Bonjour! Aïe! Salut! – Just like every spring, Bonjour Brno festival will let you taste French culture and lifestyle without leaving Brno.

The festival is organised by Alliance française.

I especially like these events:

• Gourmet weeek in La Bouchée (33 Údolní st.) from March 30 to April 6.
• Concert of IMG at Fléda (24 Štefánikova st.) on Saturday, April 14.
• Concert of Yann-Fañch Kemener & Aldo Ripoche (two excellent artists of Brittany) at University of technology (1 Antonínská st.) on Tuesday, April 17.
• Dance evening “Fest-noz” at Design Museum (14 Husova st.) on Wednesday, April 18.
• Screening of Jean Cocteau’s Orphée at Cinema Art (19 Cihlářská st.) on March 30.
• Pétanque tournament at Lužánky park (Lidická st.) on Saturday, April 15, at 11 a.m. – including a tasting of Ricard pastis.

Again, the website does not contain an English version. If you want to learn more, try machine-translating the French one.

Check out the price of tickets (free admission is marked as “vstup volný”) – and buy them in advance at the venues or at the stand in the first floor of Dům pánů z Lipé (86/17 Náměstí Svobody sq.).

Do you think great live music is always expensive? Now you can enjoy 10 concerts of world, folklore and ethnic music for only CZK 300. Concerts of Etno Jaro festival will take place in Stará Pekárna (“Old Bakery”) club – one every Thursday evening until April.

Schedule of Etno Jaro 2012

Concerts start at 8 p.m.

• Thu 2/2 – Trio de Janeiro (etnojazz)
• Thu 2/16 – Ladě (“rough chanson”)
• Thu 2/23 – Živé kvety (Slovak punk-folk band)
• Thu 3/1 – Los Rumberos Trio (Cuba/CZ, latin & afro-cuban)
• Thu 3/8 – Ahmed má hlad (south./east. European music)
• Thu 3/15 – Neočekávaný dýchánek
• Thu 3/22 – Tubabu (west-african music) + support: OIT
• Thu 3/29 – Di Grine Kuzine (Berlin-based klezmer band)
• Thu 4/4 – Bran (Czech band playing music of Brittany)
• Thu 4/12 – KlezMehrin (klezmer) – on the top picture

Before the first concert on 2/2, a festival pass can be bought at Stará Pekárna (8 Štefánikova st.) for only CZK 300 (€12).

Single tickets cost from CZK 100 to CZK 150 and the pass can be bought later for CZK 450.

One of the most distinct trip-hop artists, Manchester-based duo Lamb will perform a concert at Fléda club (24 Štefánikova st.) on Sunday, February 5.

Lamb are famous for blending trip hop with jazz and elements of drum and bass. Wikipedia

Lamb consists of Andy Barlow and Lou Rhodes. The duo was active from 1996 to 2004; they reunited for the new album 5 and a tour in 2009.

On Sunday, Lamb will be supported by The Ramona Flowers and Jay Leighton. The concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets cost CZK 550(pre-sale)/599.

Čokovoko, uberentertaining feminist-rap sensation from Brno (source: cokovoko.cz)

The court of the Old Town Hall at Radnická st. (map) will host several folk concerts in July and August.

You can buy the tickets it advance, for a lower price, in the booking office of Brno Cultural Centre at 17 Běhounská st.

Jaromír Hnilička

7/13, 7:30 p.m.

An inherent part of the most famous group of the Gustav Brom Big Band, Mr. Jaromir Hnilička is a legendary trumpet player.

Repertoire consists of traditional and modern jazz and swing classics, musical melodies and Latin-American songs.

CZK 100/130

Nebeztebe a Jazoo

7/20, 7:30 p.m.

Double concert of ethno folk band Nebeztebe and jazz magicians Jazoo.

Nebeztebe band moves on the acoustic boundary of ethno, funk and energetic identity. An interesting feature is the combination of Czech and English texts, which makes them more interesting and makes listeners feel them truly.

