PragueBuzz!

On the way to work on the metro, I saw a short article about Gipsy.cz. Not able to understand almost anything but I was able to catch the words “dnes” meaning “today” and “Lucerna Musicu Baru.” By the time I was at work, I’d already received an email and an SMS invitation to the concert.

For a long time, I’ve had this inexplicable obsession with Romani culture, especially their music. Perhaps, their existence and their history are still something to be discovered and understood for me. Whenever I visited an European country which had any link to the Romany, I always asked the locals to take me to a gypsy neighborhood or to introduce me to some gypsy they knew. Most of them did not take my interest seriously. They usually pointed out to some dirty dressed, dark skinned people selling stuffs or doing weird things on the streets. It was only in Croatia that a friend pointed out an error of my search: “C., the gypsy you are looking for are the artists, the entertainers. They are not here. These gypsy you see here only steal and do nothing.” So then where are these gypsy artists? They have to be Europe somewhere, mixed together with other stealing and begging gypsies. It’s not like they have a community of just entertaining gypsies of their own.

But anyway, my enthusiasm for looking for gypsy waned. I stopped looking for gypsy all at once. Want proof? I’ve lived in Czech for almost a year, and I had no photos of any gypsy. I heard many time about Karlin’s gypsy ghettos, but did I bother to go there? No!

Concert
So, I was really excited looking forward to this concert, the first concert since living here. The ticket was only 120 CZK compared to tickets to concerts of other Czech popular singers and bands and other who come from the US. Lucerna Music Bar’s small size with less than 200-people capacity was excellent for taking photos and seeing the artists’ up close.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their music: vocal, instrumental and melodic elements. Their overall music style could be summed up as rap, hip-hop, pop and gipsy tunes cleverly blended to produce addicting and seducing melodies. The main singer’ Eminem-like rap, jokes (which I did not understand), sound-mimicking with only his voice, charisma and pure talents brought down the house.

Eurovision
And, of course it’s all about Eurovision. Gipsy.cz was the 2nd runner-up, after the more popular rock band Kabat in the Czech Eurovision’s qualification. Kabat’s pure Western rock style didn’t fare well in a heavily pop-themed Eurovision. Gipsy.cz had many Eurovision’s elements: pop/hip-hop, funny, unique and could have gone far.

But on the other hand, they might find themselves in last place like their countrymen Kabat due to European’s general disdain toward gypsies, thus not giving them any vote.

Songs

Tired of ubiquitous rock and hiphop tunes? Spend an evening out at this hidden but well-known bar located in the downtown Lucerna palace, owned V�clav Havel’s family, and dance the night away with non-stop 80s and 90s pop beats.

The dancing floor is of medium size, lit by a spinning disco ball, creating a sort of cheesy illusion. The crow comprises of mostly locals and expats, ranging from teenagers to late 20s. Its venue is not perfect, but it can be a blast to 80s music fans, one of which is of course me.

For only 20 CZK, you can free your hands by leaving  your bags in a safe place.

Theme: 80s Dance Club (weekend)
Dress code: Whatever way you like
Location: Prague 1, Wencelas Square

Sample Music from the 80s

The walk starts at the Rudolfinum concert hall, where he conducted the very first concert of the Czech Philharmonic in 1896. We go past the Dvorak monument in front of the building and continue along Krizovnicka Street to St Salvatore’s Church. We can stop in Husova Street where Dvorak stayed when he first came to Prague and where he was confirmed in St Giles Church. That’s close to Uhelny trh square where his first public performance took place.

Then we continue along Narodni Street to the National Theatre and Zofin Island. Then via St Adalbert’s Church where he played the organ, we continue to Charles Square where he liked to stroll in the morning and listen to the singing of birds. Having walked past the building in Zitna Street where Dvorak lived until his death and which is in bad repair today, we arrive at the Antonin Dvorak Museum. From there we can continue on to Dvorak’s grave at Vysehrad cemetery.

It is possible that sound of trains from America was the muse for his famous short piano piece “Humoresque.”

“Following Dvorak’s Footsteps through Prague” exhibition will be open until April 14th, 2008. So there will be plenty of time for you to make plan.

[Link]

To “celebrate” the “high-anticipating” radar project proposed by the US government, Lady Czech Defense Minister dueted with Czech’s famous folk singer Jan Vycital in this jovial “Dobry den prapore hvezd a pruhu/Good day the flag of stars and stripes” song.

This song was a new version of the old Communist song, “Good day Sergeant Gagarin,” congratulating Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space.

The song demonstrates the typical sarcastic humor of Czechs who usually make fun of many ill-fated events and circumstances engulfing their small, powerless country.

Lyrics

To really know what Czechs feel about the radar project, watch Pink’s video which was broadcasted on Czech TV. One more thing, the video was subtitled in Czech, which was very rare, to make sure every Czech understand the song’s lyrics.

I love this song and this flighty attitude of Czechs until I read people’s criticism of the singing- lover Parkova for this �unprofessional� outburst, that she showed too much pro-American.

Tags: czech, praguebuzz, politics, music, humor