The Czech Republic: Tradition and Transformation
odd: label: Introduction
content: In 1989, the people of Czechoslovakia rose in peaceful protest against the Communist regime, in what was called the "Velvet Revolution". In the years immediately following, Western cultural productions, some of dubious quality, inundated Czech society. The reaction was a new interest in traditional folklore. For instance in 1995 the Folklore Association of the Czech Republic listed some 12,000 active members of folklore ensembles. It seemed that the Czech people remain loyal to the culture that, a century earlier, some had claimed was on the verge of extinction.

In fact, most Czech citizens still know hundreds of folk songs. Time-honored customs have survived, even if only as aesthetic or amusing reminders of a proud past. Traditional weddings are still held in rural areas and to some extent in the urban centers where they had once disappeared. In other areas, the transmission and transformation rather than disappearance of older folk traditions served as a mechanism of maintaining contemporary regional identity. Music can be taken to illustrate the diversity of Czech traditions around the then-new country.

The Festival program was organized only two years after the Czech Republic separated peacefully from Slovakia. In 1995, the Czech Republic was still grappling with the repercussions of independence and changed borders. The Festival program provided Czech scholars with an opportunity to revisit and revalue folklore traditions such as Easter-egg decorating, puppetry, dulcimer bands, and bagpipe ensembles in light of the sociopolitical changes reshaping their society. At the same time they studied contemporary, urban grassroots traditions such as Czech country and western singers, Romany popular music, and pub songs, which might not have been previously considered folklore.

At the time of the 1995 Festival, Czechs were experiencing transitions in every sphere of communal life. In the process of framing a joint Festival program, Czech and U.S. scholars shared an opportunity to witness cultural tradition and transformation at a unique historical moment. The issues they grappled with enhanced the scope of the immediate Festival goal, resulting in a presentation that covered the full range of grassroots, popular, and official folkloric expressions.

Amy Horowitz served as Curator, and Tom Vennum, Jr. as Czech American Curator, with Jaroslav Stika as Czech Research Director. Irena Zikova was U.S. Program Coordinator, and Jaroslav and Vera Cerny (Carousel Agency) were Coordinators in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic: Tradition and Transformation was made possible with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in the United States, the Trust for Mutual Understanding, Samson Brewery from the south Bohemian town of Česke Budějovice, the Ford Motor Company Fund, and Area Medica Holding s.r.o., and was produced in collaboration with the Open-Air Museum of Wallachia.
label: Researchers
content: Stanislav Brouček; Věra Černá, Jaroslav Černý, Jiří Černý, Zdeněk Cvikl, Alena Divínová, Milena Habustová, J. Hrdá, Josef Jančar, Jiří Kosík, Jiří Langer, Václav Mikušek, Anna Mlýnková, Jiří Pavlica, Martina Pavlicová, Vladimir Scheufler, Daniela Stavélová, Ivo Stolařík, Dalibor Štrunc, Jaromír Štrunc, František Synek, Zdenék Uherek, M. Weinerová
label: Presenters
content: Betty Belanus, Vera Cech, Val Cech, Věra Černá, Jerry Černý, Jiří Černý, Jana Kansky, Paul Kapic, Pavla Kostková, Dawn Orsak, Irena Přibylová, Heather Slosar, Lucie Zálešáková, Dick Zika
label: Participants: Czech-American
content: FOODWAYS

Helen Cyr, sausage maker, Freeport, Texas

Roseanne Hauger, sausage maker, Floresville, Texas

Zdena Sadlik, cook, Washington, D.C.

MUSIC

TUBA DAN BAND  -- TUBA DAN BANDGene Burmeister, trumpet, Green Bay, WisconsinJohn Hall, trumpet, saxophone, clarinet, Omro, WisconsinDan "Tuba Dan" Jerabek, Sr., tuba, Ripon, WisconsinDan Jerabek, Jr., accordion, tuba, Ripon, WisconsinDavid Jerabek, trombone, tuba, accordion, Ripon, WisconsinLila Jerabek, drums, Ripon, WisconsinJay Yungwirth, piano, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
label: Participants: Czech Republic
content: MUSIC

HRADIŠTAN: CONTEMPORARY MORAVIAN DULCIMER BAND  -- HRADIŠTAN: CONTEMPORARY MORAVIAN DULCIMER BANDDavid Burda, clarinet, vocals, Uherské Hradištĕ, Czech RepublicAlice Holubová, vocals, Uherské Hradištĕ, Czech RepublicMiroslav Juračka, violin, vocals, Uherské Brod, Czech RepublicOldřich Kučera, double bass, vocals, Kunovice, Czech RepublicMilan Malina, dulcimer, vocals, Uherské Hradištĕ, Czech RepublicJiří Pavlica, vocals, violin, Brno, Czech RepublicLubomír Svatoš, violin, vocals, Uherské Hradištĕ, Czech Republic