Members: Štěpán Hulce – vocals, Spanish guitar (nylon strings) | Yetty (Honza Vrtěna) – mandolin, mandoletto, guitars | Magdaléna Hulcová – vocals, mouth harmonica, rattles Pavel Kocián – bass guitars | D’Artagnan (Martin Tomaško) – percussion.

Jazoo band played together intermittently for 11 years. They seek to ensure that their concept of jazz is not academic, but spontaneous, instinctive and animal as much as possible. That is why they have zoo in the title.

Members: Vít Karlas – electronic mandolin | Jan Kyncl – flute, altsaxophone | Laďa Krajča – bass | Tomáš Plšek –drums | Lukáš Krejčí – percussion.

CZK 60/90

Robert Křesťan a Druhá tráva, feat. Charlie McCoy

7/26, 7:30 p.m.

Robert Křesťan & Druhá tráva will play on the Old Town Hall within the tour at 20th anniversary of band formation. They will have a special guest, American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Charlie McCoy, who worked with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Al Kooper and other musicians in the past.

Robert Křesťan – texts, banjo, guitar, mandolin
Luboš Malina – acoustic and electric banjo, Irish flutes, clarinet, tarogato, saxophone, mandolin, guitar, violin, cello
Luboš Novotný – lap steel, guitar
Emil Formánek – acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, bass guitar
Charlie McCoy – guest of the evening

CZK 200/250

Groovey

8/3, 7:30 p.m.

Brno-based music duo inspired by Simon and Garfunkel´s songs.

Groovey is formed by Adam Kubát (guitar, vocals) and Pavel Křivák (guitar, vocals). They interpret Simon and Garfunkel’s cover songs in the most authentic arrangements possible. The repertoire also contains their own songs.

CZK 60/90

Folk Team

8/10, 7:30 p.m.

FOLK TEAM group was founded in late 1973 and 1974, when they left their ideals, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young or Bob Dylan and began to look for their own musical path. They found their own place in the Czech musical space and represented the intellectual branch of folk music with typical handwriting and Roman Venclovský´s expressive vocals. In addition to folk music we found also songs with a touch of big beat, rock, or rock and roll in the band repertoire. Members of the Folk Team never thought about their style inclusion and rather played what they felt.

In 2009 the band celebrated 35 years of its existence and continues to perform mainly at festivals and club scenes. They will arrive to brighten summer days on the court of the Brno Old Town Hall.

CZK 100/130

Čokovoko

8/17, 7:30 p.m.

Čokovoko duo was founded in 2006 and has been – as they say about themselves – one of the most crude and famous musically untalented band in Brno. Girls from Čokovoko don´t make any hip-hop and in fact not even rapping. What they produce should be called more like spoken word with music. This year they issued their first real album called Music.

So what you can expect when you come to the Old Town Hall? Undoubtedly unrivaled cultural experience, frontal attack of unexpected phrases and puns, whirlwind of allusions, allegorical references and sophisticated metaphors. This music is playful, funny and also goes to the marrow of the issue – and often far below it.

CZK 100/150

Terne Čhave (www.myspace.com/ternechave)

Babylonfest is a festival of ethno and world music organized for the fourth time by the Brno Cultural Centre in cooperation with Brno’s ethnic minorities. Its aim is to show that Brno is a cosmopolitan city where many foreigners and ethnic minorities live and work.

The main part of the festival will take place at the Moravian Square on 17th and 18 June 2011 with 11 bands, formed in most cases by foreigners living in the Czech Republic. There will be some refreshment and an ethnic fair there, too. More on www.babylonfest.cz.

17th June / Friday / Moravské náměstí – Moravian square / admission free

15:30 – 16:30 Medicimbal

Pushing dulcimer (cimbalom) music inspired by modern genres. Repertoire includes folk songs, ethnic and dance songs and recent hits from artists such as U2, R.E.M., ABBA, Pink Floyd or The Beatles.

17:00 – 18:00 I Parea

Greek “Friends”, their bouzouki, drums, bass, guitar and singing of Greek, Balkan and Mediterranean songs.

