Topic Archive Culture
Ride of the Kings added to UNESCO heritage list
The Czech Republic’s Ride of the Kings – a tradition dating back
centuries still practiced in south-eastern Moravia – was added at the
weekend to UNESCO’s list recognising intangible cultural heritage. The
ride – practiced in just four villages in the Slovácko region – refers
to the flight of Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus from Czech King George of
Podébrady in the 15th century. Organisers had strived for years to see the
tradition recognised and – following UNESCO’s decision – had every
reason to celebrate. More
Famous Czech jazz flutist Jiří Stivín
This week’s Sunday Music Show is devoted to one of the country’s most
prominent jazz artists –flutist Jiří Stivín. The 68-year-old musician,
who is reputed to be able to play on a blade of grass, says the feel for
jazz is something you are born with and some of the best renditions come
from children who are as yet unspoiled by the constraints of a music
education. More
Brass bands, beer and a famous boulevard: Czech links with Mexico
In this programme we go south of the border, to explore some intriguing
Czech literary and other cultural links with Mexico, stretching right back
to the days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Bernie Higgins begins by
recounting an extraordinary episode from the mid 19th century. More
Screen Czech
In this edition of Screen Czech I’ll be speaking to one of the most
influential people in the Czech film industry – Ludmila Claussova,
chairwoman of the Czech Film Commission – a one-stop shop for all
producers looking to shoot here in the Czech people. She’ll be telling us
about what the commission has to offer and gives some forthright opinions
on the country’s much maligned film incentive scheme. More
DVD series resurrects 1950s Czechoslovak Socialist Realist films
Filmy patří lidu (Films Belong to the People) is the title of a series of
Socialist Realist pictures that have been released on DVD in the Czech
Republic in recent months. These propaganda-filled films are from the
1950s, the harshest decade of the communist era, notorious for its brutal
repression, show trials and forced labour camps. More
Supraphon takes archive online
Supraphon has been the main record label for Czech music ever since 1932, and has been a major force in bringing Czech music to the rest of the world. Now as the world goes online for music so too goes Supraphon. On Thursday, its new online service, Supraphonline, will begin offering a part of the company’s massive archive of more than 100,000 recordings to internet buyers, in what was intended to be the first such service in the country. Christian Falvey talked to the record company’s business manager Antonín Milata. More
Michael Kocáb, composer, rock star and human rights activist
In Sunday Music Show today, we’ll be listening to the music of Michael
Kocáb. A distinct and versatile musician, Michael Kocáb also has a record
as a human right activist who played a significant part in the Velvet
Revolution. More
Ewald Osers: “a certain talent for languages”
Last month we heard the sad news of the death of Ewald Osers at his home in
England at the age of 94. Born in Prague at a time when it was still part
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Osers was an outstanding linguist and a
brilliant translator. Over the decades he translated dozens of Czech
writers and poets into English, and was equally well known for his
translations from German. David Vaughan looks back at a fascinating life. More
Alice Nellis – leading Czech filmmaker returns with Perfect Days
With dramas like Eeeny Meeny, Little Girl Blue and Mamas and Papas, Alice
Nellis has become one of the best-known Czech filmmakers of her generation.
The director and screenwriter, who is 40, is now back at the box office
with Perfect Days, a comedy adapted from the stage. More
Czech movie hits
In this week’s edition of the Sunday Music Show well be focussing on
music in Czech film – rock and pop hits from the 1960s up to the
Noughties. Everything from more recent films like Rebelové (Rebels) to
family classics like Saxana and S tebou mě baví svět – sure to be
fired up on the DVD or re-watched on TV during the upcoming holiday season. More
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