Hey everyone!
Thank you so much for all of your comments I find them really helpful for my research. I would really love to hear more of them, anything at all that you have to contribute would fall on happy ears. Please, please don’t hesitate to email: mishalily@gmail.com
Thanks a lot!
misha
Ahoj Friends,
I have returned from my voyages in the Great Czech Republic and now find myself on Haverford’s lush campus. I want to write this post to provide some closure to my adventures, this last blog entry will include pictures of other people I interviewed , some conclusions about my research and more recipes for excellent, filing Czech food.
The last few weeks of my internship were fabulous! I was able to get in contact with some Czech Rastas, or another way to describe them would be Czech people who are interested in Rastafarian belief and ideologies. I went o meet them at a monthly gathering they have in the woods. The town itself was filled with Czech history and contained a narrative of ethnic Germans who once inhabited this border village. Their remnants could be spotted in the architecture of the buildinds, the bunkers that were placed along the border to prevent invasions during WWII and finally in the cemetaries filled with German last names.
German Style Cottage
This is another beautiful house in a different town but with a similar theme!
Nestled even deeper in this ethnic enclave, were a group of altnerative Czechs who sometimes refer to God as Jah Rastafari, occasionaly smoke herb and enjoy taking long leisurely walks through the woods and past old cottages. Here is a group picture:
A little bit candid...
A close-up of the drums:
“‘I n’ I one day nearer home/ I’ n’ I one day nearer than yesterday/ For Babylon world/ is full of trials and badderation/ I’ n’ I one day nearer home than this day”
While many of the people at the gathering do not refer to themselves as Rastafarians they do admit to having some Rasta-influenced beliefs. They mostly learned about the movement from reggae music, particularly Roots. Though some of them find the lyrics to be somewhat racist, to them it’s more important to contextualize the lyrics and message within a particularly struggles. More than anything, I believe these people are united by a spiritual, rather than religious, ideology and a strong interested in nature and alternative, more earth-friendly ways of living.
—-
I know, I know…it has been a while. My absence is not a sign of forgetfulness but rather a signal that I have been having such a great time exploring new territories and striking down boundaries that I have not had the time to sit indoors by a computer and write about my experiences. But today I am moving into a new apartment and am sick of packing and sifting through dust!
Bourama Badji first came to Prague as a student from Senegal in the 1980′s to study engineering. When he was homesick and the coldness of Prague started to creep in, he would find a spot of sunshine near the water to play his drums to himself of home. His smooth melodies caught the ears of curious listeners and Bourama became a part of the local band Hypnotix! I interviewed Bourama a few weeks ago and gained a lot through my interaction with him.
Hey!
I decided to label this post ‘Signs Of Immigration’ not because Bourama is an immigrant but because the bar we went to is the second bar owned by a Nigerian immigrant. When we were there I saw young white students who came to score some joints (this can happen at almost any club/bar in Prague, so I doubt that this was their main purpose) and African immigrants who were casually hanging out. This is not the only club in Prague owned and operated by African immigrants, there are two others about 10 and 20 minutes away from this one. These sites act as one of the only meeting points between African immigrants and White Czechs.
This makes sense. If we take into account the low number of Black immigrants and the low percentage of legal documentation amoung them, it is understandable that they would try to keep a low profile. As a result, oppurtunities to mingle with the mainstream society are few. Not all Blacks who are in the CZ are undocumented, of course many of them work for international companies, are here to study or are seasonal migrant workers. These African owned bars/clubs exist as enclaves for African immigrants and act as a way to stabilize their communities. So the function of these clubs is clear, they provide a safe haven for A.I.’s, documented and undocumented, are ethnic enclaves, and help to bridge the gap between A.I’s and White Czechs. But what is the symbolism?- the deliberate though encrypted message in the club’s decorations?
Where the DJ spins the tables
Bob Marley and Rastafarian symbols
Rasta Colors
As we know, someone from Nigeria started the club and most of its Black patrons are also West African, so why the Caribbean theme? Why not something that reflects their own culture? The writing on the wall is partially in Jamaican patois and Rastafarianism has its roots in Jamaican, as a Jamaican religion. Though these were originally methods of resistance (using broken English instead of the ‘Queen’s English’ and a religious movement that was first anti-white), today they are have become commodities and are recoginzed as such. These clubs, are appropriating images and symbols to communicate a particular set of values and beliefs associated with reggae i.e. ‘One Love’.