18:00 – 18:30 Rapa Nui Hoko (Easter Island – Chile)

During their first visit to the Czech Republic ever, native dancers from Easter Island will dance the traditional combat dance „hoko“. This unique show will provide an opportunity to look into the culture of people living on this mysterious Pacific island.

19:00 – 20:00 Bezobratři

Bezobratři band draws inspiration from folk songs of Moravian-Slovak border, but it´s not a pure folklore. Bezobratři won the Czech music award Anděl 2010 for the best album of world music with the album Bezobav.

20:30 – 21:30 The Spankers

Musically precise band The Spankers plays energetic reggae and pop-ska. The visual and choreographic part of the band is musically diverse and imaginative and encourages even stubborn opponents to dance.

18th June / Saturday / Moravské náměstí – Moravian square / admission free

14:00 – 15:00 Častuška blues

Častuška Blues started up as an intimate duet playing mostly lyrics of Russian poets (Jesenin, Bunin, Brodskij, Tjučev, Gomeljov etc.) set to music. Band was formed by Alexei Smorčkov (vocals, guitar) and Peter Bachtjan (guitar, vocals). Marie Perná (bass guitar) joined in 2010.

15:30 – 16:30 Koza na útesu

Prague band of young people playing klezmer, traditional Jewish songs, which they also rework into a modern versions influenced by punk or ska. Traditional klezmer music is primarily dance music full of energy, and the energy is definitely bursting from this band.

17:00 – 18:00 Irish Dew

Irish Dew plays traditional Scottish and Irish music and original songs in the “Celtic” spirit. Features of traditional Irish and Scottish music are also reflected in their rock, folk and classical songs.

18:15 – 18:30 Rahat Lukum (dance)

Dance and theatre studio Rahat Lukum is inspired by dance styles and traditions of Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Turkey. Rahat Lukum links dance and traditional costumes with modern concepts and theatrical effects.

19:00 – 20:00 Romanika (SK)

Music duo formed by half-gypsy singer Ika Kraicová and bassist Roman Kraic plays especially baladic songs about the “dark femininity” and “wolf women”. The songs are built on Eva Lukáčová´s strong lyrics.

20.30 – 21.30 Terne Čhave

One of the most succesful Czech gypsy bands.

The Beatles in 1964 (source: Wikimedia Commons)

A popular exhibition of The Beatles memorabilia moved from Prague to Brno last week. Beatlemania! presents many rare photos and artefacts, including George Harrison’s original banjo ukulele.

It also focuses on the life of John Lennon and covers the history of “big beat” (local rock’n'roll music) in Czechoslovakia.

You may see the exhibition in Dietrichstein palace (a building of the Moravian museum) at 8 Zelný trh sq. for CZK 100. It is supposed to stay there until January 2012.

There are two large (well, speaking of Brno measures) and quite interesting music festivals going to take place in Brno this Thursday and Friday.

Čarodějáles (“witchfest”), inspired by the tradition of “burning witches” on the Walpurgis Night, brings some mascara to Riviéra outdoor swimming pool on Thursday, April 28. There are three stages, occupied mostly by Czech and Slovak rock bands. Tickets cost CZK 350.

Majáles takes place in the sport areal at Hněvkovského st. (in quarter Komárov) on Friday, April 29. It is a “spin off” of probably the oldest Czech student festival, held in Prague since the 1960s (and attended even by Allen Ginsberg in 1965). There will be four stages and the genres will be more diverse than at Čarodějáles. Tickets cost also CZK 350.

David Dorůžka, one of the most prominent Czech jazz guitarists (source: Wikipedia Commons)

Michael Formanek Quartet, Dmitry Baevsky Quartet featuring Joe Cohn, The Stoner featuring David Dorůžka… and many more great jazz bands and musicians are going to perform in Brno between April 13 and April 21.

The 10th season of Jazzfest Brno starts next Wednesday and takes place mostly at Fléda and Semilasso clubs.

