Pro radost

Music Is A Joy. For Everybody. Iva Bittová accepted the invitation of the Folk Holidays in Náměšť nad Oslavou to create a special concert as part of a reduced version of the festival in 2020. Together with Antonín Fajt, Ivo Viktorin, Vladimír Václavek and the Babačka Choir, they prepared a unique program and the recording from this performance, entitled Pro Radost (i.e. For Joy), is being released at the same time as the opening of the Folk Holidays in 2021.

A live recording Pro Radost was made on July 30, 2020 as part of a reduced version of the festival, entitled Remarks of Folk Holidays in Náměšť nad Oslavou. Under normal circumstances, the festival would’ve  taken place as we have known it for decades, but only the four-day Folkovky 2020 broke out of normalcy. Simply, Covid. It had a special atmosphere with people in the auditorium in colorful protective masks and in the odor of disinfection, because at that time there was still the Czech self-production, nevertheless, in the middle of the Magical Landscape of Rostislav Pospíšil, and with a common desire for music. And many people only realized on the spot how much and that without live music, life is not really complete.

The album Pro Radost captures everything that made the concert so special. Iva Bittová's performance with an unusual concert ensemble in the magical environment of the Folk Holidays is, in itself,  always a great experience. But most of all, the recording pulsates with the energy that came from the unusual set from the first moment; the desire to enjoy such extraordinary opportunities. Michal Schmidt likes to remember: "And the beautiful thing was that we knew almost with certainty that they would approach the musical adventure they had prepared for us and themselves with a passion reserved only for those who would never get lost in it. And they manage to draw the audience into it and give them the opportunity to forget about all worries for a while and sing with the choir Babačka and in fact with everyone, the familiar songs from Balada for Bandit, Iva's folk repertoire or the songs by AG Flek Ivo Viktorín."

Iva Bittová says about the concert: "The invitation to participate in the festival in Náměště was a great challenge for me several times. All the more so in the pandemic period, when the uncertainty of live production prevailed. I approached my closest friends, musicians and the Babačka choir. A colorful program was created, including a beautiful cheerful decoration of the space, and the spontaneous joy of the audience in protective masks contributed to the creation of a unique atmosphere. Despite their mouths being covered, I could see the glowing sparks in their eyes and hear their voices. I believe that the recording of the concert will bring joy to the listeners at home and will help to spark positive vibes in their hearts. Thank you all".

Marcel Rech (with the OteSound team) took part in the sound and the recording was made by Jiří Topol Novotný. Editing, mixing, and mastering was done by Bronislav Šmid. Traditional festival graphic design of the cover by Rostislav Pospíšil.