Czech Update

Karel Gott, the never-aging pop star, marries in Las Vegas

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:08:39 +0000

He's been a fixture on the Czech, German and general East European music scene since at least he mid-1960s. Started off with Rock'n'Roll and descended into broad pop in the 70s. Sold millions and millions of records and is the subject of adoration and derision in equal measure. Most Czechs and their parents have grown up listening to him and watching him win music contests. read more »

Velvet Revolution in video (YouTube weekly)

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:01:27 +0000

YouTube is a great source of video to illustrate historical events and the Velvet Revolution is no exception. Here are a few clips.

Montage of moments from the days of and after 17 November: read more »

Čechomor - Czech You Tube Pick of the Week

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:59:52 +0100

Song Velické zvony by a folklore rock group called Čechomor. You can get both the lyrics (sorry Czech only) and the guitar chords at Akordy.sk. The song is about a funeral for a man poisoned by his lover who is now crying for him. read more »

Dictionary of Czech culture

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:56:48 +0100

The Amazon reviewer got it right! read more »

Czech autumn full of jazz (festivals)

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 10:26:14 +0100

Czech jazz has long and proud tradition. This article on Travel Video Television News has the scoop on where to travel for jazz in the Czech lands. Watch the two YouTube videos below to see what's in store (two foremost Czech jazzmen Viklický and Stivín each play a variation on a folk tune). read more »

Czech opera on YouTube

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 11:20:02 +0100

YouTube is known mostly for funny little clips or stolen content. But it is also a great resource for music. One thing I came across by accident are a number of clips from Czech opera. This one is a famous and beautiful aria from Dvořák's Rusalka. It is sung in Czech by the American soprano Renée Fleming. read more »

Koledy: The sounds of Christmas

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 13:37:02 +0000

Tradice koled pochází ze středověku - www.lidovky.cz V dnešní době jsou koledy synonymem pro vánoční písně. Ve středověku tomu tak nebylo.

Koledy (Carols) are as indispensable for a Czech Christmas as carp and Christmas trees. In fact, they have a long history, going all the way to +šth century. Originally, they were associated with small gifts from householders to roving singers (trick-or-treat - Czech verb: koledovat) and were not limited just to Christmas. Now, they can be heard in homes around the country, they come on radio and appear in shopping malls and elevators. read more »