Schedule

April 13, 8:00 pm @ Fléda

Paradox (FRA)

Michael Formanek Quartet featuring Craig Taborn, Gerald Cleaver and Tim Berne (USA)

April 14, 7:30 pm @ Brno City Theater

Dmitry Baevsky Quartet featuring Joe Cohn (RUS/USA/CZ/SK)
Carla Cook Quartet featuring Darryl Ivey, Kenny Davis and Willard Dyson (USA)
Mju:z
Jam session

April 15, 8:00 pm @ HaDivadlo

Face of the Bass (CZ)
Limbo Electro Acoustic (CZ)

April 16, 8:00 pm @ Semilasso

Štefan “Pišta“ Bartuš JazzBrothers featuring Andy Middleton (SK/USA)
The Stoner featuring David Dorůžka (SWE/CZ)
Jam Session

April 17, 8:00 pm @ Semilasso

Will Bernard Trio (USA)
Mike Stern Band featuring Dave Weckl, Tom Kennedy and Bob Malach (USA)
Jam Session

April 18, 8:00 pm @ Fléda

Zuzana Lapčíková Quintet (CZ/SK)
Elena Sonenshine (CZ)

April 19, 8:00 pm @ Husův sbor

Tomáš Liška Trio featuring Daniele Di Bonaventura and David Dorůžka (ITA/CZ)
Vertigo Quintet and Dorota Barová (CZ/SK)

April 20, 8:00 pm @ Fléda

Robert Balzar Trio (CZ)
Dan Weiss Trio (USA)
Jam Session

April 21, 8:00 pm @ Semilasso

Vincenc Kummer Celebrates 70
JAZZFESTBRNO 2011 Celebrates 10

The festival has nice English-language website; tickets may be bought online, although it is not a “PayPal joyride”.

Bonjour Brno 2011 official poster

Brno Now picks:

• Gourmand week in La Bouchée restaurant (33 Údolní st.), presenting French cuisine and wines between 3/29 and 4/3.
• Pétanque tournament at Lužánky park (50 Lidická st.) on Saturday, 4/3 at 11 a.m. The traditional degustation of Ricard pastis included!
• Festival of French films in cinema Art. Check out the schedule for original French titles and screening times. French audio, Czech subtitles.
• Concerts of jazz band Paradox and electro performer Vitalic at Fléda club (24 Štefánikova st.) on 4/13 and 4/15 respectively.

Amina Claudine Myers

The legendary American jazz pianist, organist, vocalist, composer, and musical arranger Amina Claudine Myers will perform with her trio in Alterna club (48 Kounicova st.) on Sunday, March 20.

Managers of the club claim that this is going to be “the event of the spring”, at least for Alterna. Amina Claudine Myers has performed in Carnegie Hall and New Orleans, so the tickets are totally worth CZK 199/260. See her bio.

Jaroslav Svěcený with his precious violins (source: sveceny.cz)

Top Czech violin virtuoso Jaroslav Svěcený will give a performance in Besední dům concert hall on Monday, March 14, at 7:30 p.m. The concert is organized by Brno Cultural Centre and the violin master will resound and play several rare violins coming from the 18th to 20th centuries. You will have an opportunity to listen to compositions by Georg Friedrich Händel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi or Charles Gounod. Cembalo accompaniment by Jitka Navrátilová.

As a small bonus, Jaroslav Svěcený will bring his collection of precious Italian violins to Brno. He will play them during the concert and the violins will be displayed in the foyer during the break. Autograph signing will take place during the break.

Tickets can be purchased from the booking office of Brno Cultural Centre, 17 Běhounská st., for CZK 180. Price on spot is CZK 200.

The Young Gods

Swiss post-industrial band The Young Gods is going to perform at Fléda club (24 Štefánikova st.) on Tuesday, February 15.

The band’s lineup has generally consisted of a vocalist, a sampler operator and a drummer. Their instrumentation often includes sampled electric guitars, drums, keyboards, and other samples. The lyrics are depicted in English, French and German. #

Tickets cost CZK 400 each.