I suggest, that they are adopting a Jamaican/Carribbean culture as it is less stigamatized than their own African cultures. Due to the fact that the CZ already has an established though small reggae following it is less foreign (but still exotic) for many. So they are can accept it more easily than something that they have never really encountered before.
—-
Later that week I had the honor and privilege to interview the well-known Czech culture commentator, Vaclav Cilek. Though he is trained in geology, he also publishes his observations of Czech society and culture as it changes post-communism. My questions focused on Czech youth, religion pre, during and post communism, and the political views of young Czechs who are interested in multiculturalism…
Say 'heeey' Cilek
This was arguably one of the best trips I have ever had in the Czech Republic! Some people in this part of Moravia have personal wine cellars where they make their OWN WINE! (WHAT?) I thought it was soo cool and so I would like to share the highlights of my experience with you!
Me in their personal cellar tasting samples!
The wine was great, very flavorful and delicious. Here they brewed everything from Chardonnays to Pinot Grigio (honestly, I”m not sure what’s different about those wines, I just know that I like them).
Our awesome guide/the wine maker
He took the wine straight from the barrels into our tiny tasting glasses, for quick and efficient sampling.
I will also note that the cellar is not covered with a carpet on the walls and ceiling, but is instead covered in mold! But the good type that controls the temperature and humidity of the cellar. I was a little alarmed at first, but then I touched and it felt like velvet! It’s a tradition to put coins into the moldy ceiling as a token of good luck so that you come back. So it almost looked like twilight because the mold is pretty dark and the it is glittered with shiny coins from the past 30 yrs.
How does one go about making wine? I don’t know…and I am still not sure, but I know that they don’t step on grapes with their feet anymore:
This is where they put the fresh grapes for crunching but not for munching!!
then…
Then it goes here!
It is placed in another cellar (yes, they have two private cellars).
The best part of having your own wine cellar?
Private Tasting!
But the fun continued into the garden:
Similarly to the wine, we had a hand-to-mouth mentality:
Step One:
In the Hand
In the Mouth
Repeat:
Peach Tree
... you get the idea
After a hard day of tasting wine and picking fresh fruit and vegetables then snacking on them, we were hungry! Time for an old-school Moravian lunch:
Behold- yet another feast!
In the tub on the left is home made pork fat, then there are some waffle chips, pork knee, bread, home made cherry kolacky, home made pickles, mustard and of course some wine.
I thought the pork fat and organic garlic spread was particularly delicious:
My plate yumm!
Did you happen to notice that cool glass of water next to the plate? Even the water has a story, it came from the well that’s in their backyard.
At the pump!
Luckily, it was not hard work but it was definitely worth it.
What's around the road bend?
More beautiful Czech lands…
—
Yesterday I had an interview with Svihadlo’s own Vincent Richards who is originally from Jamaica but has lived in Prague for the past 20 years. It was nice meeting up with someone from a similar cultural background! I will write more about my interview and my participant observation that will take place tonight at Lali Bela. This weekend, I am going to an outdoor sound system gathering in the countryside. That too, should be interesting. And later this month, I plan to attend another gathering of Czech Rastafarians…
All the Best!
As promised, I have embarked on some participant observation missions. Below are details about one of them…
The name of the club is Lali-Bela after a city in Ethiopia but I think that’s as close as we get to a connection. I am not exactly sure why it has this name but it definitely makes it stand out among the vast array of typically Czech sounding bars and clubs.
Here’s a quick description:
On this night the venue was featuring two reggae soundsystems called ‘Equal-I-Zer’ and ‘Forward March Posse’ with special guest Jahfro (haha like Jah (rastafari) and Fro like Afro because he had a huge one) from Berlin. The music was pretty good but the atmosphere was much more notable.
About 1 in 3 people here had some form of dread locks, and it was split evenly between women and men. There were two Black people, both of them African immigrants to the CZ. One was from Ghana specifically and had dreads and I’m not sure where he was from, but he was wearing traditional West African clothing. One of them, let’s call him Mark, was a part of a soundsytem and was the only person to rhyme on the mic other than the featured guest. I think that his performance symbolized some type of validity to the songs. He was on the mic for about one hour saying things like, ‘much respect to the ganja plant’, ‘Rasta feel the people’, ‘Big up Ganja’, ‘Show them the positive way’ etc.He also mentioned themes of repatriation back to Africa and nyabinghi warriors*.