POLAJKA: WALLACHIAN WOMEN SINGERS, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm  -- POLAJKA: WALLACHIAN WOMEN SINGERS, Rožnov pod RadhoštěmIrena Dĕcká, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicJarmila Maleňáková, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicEva Porubová, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicPavla Porubová, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicEva Šťiková, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicJaroslava Štruncová, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech Republic

POSTŘEKOV FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE: CHODSKO BAGPIPE AND WHIRLING DANCE  -- POSTŘEKOV FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE: CHODSKO BAGPIPE AND WHIRLING DANCEPetr Buršík, dance, vocals, Postřekov Mlýnec, Czech RepublicJan Holoubek, bagpipe, double bass, Postřekov Mlýnec, Czech RepublicJiřina Holoubkova., Vtolin, Postřekov Mlýnec, Czech RepublicJiří Kapic, vocals, dance, Postfekov Mlynec, Czech RepublicJiří Konop, vocals, dance, percussion, Postřekov, Czech RepublicIvana Konopová, dance, Postřekov, Czech RepublicJana Královcová, dance, vocals, Postřekov, Czech RepublicMiroslav Královec, vocals, dance, Postřekov, Czech RepublicKarel Pivoňka, vocals, dance, Postřekov, Czech RepublicAnna Pivoňková, vocals, dance, bobbin lace maker, Postřekov, Czech RepublicVeronika Poláková, dance, Postřekov, Czech RepublicJan Řezníčěk, clarinet, Postřekov, Czech RepublicJaroslav Řezníčěk, clarinet, Postřekov, Czech RepublicRichard Vísner, bagpipr, Domažlice, Czech RepublicMilan Vrba, dance, Postřekov Mlýnec, Czech RepublicAnna Vrbová, dance, Postřekov Mlýnec, Czech Republic

RADHOST: TRADITIONAL MORAVIAN VIOLIN, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm  -- RADHOST: TRADITIONAL MORAVIAN VIOLIN, Rožnov pod RadhoštěmIvan Bělunek, dulcimer, vocals, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicHelena Dobrovolná, dance, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicVěra Dobrovolná, dance, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicPetr Dobrovolny, dance, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicOndřěj Dobrovolný, dance, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicCtimír Štrunc, Double bass, vocals, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicJaromír Štrunc, violin, vocals, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicJaromír Štrunc, Jr., violin, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech RepublicVladimír Štrunc, violin, vocals, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech Republic

TOČKOLOTOČ: CONTEMPORARY ROMANY BAND, SVITAVY  -- TOČKOLOTOČ: CONTEMPORARY ROMANY BAND, SVITAVYPavel Bolček, bass guitar, vocals, Svitavy, Czech RepublicAntonín Janko, guitar, vocals, Svitavy, Czech RepublicGejza Pešta, vocals, composer, arranger, Svitavy, Czech RepublicJiří Pešta, guitar, composer, arranger, Svitavy, Czech RepublicMilan Pešta, percussion, vocals, Svitavy, Czech RepublicMirek Pešta, mandolin, vocals, Svitavy, Czech RepublicBartoloměj Vaško, guitar, vocals, Svitavy, Czech Republic

VLADEK ZOGATA'S GAJDOŠ BAND: SILESIAN BAGPIPE MUSIC  -- VLADEK ZOGATA'S GAJDOŠ BAND: SILESIAN BAGPIPE MUSICAleš Adamík, vocals, violin, Třinec, Czech RepublicVladislav Zogata, bagpipe player, vocals, bagpipe maker, Třinec, Czech Republic

URBAN SINGER  -- URBAN SINGERVladimír Merta, guitar, vocals, Praha, Czech Republic

CRAFTS AND OCCUPATIONS

František Gajda, woodcarver, accordionist, Strážnice, Czech Republic

Milena Habustová, cook, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech Republic

Zina Juřicová, egg decorator, doll maker, Valtice, Czech Republic

Josef Kopčan, carpenter, woodworker, Valašská Bystřice, Czech Republic

Vitězslav Martinák, stone carver, restorer, Uherské Hradištĕ, Czech Republic

Bohumil Mlýnek, handloom weaver, Strážnice, Czech Republic

Anna Mlýnková, assistant handloom weaver, Strážnice, Czech Republic

Svatava Pavlicová, egg decorator, Bečva, Czech Republic

Jiří Sedlmaier, Egg decorator, Přerov, Czech Republic

Petr Stoklasa, split-wood dove maker, Velké Karlovice, Czech Republic

Antonin Závorka, carpenter, woodworker, Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, Czech Republic

PUPPETEERS

Vladimíra Kopecká, puppeteer, actress, Praha, Czech Republic

Matěj Kopecký, Jr., puppeteer, actor, Praha, Czech Republic

Antonín Maloň, puppet maker, woodcarver, decorator, Brno, Czech Republic
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
setName: label: See more items in
content: Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1995 Festival of American Folklife
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections
identifier: label: Identifier
content: CFCH.SFF.1995, Series 3
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials