Topic Archive Culture
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
Hunt Kastner Artworks – helping young Czech artists develop international careers
Hunt Kastner Artworks in Prague 7 is a private gallery owned and run by
Camille Hunt, who is Canadian, and Katherine Kastner, who is from the US
though her mother is Czech. The two represent 10 Czech artists, among them
Eva Koťátková, Josef Bolf and Daniel Pitín. This week I stopped by to
talk to the owners about their work, both curating shows and helping their
artists find buyers overseas. I first asked Hunt what had led them to open
the gallery in the first place. 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
Prague company keeping classic Czech design of early 20th century alive
The company Modernista, which has a shop in the centre of Prague, deals in
both original Czech furniture from the first half of the 20th century and
replicas it has made under license. Perhaps most notably, Modernista sells
and recreates Cubist pieces – including ceramics and clocks – which are
unique to this part of the world. Owner Janek Jaros described the business
to me when we spoke a few days ago. 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
2012 set to be good year for Czech art market
Over the last couple of years, art sales in the Czech Republic have seen a
decline. But this year is different, and it’s not just the record sale of
a František Kupka painting that did the trick. The market now attracts
collectors who are ready to look beyond the well-established segment of
modern art that has topped sales so far. More
International meeting of experts on Czech language and literature kicks off in Prague
An international meeting of Czech language and literature experts, among
them teachers and translators, kicked off at Prager Literaturhaus, a Czech
institute that promotes Prague’s German literary heritage. For the next
four days, lovers of the Czech language will be discussing their field of
expertise and exchanging their findings in a number of seminars, panel
discussions and lectures. On the first day of the international
get-together, we speak with Kristin Kilsti, a Norwegian literary translator
who works from Czech into her native tongue. 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
Blanka Čechová: finding Kafka in Kosovo
Not many people would give up the salary, status and security of a job as a
high-flying European lawyer for all the uncertainties of being a full time
writer. But this is exactly what Blanka Čechová has done. After several
years working for international institutions that seemed to feed on their
own bureaucracy, she became disillusioned, and instead has taken her
experiences as an inspiration for her writing. Her new novel, “Totál
Balkán” draws richly from the time the author spent with an
international mission in Kosovo, and the picture it paints is far from
flattering. David Vaughan meets a writer who has not been afraid to court
controversy.
More
Actor Jiří Mádl – the teenage heartthrob grows up
In 2004, Jiří Mádl, who at the time was all about playing hockey and had
little ambitions to become an actor, shot to fame overnight with his lead
role in the box-office hit Snowboarďáci, or Snowboarders. While he was
mostly cast for teen comedies following his first big success, his more
recent films show a shift towards serious roles. In his latest movie, Four
Suns or Čtyři Slunce, directed by the acclaimed Bohdan Sláma, Mádl
plays bad-boy Jerry. The film also happens to be the Czech Republic’s
first submission to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. I spoke to
Mádl, about his work, his love for foreign languages and asked him if he
still has a passion for ice-hockey. More
+1
+10
+100