Throughout the night different people went to the DJ area to select. These people are called selectors and are usually the reggae aficionados (people who dedicate a lot of time and energy to promoting, spreading and learning more about reggae’s message). The reggae aficionados seemed to have the longest dreads, and donned other elements from Black cultures like a djembe drum, Rastafarian colored necklaces, and some Africa-influenced clothing. Instead of dreads others showed their contempt with society in different forms of dress like, a ‘Stop the Violence’ T-Shirt and one person was a skin head signified by his closely shaved head and black combat boots.
Before you fall out of your chair I think it is important to explain the different branches of the skin-head movement. Some people are traditional skin heads and believe in working class solidarity, others are neo-nazis, and some are SHARPS: Skin Heads Against Racial Prejudice….(whoa awesome). One in the first category was at the event which is not surprising as traditional skin heads and Jamaican music in Europe have had a long, prosperous and sometimes troubled history.
What struck me most about this night was that the most enthusiastic response from the audience did not come from more popular reggae songs (No Bob Marley was played) but instead Roots Reggae which has a very strong racial message. When ‘His Imperial Majesty’ played, sung by Rod Taylor, there was a huge response from the crowd as they leaped from their seats to jump and sway their heads to the beat of the music. The lyrics however did not seem to fit the scene because the message focused heavily on Black Consciousness, Rasta Religion, and Jamaica. For example, some of the lyrics included: We are all one religion because I am a true born Rasta man…they took us away from Africa and brought us here to Jamaica…to work on beach and plantation…all we see was frustration.’
The message is clear. And from the outsider’s point of view, does not seem to make sense in this context. Another Research Question: So how are Czechs making sense of, and appropriating the themes and messages of Jamaican Roots Reggae? What are they being drawn to and what connections are they making?
Below are some pictures from the night:
Spin those discs DJ! (A part of Jahfro, from Berlin)
Jahfro doing his magic, take note of the young woman with dreads
Banging the Djembe
The next entry will be about my
The young man in the white shirt is a traditional skinhead and the young man in orange is a member of Antifa (an Anti-Fascist group)
trip to Moravia!
View of the crowd
Jamaica, Jamaica
Can’t you tell? We are in “Jamaica in the Czech Republic aka Real Beat 2009 in Ziznikov!
What other hints do we have….
White people with dreads!
I know, that just because someone is white, in central europe, and has dreads does NOT mean that they are into reggae…but the odds are pretty high. As I later found out, many choose to adopt a dread hair style to demonstrate their rebellion and dissatisfaction with the current state of their society.
….
Jamaican Paraphenalia
and of course, a place where they sell jamaica and rasta themed accessories including hats and towels.
What else did I see there, what did I bear witness?
When most people see punks they do not always think of reggae. Here in the CZ reggae and ska scene you can see a broad mix of people. So this dude wasn’t so out of place, but blended right into the alternative crowd.
The audience was comprised of mostly young people but there were some families there as well as some older folks. It also seemed pretty evenly split between genders. However, the multicultural theme here did not match the actual crowd. In other words, despite the cajovna (tea houses) where one can sip on exotic teas from the far east, india and nothern africa, and shops with african dresses and accessories, the people here were homogenously white and czech. This does not completely reflect the reality of the country as it contains Roma and Vietnamese citizens…. I guess they exercise a selective multiculturalism (everyone does) and it is not about who is there but who isn’t. After the Big Fall in ’89 people were living in a state of uncertainty and experimentation. The walls suddenly fell and the world flooded in. For once, in a long time, Czechs had the world at their fingertips and could explore foreign and ‘exotic’ places and people. I think that is partially why multiculturalism tends to include Black cultures instead of Roma.
But how far does this ‘multicultural’ outlook extend? I think that currently this is a still xenophobic and reserved country. At the moment, it is comfortable for some to choose among teas from Japan and frequent music clubs featuring Caribbean and African music, but many are not yet ready for actual exposure. By ‘actual exposure’ I am alluding to constant, present multicultural (non-white or European) contact. But the CZ will have to get ready, the world is globalizing, borders are disintegrating and in 20 years the CZ will not look the way it does today…. DUN DUN DUNNNN
hahaha. But really, back to the concert:
Lukas Kollibal, one of CZ reggae’s main promoter’s hooked me up with a backstage pass! Woot, V.I.P. This privilege enabled me to mingle with artists backstage and get some quick interviews!
It was really fun to watch artists express themselves on stage and then have a chance to talk to them in person and understand their work a little better.
Here is Susha playing with Fast Food Orchestra!
