Archive: Culture | Music Music
50 years of Olympic
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the vanguard rock n’ roll band
Olympic, and this month the 70th birthday of its founder Petr Janda. Even
in the late sixties music critics noted the tremendous impact that Olympic
had on Czech pop, or big beat, but probably no one would have guessed that
the band would still be playing in the 21st century, or that their Janda
would still be on the stage in front of faithful audiences 50 years on. More
2011 Singer of the Year Tomáš Klus
Our guest on this week’s Sunday Music show is singer and songwriter
Tomáš Klus winner of the Singer of the year and Album of the year at the
2011 Andel Awards. Tomáš Klus has best captured the present mood of the
Czech nation. In his 2011 hit song "Pánu bohu do oken" he sings
about the rotten world of Czech politics asking God what Czechs have done
to deserve this. More
American piano virtuoso Stephen Beus: I do not remember a time when I did not want to be a pianist.
American pianist Stephen Beus is one of the star performers at the American
spring music festival currently underway in the Czech Republic. The
internationally acclaimed musician, who performs with renowned orchestras
and gives solo recitals the world over, has been described as a strikingly
original, confident and gifted player with a rock-solid technique. On what
is his second recital tour in the Czech Republic he visited Radio
Prague’s studio and talked about the joy he derives from music, the
inspiration he draws from it and the secret behind his ability to captivate
an audience. More
Jazz legend Laco Deczi
In this edition of the Sunday Music Show: conversation with, as well as new
music from, jazz legend Laco Dezci. More
Spring is in the air!
In our first May edition of the Sunday Music Show, we listen to all sorts
of spring tunes. More
Prague-based Quebecois Jonathan Gaudet adds Latin flavour to his blues
Our guest in this edition of Sunday Music Show is Jonathan Gaudet, a
French-Canadian guitarist, singer and songwriter who travelled the world
before he settled in Prague. Collaborating with Czech musicians and singing
in French, Spanish and English, Jonathan incorporates various musical
influences in his lively blues. More
“Hooligans and swindlers”: the communist regime and the Plastic People
In the 1970s the communist authorities tolerated popular music as long as
it was insipid, colourless and unoriginal – everything that the Czech
psychedelic rock band The Plastic People of the Universe most definitely
was not. Their music was inspired by Frank Zappa and The Velvet
Underground, their lyrics anarchic, their behaviour unconventional and
their hair long. In 1976 four members of the band were sentenced to prison
terms for what was described as “organised disturbance of the peace”,
and in December of the same year Czechoslovak Radio broadcast a documentary
that painted the band in the darkest possible colours and included extracts
from their music, recorded secretly at their concerts. More
Pavel Šporcl - Not your everyday violin virtuoso
In the Czech Republic and increasingly even abroad, violinist Pavel Šporcl
enjoys the kind of name recognition that aspiring rock stars dream of. A
natural talent, he became the enfant terrible of the classical music world
when first he arrived on the scene, forgoing a tuxedo for a bandana and
taking an interactive approach to his concerts. Having toured the world
over and recorded roughly a dozen albums, 36-year-old Pavel Šporcl is not
only a dominant but a defining force in classical music. I met Pavel as he
was preparing for a concert, and asked him to describe what it is that has
made him and his career so distinct. More
Legendary Pražský výběr returns
The legendary band Pražský výběr – one of the most influential bands
from the Czech New Wave – are back. Recently the group, led by frontman
Michael Kocáb announced they would put aside past differences and reunite
for a series of concerts in the autumn. More
Lubomír Dorůžka: Legendary music journalist and translator of Western literature
Lubomír Dorůžka first began writing about music seven decades ago when,
during WWII, he produced a clandestine magazine on his greatest passion,
jazz. The quintessential American art form was frowned upon by the
Communists after their 1948 takeover of Czechoslovakia. However, in the
relatively liberal 1960s Mr. Dorůžka was able to edit music magazines and
play a very active role in international jazz organisations. As well as
being a music journalist, he is also a renowned translator of American and
British writers – and as a young man did many translations with his
lifelong friend, the novelist Josef Škvorecký. More
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