Cimbálová muzika Danaj

The band, named after local couple’s dance, was created in 1988 by splitting the DB of Slávek Volavý and soon established itself among the top performers of folk songs in Strážnické Dolňácko region. At the beginning of its existence, the band was led by Martin Gajda (*1969) and the violinist-“terc” was his younger brother Jan Gajda (*1971); after four years the roles changed: Jan plays the first violin and Martin plays viola (“kontr”). The artistic nature of the band and most of the musical arrangements is the work of the singer and dulcimer player Magdalena Uprková-Múčková (*1968). In almost the same ensemble (the “terc” by Miroslav Múčka, Stanislav Sukup -“obligát”, Jaroslav Chromeček – viola “kontra“, Dušan Okénka –  bass, Richard Bittner – clarinet and bagpipes) they have been playing since 1994. Sometimes, the bandmaster and singer Pavel Múčka (*1968) plays with the band, his wife Magdalena and Jan Gajda Jr. sing (his father is Jan Gajda Sr., *1940, also occasionally playing with the band). Danaj represents the Strážnice region with their performances throughout Europe and beyond (e.g. USA, China, and Nigeria); they also co-created the cultural program for the Czech National House at the Summer Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. They received the Foskar Award in 2005; they are the IFF Strážnice winners. Discography: Gajdováni (Freli, 1993), followed by a Christmas album Nenechte nás dlúho státi (Písnička, 1996); followed by Ve Strážnici muzikanti hráli (Multisonic, 1998), a unique multi-disc Písničky z malířovy palety (Danaj, 2000; song reflections of the paintings by the painter Joža Uprka) and studio albums of the band Janíčku náš, Janku (Indies Happy Trails, 2006) and Písňovou zahradou (Indies Happy Trails, 2008).
-Helena Bretfeldová-