Music in the Czech Republic has roots both in high culture opera and symphony and in the folk musics of Bohemia and Moravia. Cross-pollination and diversity are important aspects of the music: composers were often influenced by folk music, Jazz and Bluegrass music have become popular, pop music often consists of English language hits sung in Czech.
Traditional and Classical
The traditional music of the Czech Republic has been well-documented as a result of the work of composers like Leoš Janáček, Antonín Dvořák, Bedřich Smetana, and Bohuslav Martinů, who recorded and utilized national sounds in their compositions.
Janáček made his recordings at an auspicious time. The 1880s saw the decline of traditional music. Janáček brought a Moravian string band to the 1895 National Czecho-Slavonic Ethnographical Exhibition in Prague, which led to increased feelings of national pride and identity, and a resurgence in traditional music.
Folk music of Bohemia
Undoubtedly the most internationally famous form of Czech folk music is Bohemian polka. Polka is a dance in duple time that became popular across Europe in the 19th century and spread across the world, influencing music from Mexico to Japan. Modern Bohemian music is most innovative in Chodsko, where bagpipes are common.
Folk Music of Moravia
Moravian folk music is best-known for the cimbalom, which are played in ensembles that also include double bass, clarinet and violins. Moravian regions include foreign influences, especially Valachia and its Romanian history, and Lachia with Polish aspects.
Political Music and Westernization
Following the Communist takeover in 1948, Czech music was state-supported and sanitized into paeans of devotion to the ideals of socialism and the government. By 1964, however, the people were clamoring for more freedom of expression, partially inspired by that year's visit from American folk singer Pete Seeger. Two years later, the Porta Festival was formed as an outlet for these singer-songwriters, and soon became known as the "Czech Woodstock". Artists of this tradition include Minnesengri, Dagmar Andrtová and Skiffle Kontra.
The 1960s saw American bluegrass music gain widespred popularity, and the first European bluegrass festival was held in 1972 (the Annual Banjo Jamboree in Kopidlno). In 1964 and 1982, Pete Seeger toured the country, inspiring generations of Czech bluegrass and American-style folk musicians. Notable is Poutníci, whose early success led to the continued embrace of bluegrass music in the Czech Republic. Many former members of that band have recorded or toured with Druhá Tráva, which has brought Czech bluegrass to the modern world music stage.
Contemporary Czech folk musics
Prague is known for its pub songs called staroprazske pisnieky, which are influenced by Viennese schrammelmusik and other sources. These songs are still played by popular bands like Slapeto. A more modernized urban folk music is called tramp music (trampská hudba) Trampská hudba has been popular since its invention as part of the Czech tramping movement that began when early 20th century Czech city-dwellers began seeking physical and imaginative respite from the pressures of urban life.
Pop Music
English speaking visitors listening to Czech radio are surprised by the prevalence of familiar tunes, but with lyrics sung in Czech. Otherwise, rock and roll has taken over, often with influences and instrumentations taken from more traditional Czech styles.
Lately, Czech Republic has been the breeding point for a lot of extreme metal bands, most of which are into brutal death, goregrind and similar styles of extreme metal.
Samples
- Download recording - "Tece voda, tece" Czech tune from the Library of Congress' Florida Folklife from the WPA Collections; performed by Michael and Elizabeth Prácher on August 28, 1939 in Masaryktown, Florida
Today's musical groups
Pop
Rock
Rap
Traditional
Bluegrass
See also
References
