Fortieth music presentation session for the blind and visually handicapped took place this time in two locations. Prague on 7th of June 2022 in the presentation room of Czech agency SONS (Czech Blind United) and in Ostrava on 22nd of June 2022 in Stará aréna Ostrava theatre. This time it was a special playlist, which concentrated purely on Colours of Ostrava 2022. You can find the background of this project in an article about the first session here.
Prague: Congratulations to Markéta Irglová, LP and Wardruna.
Ostrava: Congratulations to Wardruna, Markéta Irglová and LP.
| Songs | Score |
| 01 – Markéta Irglová – Without a Map | 23 |
| 02 – LP – Muddy Waters (Live) | 16 |
| 03 – Twenty One Pilots – Heathens (Live MUTEMATH sessions) | 5.5 |
| 04 – Wardruna – Kvitravn | 12 |
| 05 – Mark Eliyahu – Coming Back (Live) | 4.5 |
| 06 – Audience choice #1 – Beata Hlavenková – Zahrada | 2 |
| 07 – Sinks – Professor T (Live) | 0.5 |
| 08 – Amelie Siba – Lay Down | 5 |
| 09 – Kalandra – Lullaby (Live) | 10.5 |
| 10 – Kings Of Convenience – Misread | 7.5 |
| 11 – Audience choice #2 – Margo – And Then One Day the Love of Bobby’s Life Left for Good | 1 |
| 12 – Bonus: Lindy Fay – Hildring | 7 |
Markéta Irglová was always popular during our sessions and anytime I included a track from her, it was practically secured winning in the audience vote. It is not necessary to introduce her career using mainly Oscar winning Once movie. Her solo work is damn impressive. Without A Map from an album Muna is a masterpiece and these days we are having a call with Markéta to talk about her memories on a cooperation with Jaimie Branch, who passed away recently. Markéta deserved to win big time, because her live performance at Colours of Ostrava 2022 was one of my top three most favorite.
LP is one of the music pillars of modern Colours of Ostrava history. She was the headliner from the first time she arrived, but she became something more of a DNA of the festival. Even if you are not her biggest fan, it’s great to check her out at least for a few songs. Great performance, even though she came late because of the really weird motivational speech by Wim Hof. During the listening session, I brought some fun stories from our video interview.
Some behind the scenes stories here from the session #15.
Time for another huge name on the list. Practically the biggest name on the line-up which brought almost everybody to the stage during their performance. During our interview, I mainly enjoy the fact, guys appreciated my desire to speak about a bit different things then they are used with TV crews – local place/food/stage/fans. I really wanted to talk about Mutemath and it was a great chat. As I am a fan of the track Heathens, I gladly played a track where Mutemath joins them during a live session. Acoustic doublebass with Twenty One Pilots? Impressive combination.
Nordic-folk ensemble Wardruna is not a surprise for the regular visitors of our sessions, as they have a huge number of fans here. I gladly finalized the headliner section with breathtaking video for Kvitravn. Also in this case I gladly shared some memories on meeting Einar and our interviews in general and played a bit from our video interview. As expected, epic performance later on live!
While preparing the playlist for these events, I asked my friends of Facebook to give me their tips. This one on Israeli musician, playing the kamancheh, Mark Eliyahu, was from my colleague at Český rozhlas Jazz – Milan Tesař.
Audience choice #1
Within audience choices, in Prague we decided to skip it and I played a few more tips from the line-up. Beáta Hlavenková is very respected Czech jazz singer, currently experimenting with intelligent pop and electronics. In Ostrava, the audiece choice was Float On from Modest Mouse.
Ostrava playlist:
| Songs | Score |
| 01 – Markéta Irglová – Without a Map | 17.5 |
| 02 – LP – Muddy Waters (Live) | 14 |
| 03 – Twenty One Pilots – Heathens (Live MUTEMATH sessions) | 10 |
| 04 – Wardruna – Kvitravn | 24 |
| 05 – Mark Eliyahu – Coming Back (Live) | 6.5 |
| 06 – Audience choice #1 – Modest Mouse – Float On | 4 |
| 07 – Sinks – Professor T (Live) | 5.5 |
| 08 – Amelie Siba – Lay Down | 6.5 |
| 09 – Kalandra – Lullaby (Live) | 9.5 |
| 10 – Kings Of Convenience – Misread | 7.5 |
| 11 – Audience choice #2 – Joe Bonamassa & Larkin Poe – Spoonful (Live) | 7 |
| 12 – Bonus: Lindy Fay – Hildring | 7.5 |
After The Break
Within underground recommendations, I have a big respect for atmospheric punk band Sinks from Brno. I recently finally saw them live in Slovakian Liptovský Mikuláš, in a tiny library, café venue. Insane flow of energy, great bands chemistry. Another great show at Colours of Ostrava.
On the same Full Moon stage, a massive Czech talent played later on and proved her participation in numerous Czech music awards. Singer, guitar player and a songwriter Amelie Siba has grown impressively since her very promising debut album. My most favorite latest track from her is called Lay Down. For live setting, she improved her support band and impressively adjusted arrangements of this track.
Next one is tricky. First of all, Norwegian rock folk band Kalandra made a genius move and did their own version of Wardruna’s song Helvegen. A technique, I mentioned in my marketing masters marketing thesis on rock’n’roll marketing. Plus, they have their own impressive material, including a track called Lullaby. I am really pissed I didn’t manage to see them live during Colours, as I went to a presentation of a respected Buddhist monk. My friends were extremely impressed, but disappointed at the same time, as Kalandra deserved more time and a bigger stage. No surprise, members of Kalandra helped Wardruna on stage.
Kings of Convenience was a recommendation from my friend Jiří Horák. Great bass player and my graphics. “Misread (my ultimate favorite) – I would also like to recommend Rocky Trail. This Norwegian due includes Eirik Glambek Bøe a Erlend Øye. I first discovered Kings of Convenience in, when my friend sent me a video for Misread. I think this video perfectly reflects their work. When you listen to their music, you have a feeling that everything in the world is ok. Same as Alfa Mist, this is for an escape to a “safe zone”. The whole video was recorded on one cut. You have a feeling, it’s a Saturday, early May. The video starts with a view from a bird’s perspective, where two people are kicking with a ball. The video continues with a shot under a blooming tree, where both members are sitting. Erlend is drawing something, Eirik is lying on the ground, playing a guitar and singing. Suddenly, the ball comes to them. Erlend kicks it away. Suddenly they bring them a chair. Erlend sat on it, Eirik is judging Erlend’s drawing, throws away his notes and goes playing football with the rest. Then the camera goes up again and we can another view at the park. Absolute calmness. That’s the effect of their work.
Audience choice #2
Prague: My additional recommendation. Impressive song from a Czech artist Margo. In Ostrava, my uncle picked a track from Joe Bonamassa & Larkin Poe – Spoonful.
Bonus: Lindy Fay – Hildring
As a bonus, Lindy Fay was a great combo for everything. She cooperated with Wardruna, as well as with Gaahl individually. Not so impressive live show. To be fair, Kalandra deserved as much time as Lindy Fay.
Next event: Session on the Brutal Assault 2022 line-up.