Susha and I post-interview
And this is the reggae artist I interviewed back when I was just studying abroad here, Mr. Cocoman:
His hair is really long!
WOOT! It's Carmen
Carmen and Djei who are a part of United Flavor were also there, they openned for none other than Buju Banton! But just before that we were tantalized by a teaser!
CZ Dancehall Queens
If Czechs are able to introduce, reggae, dub, ska and dancehall why not the latest dance hall steps and styles? As you can see the girl in the middle is really feeling the music! And she wasn’t the only one, the best thing about Czechs is that they love music and are pretty open minded about trying new genres. For example, even though this is a small country of only 10 million people they have about 3 major reggae festivals per year, that’s huge in comparison to large countries with more developed scenes who don’t even have one!
Here are some clips of Czechs enjoying themselves:
Camping
Groovin' the vibe
And it lasted well into the night, finally Buju Banton hit the stage with a burst of energy that reverberated throughout the sleepy Czech town. He sang of Jah, of politics, about women and ganja, it could be said that the man covered it all!
He's FEELING it, and they were too
Later in the night, we were lucky enough to interview Buju! He said that he loved playing here, (it was his first time) and he is interested in exposing Czechs to more reggae and dance hall music over time. In other words, his concert here is not identical to the type of concert he would have played back in Jamaica. Banton acknowledges that Czechs are not completely exposed and accostumed to this type of music and must be eased into it…slowly but surely. Fair assesment.
Overall it was a great night with a lot of new and exciting experiences. I have never had a backstage pass before (never to anything official) and I have never intervied a music star! This was definitely an eye opening and worthwhile experience.
Ahoj!
I had a very eventful Satuday so I have decided to split it up in two parts. One will focus on the Czech countryside and new things I have learned about Czech culture and the second will pertain to my day of fantastic discoveries while attending the annual Reggae Real Beat Festival in Ziznikov.
And now… the berry patches:
We drove about 30 minutes outside of Prague to a small town of approximately 140 people called Lysa (pronounced Lisa). It consists of a small church, a local restaurant, a fruit and vegtable stand, a school, a few stores and some very comfortable homes equipped with gardens and swimming pools ;D.
It’s pretty common for people to have country homes that they can escape to for the weekend. Many people have had these houses in their families for generations and so the homes are filled with timeless mementos and crafts made by their great-grandparents etc. Better yet, some of their relatives are likely to live a few houses down so I really got a sense of a close knit community in this tiny village.
This home in particular was built over 100 years ago by their great grand father with his bare hands! (I can’t even imagine how one would go about building a house… where do you begin? That must have been a great feat and clearly it paid off!)
From my point of view, the best part of the home was the garden! It was soo fruitful with different types of berries, and apples and cabbages and even grapes! YUM!! Not everything was ripe but I still ventured to taste those. Here are some pictures of the crops:
This is the view when you first enter the garden!
Behold the flower garden on the right, directly to the left is a cellar and in front is a small greenhouse and some apple trees.
If you stand in this exact spot and look up this is what you see:
Grapes! and chopped wood for the winter
Yummy cabbage!
What's in the green house? LETTUCE PATCHES!
Here I am with the strawberry patch taking care of pesky weeds
Me with a mini hoe!
When I took a break from all this hard work I wandered around the garden and this is what I saw:
Fresh blueberries from the bush to my mouth!
Could those be raspberries?? Nope! Cherries
Alas, these are raspberries....
What other treats could I posisbly imagine??
Did Someone say Chicken? Vyborne (excellent)
And after a hard day’s work what could be better than some homemade Czech pastries…
Behold:
That's plum pie and Sacher cake (READ: Chocolate!)
Later today, I will post the pictures etc of my day at the Real Beat Reggae Festival!
Ahoj
We travelled about 30 minutes outside of Prague to a small town with a beautiful historic church, great gulas, and even better people!
The gathering was to raise money for a small church group. There were about 30-40 people there, most of them were a bit older but still full of life and energy. I couldn’t tell at first, but after the pivo (beer) and slivovic (plum ‘vodka’, homemade strong liquor from fermented plums) started flowing, they started dancing the polka!
GO Polka GO!
All of this awesome dancing was possible due to the great band.
…And soon they started to sing along:
And they sang old Czech songs
It’s not that easy to tell from this picture, but the entire room was set up like an old fashioned pub. So there were picnic tables along the sides of the room where people sat and brought their delicious pastries and platters. And in the center, the dancing took place.
