Dušan Holý

Ethno-musicologist, collector of folk songs, radio and television writer, an excellent dancer of verbuňk dance and farmer’s dance of Horňácko, sought-after author of musical shows and especially the most respected singer of the entire Horňácko region, gifted with a unique voice, range and repertoire scale. Younger brother of Lubomír Holý (1930−2011); also in his case worked family predestination – even so much that folk music became not only his lifelong hobby, but also his job (he studied ethnography and musicology at the Masaryk University in Brno, he is professor in the Department of European Ethnology).

Along with his brother Lubomír he sang in the movie Věčná píseň by Plicka; his former baby soprano voice has changed into soft colorful tenor. After graduating from Strážnice high school he left to join his brother in Brno; while studying, both brothers Holý together with their second cousin Martin Hrbáč cooperated with the band of Medik Antonín Jančík, Dušan was involved in the formation of dramaturgy of BROLN, with whom he occasionally co-operates today (he made hundreds of radio recordings). Since childhood he has been singing with the band of Jožka Kubík, whom he honored as a screenwriter of the movie Majstr (1974, directed by R. Adler) and who was captured as a unique legend of Horňácko region in the book entitled Mudrosloví primáše Jožky Kubíka (Prague, 1984). He continually cooperates with the HDB of Martin Hrbáč, but he is often giving guest performances in a number of Horňácko bands (e.g. with the HDB of Mirek Minks, HB of Petr Mička etc.). He is editor and author of accompanying words to a number of major recordings of Horňácko folk music; he actively participated in activities of musical publishing house Aton which belongs to his son Martin Holý. He left significant trail on memorial album dedicated to his father, Zpěvákovo rozjímání (CD Aton, 2000), together with his brother he dominates the recording Žijí v písni (CD Aton, 1999); there were two eponymous albums released – Dušan Holý 70 – Putování s hudci (Aton, 2002) and Zpívá Dušan Holý (Radioservis, 2003).

-Helena Bretfeldová-