About Czech Alternative Music
Modern music in the former West and East blocks was developing differently. The Iron Curtain - a border between the West and the East - became a place of a strong political tension and confrontation.Due to the fact that Czech alternative music roots were based mostly in the eighties, the music could not develop freely. It was based on non-proffesional basis, because the establishment at this time did not allow the musicians to work professionally. "Thanks" to the isolation this music was not influenced by the trends of the West, which on the other side had also one positive effect - the music stayed untouched mainly by American and British
mainstream. It was developing originally. Absolute majority of such bands knew very well they could never count with any kind of commercial success and simly kept playing - in spite of large amount of repressions.
After the Iron Curtain disappeared the situation changed. Most of the bands absorbed influences from abroad and used them for their own benefit or simply started to copy what they heard. Those who managed to keep their own faces belong to the amount of bands we want to present at our "Czech Music On The Road" mini-festival. Their art builds on foundations of national traditions and differs from present "normal" music to such level, that those bands immediately brought interest of organizers of many foreign similarily oriented prestigous festivals or just events. If there is music of former East block that somebody wants to listen to, it is not mainstream, but alternative music. And we choose from the best contemporary artists.
Thanks to our donators:
Prague City
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Czech Republic
A.M.P. Prague