Oh…and did I mention the gulas??
Gulas.
Gulas is a traditional Czech dish made from different types of meat like beef and pork and often includes the liver and intestines. It is usually served with bread or knedliky (Czech dumplings). Needless to say, a nice cold glass of Pilsner washes it down very well!
Side note:
The Gulas was made by Stanislav, who is a fireman AND a blacksmith. Here is his picture and his work!
Stanislav, the Renaissance man!
Jesus on the Cross in the center and a rose made from iron on the left! What can't he do??
Ok, I will confess, at some point during the festivities I too was pulled into the dancing mob and lived to tell the tale!
(can’t find the rotate image tool in the image workshop..but this is proof of my existence and adventure!)
Back to reggae in Prague…
Yesterday I was able to meet the legendary guitarist Jirka Charypar. He is one of the original members of the FIRST Czech reggae band, Babalet.
Jirka and I at his local cafe
The group came together while communism was still around. This means that they had to play their songs in front of a panel of Judges in order to be approved as a band in each particular district of Prague. The judges watched how they played their instruments, what they played and what they said. If they felt that it was inappropriate then the band would not be approved and would not receive the necessary stamp to play in particular venues. This, obviously, was barrier between the band and freedom of speech. It was also very hard to access foreign music at the time. Black markets for music would open up every 3-4 months and would be busted by the cops shortly. However, in another month a new market would open up and give way for more exploration for artists and local musicians curious about the world around them.
Despite their censorship, Babalet continued to thrive and spread their message as well as introduce reggae music to Czechs. Most of the people who attended their concerts were looking for an alternative to Karel Gott and to the heavy rock n roll grunge scene. Reggae was a great option as it provided new, dynamic rythms and a positive uplifting message. These aspects were able to stir an interest in reggae music for the members of Babalet. They would sometimes refer to themselves as ‘The Learning School of Reggae Music in the Czech Republic.’ The songs they listened to talked about justice for the masses and descibred life under an oppressive regime. Even though Jiri did not live in a physical environment similar to the reggae artists he listened to, he was still able to relate to their frustrations and concerns due to a similar political environment.
Sadly, in 1987, Babalet’s lead singer and showman, Ales Drvota, died in a car crash. This marked the end of an epoch for Babalet and simultaneously openned a new chapter. Martin Tangwey, originally from Senegal, came along and became the band’s new lead singer. After this Babalet’s style changed to Afro-music and reggae, and they started to play with other emerging local reggae bands like Hypnotix.
According to Charypar, since he has been a part of the scene two major developments have occurred:
1. DJs
2. Technology of Music
Dj’s blend different musical styles and effectively expose people to new types of music. In today’s world, things have become more digitized and computer formatted so it’s easy to download a CD produced in Thailand all the way in California and vice versa. Computers and technology cut out the middle man and allow for easier transportation of new and diverse sounds.
My interview with Jiri was great and I look forward to meeting and talking to other artists, selectors, and producers.
Next week I will go to a reggae festival called Real Beat with headliner Buju Banton!
I was very lucky and received some fresh herbs from the Czech countryside. I heard that one of them is great for tea. Since I was feeling pretty adventurous I decided to make some fresh herb tea from delicious fresh leaves. I went about my task and before taking my first sip ALERT! there’s a lovely boiled caterpillar in my tea. EW. EW. EW. hahaha. You can check it out here:
Mr. Caterpillar's bath was too hot! oh no...
Anyway, back to research and other Prague discoveries.
Since we last ‘spoke’ I have interviewed some awesome folks like Sister Carmen from United Flavor and her fellow colleague Djei. As well as General Kryshpeen from Pro Soundsystem! I forgot to take pictures of Djei and General Kryshpeen but this is Carmen and I after our interview.
Sister Carmen and I at beas/daba
She’s an awesome singer and is a part of one of the best known Czech reggae bands…. Carmen originally hails from Spain but was struck by ‘Prague Fever’ and has been here ever since. I would also like to mention that she is one of the few women in this scene!
I will introducet Djei and General Kryshpeen soon! I want to have pictures to go along with it first.
Though I have only had a few interviews so far, I have identified a theme of religion and multiculturalism. During communism religion was stamped out. period. Now, Czechs are known for being atheists. Nevertheless some believe that the religious aspect of reggae is the most appealing to some audience members and followers. So even though people are not following a formal, institutionalized religion, they are aligning themselves with a quasi-Rasta belief system. Albeit one that is imported and foreign. I assumed that this characteristic would be really problematic, but from the point of view of some of the artists, they believe that the message of some reggae music can not be taken literally as it simply does not apply to this social or cultural context. As a result, people appropriate the message. Question: What are they extracting? How are they interpreting these messages?
