Koleda

Koleda  (The carol)

An album composed from carols lacking all the commercial glitter and embraced with humbleness

The original holiday of winter solstice is very close to catholic Christmas. Both traditions are part of our history and the new album of Tomáš Kočko & Orchestr represents the merging of those two. The winner of the “Angel” award in world music category for his last album Poplór has prepared a theme album this time that contains well known, less known and author carols always put together sensitively and with ease.

Tomáš Kočko has been preparing the album called Carol for a long time. “Carols are always the touchstone of style and musical humbleness. There are so many so called “Christmas albums” that are just simply unbelievable….and some of them by good and respected musicians. That’s why I take it as a challenge. May be I will hit the wall but I always wanted to try it…”  The result is the collection of eleven songs containing well known Moravian folk carols (Den přeslavný, Teče vodička, etc.) and the author ones by Tomáš Kočko as well (Kračún, Hej, koleda!, etc.) Although Tomáš Kočko has mostly relied on his teammates from his Orchestra, there are lots of guests on his album.

A carol is very old tradition. Its history goes back to pre-Christian era of ancient Rome where they celebrated the holiday of winter solstice called Calendae [kalende] including masks and walks. It’s not a coincidence that catholic Christmas is very close to winter solstice holiday. Both traditions celebrate the birth of little baby God who puts an end to reign of evil on Earth and new solar year begins which is a cause for happiness and joy! Both traditions are merging and both are, in their original form and in their pagan-Christian merging as well, part of our history.

Tomáš Kočko has already recorded five author albums and three years after “Poplór” CD there is new album called Carol coming out. In the time between those two albums Tomáš Kočko wasn’t exactly idle. He was participating in many projects, for example he co produced the album Osamělí  by doom metal band Silent Stream of Godless Elegy, he wrote music for several theatre pieces (Maškaráda for Švanda Theatre), also participated in across-the-border tourist project Ondrášovo-Ondraszkowo, he recorded two “tribune” songs of O. Janota etc. But that doesn’t mean that the new album is weakened or taken as a side project only! “I dedicated as much attention to the Carol album as to other albums. But the fact is that I already think about the concept and songs from next album which will be more colorful… I take the Carol as a down-the-line album. A monothematic album.“