 1968 and 1977, he recorded several albums of folk music while continuing to play swing with his groups. He was also known for occasionally playing the tenor saxophone. Běhounek authored an autobiography, "Má láska je jazz" ("Jazz is My Love"), which was published posthumously in 1986. He passed away in Bonn, Germany, on 22 November 1983.

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