The theme of love, peace, and respecting your fellow man and natural surroundings seems to resonate the most, instead of the other messages about racial justice etc. But…I’m not sure. I still have a lot of questions. Like how were Czechs introduced to Reggae?
Some of the foreigners who have relocated to the CZ have always been exposed to reggae music. Native Czechs however, have a different story. For some, they had relatives abroad who could give them records of the latest music in Western Europe, for others it wasn’t until the fall of communism that the doors openned for them to explore this new genre. I will note that in the 80′s there was a Czech reggae band known as Babalet… This definitely helped and soon more bands followed.
Sadly, many people in the ‘scene’ have become disenchanted and disappointed with the outcome or current state of Czech reggae. For some, they expected something bigger, something that would reach mainstream audiences. There are still others who seem to be pretty content but do have some issues with Czech music critics.
When I was here in the fall, I found it strange that there was a link between reggae and multiculturalism but not one between Roma and Vietnamese culture and the dominant Czech culture… In other words, if some white Czechs are looking for something from another culture, why don’t they look at who is already here (Romas and Vietnamese). Instead it seems like they have reached as far away from the CZ as possible, to Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Also, there are many many more Roma and Vietnamese people in the CZ than there are Black people. Furthermore, when I am here, I literally double the Jamaican population HAHAHA. I’m not sure what going on there.
I also wonder why the scene is mostly white. I know this country is mostly white, but still. It seems to me that if more open-minded Czechs tend to be into reggae the maybe some Roma and Vietnamese people would be a part of it too. Who knows?
ANOTHER QUESTION: Through my interviews it seems that this really small scene is really divided. I’m not entirely sure what all the divisions are…but there’s a lot of seperation between people who seem to have really similar aims and interests. Why is that?
Like I said, I am still gathering my thoughts…. Nothing is clear to me right now. But I am definitely grateful to all the people who have let me interview them so far!!
I’m sorry if this sounds really vague, but I am still in the midst of gathering thoughts and I do not want to jump to any conclusions. That wouldn’t be fair to the people I have interviewed and it would tarnish the integrity of my research.
I have another interview on Sunday and Wednesday and I will continue to make calls.
Maris kindly reminded me that fieldwork is not ONLY interviewing but also participant observation. It’s time for me to BECOME a member of a reggae audience here. There are some live festivals happening that of plan to go to and some other smaller shows. In addition, I plan on hanging out at cafes and bars with reggae nights and themes. I think I will find some interesting information there. This part will be important because it will not involve talking to people too much but more watching and listening. Who is there? How are they dressed? What language are they speaking?
Tonight, I am taking a quick trip outside of Prague to enjoy some Gypsy music. Hopefully some Roma will be there and they will be up to talking to a foreigner.
Hey everyone out there, I have had two interviews so far! They happened on Saturday at a well-known music and culture venue in Zizkov called Palac Akropolis.
Here it is!
I interviewed Syncro who has been in the Czech reggae scene for about 12 yrs. I was also able to talk to his friend and fellow musical collaborator, Mighty Lemon.
I was able to get an older, but still relevant and awesome, perspective on how the Czech reggae scene has developed and evolved. I feel like I learned a lot from them. From their point of view, they thought that the Czech reggae scene was going to boom! a few years ago, but instead realized that it is growing out of fashion. Why is that??
The concert they had after was more enjoyable than the interview haha, just kidding. It was a different type of fun. I was pretty impressed by the music, I thought it was great : danceable and enjoyable. I think that Founder’s parties could use their flavor…
Just before I left, I was able to snap this photo:
Syncro and Mighty Lemon
If you guys can, you should check out their website…
As promised, I looked at more than Czech reggae since we last spoke. I was not able to check out the countryside but I did manage to enjoy traditional Czech food.
Brambory (potatoes), duck, and red sauerkraut + traditional Czech drink ;D
Needless to say, it was delicious! I mean, it was really filling but all the flavors went really well together.
I have four tentative interviews this week with band members and producers, hopefully those will go well too!
As Maris reminded me anthro research is more than interviews, so I need to start observing different spots in Prague. I will probably start that this week too.
I will write more soon!
