Czechmatediary

It’s the beginning of a new year and it is time to crunch up some numbers: statistics, people, statistics!! What are we, the readers of Czechmate Diary, like? What do we hate? Find out more about yourself right here:

CZ: Je tu zacatek noveho roku, tak se pojdme podivat jak to vypada se statistikou. Jaci vubec ctenari Czechmate Diary jsou? Co mame radi? Co nesnasime? Naucte se o sobe neco noveho:

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Christmas is just around the corner so let’s review some of the most popular Czech Christmas carols and their actual words. I don’t know how about you but it is really hard for me to figure out the words just from listening to them on a CD . The angelic voices are so high that I get to catch only a few in each songs.

CZ: Jezisek uz skoro tuka na dvere, tak je na case zopakovat si nejake ty ceske vanocni koledy. Ja nevim jak vy, ale pro mne je hrozne tezke rozpoznat jednotliva slova poslouchanim CDcka. Ty detske hlasky jsou tak vysoke, ze vetsinou pochytim jen par slov.

Rolničky, rolničky (Jingle Bells)

Rolničky, rolničky, kdopak Vám dal hlas?
Kašpárek maličký nebo děda Mráz?
Rolničky, rolničky, co to zvoní v nich?
Maminčiny písničky Vánoce a smích.

Sláva už je sníh, jedem na saních,
kluci křičí, zvonek zní, jenom táta ztich.
Kouká na syna, uši napíná,
co to slyší v rolničkách, na co vzpomíná? (more…)

The Czech Daily Word wrote yesterday about the famous singing competition - the Czech Idol (Czechs call it Superstar). This time the producers decided to put Slovak and Czech competitors together so there is a lot of talent. And as Peter Boruvka remarked, they are all very good looking! What made my brain hurt (since I am not used to it) is when I was watching the black guy  singing in Czech! How amazing that the Czech Republic has become so multicultural!

CZ: Czech Daily Word se vcera zabyval svetoznamou peveckou soutezi Idol, ktera je uz take v Cechach a na Slovensku. Tento rok se producenti show rozhodli dat ceske a slovenske zpevaky dohromady, takze to bude tezka bitva - talentu je tam tento rok hodne. Co me mile prekvapilo je, ze jeden ze soutezicich je velmi vzhledny cernoch a Cech! Takze mluvi a zpiva perfektne cesky (coz je samozrejme, protoze v Cechach asi vyrostl)! (more…)

Hi folks,

So we have got another addition to our family of Czech gifts. This time they are CDs with wonderful traditional Czech music recorded by ME!! Just kidding…I wouldn’t do that to you. Here are the choices:

PS: Don’t forget that e-mail subscribers get a 10% discount!!

CZ: Tak mame prirustek do rodiny! Je ted mozne si objednat CDcka ceske  tradicni hudby, nahrane a nazpivane kym jinym nez MNOU!! Ne, kecam, to bych vam neudelala. Vyber je nasledujici:

PS: Nezapomente, ze e-mailovi registranti maji 10% slevu!!

(more…)

This is a special month for Czechs and Slovaks because it marks a 20-year anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. That’s right, although Czechoslovakia does not exist anymore both countries have been enjoying 20 years of freedom! Most of the events bellow commemorate just that:

CZ: Tento mesic je pro Cechy a Slovaky velmi vyznamny, nebot 17. listopadu obe zeme slavi 20. vyroci (!!) sametove revoluce!! Ceskoslovensko sice jiz neexistuje, ale obe zeme si jiz 20 let uzivaji nadherne svobody. Vetsina zde zminenych akci si pripomina prave toto datum:

1. Baltimore, MD

What: Slavic food festival

When: Nov. 21 (more…)

The calendar of Czech events for October is up so dig in!

CZ: Calendar ceskych aktivit je hotovy tak se do neho s chuti zakousnete!

1. Lutherville, MD

A. What: Concert - Celebration of Czech music

When: Oct. 7

B. Annual Czech and Slovak Festival

When: Oct. 25

2. New York, NY

A. What: Czech Street Festival

When: Oct. 3

B. Gathering of Czech Drummers (music performance)

When: Oct.27 (more…)

I know I have already wrote about this awesome website ( called Cesta Slunce) but that was a long time ago. Since then my daughter and I have been listening to their GREAT (contemporary and traditional) Czech songs almost every day. I urge you to download these hits - for free - and sing your heart out! Click here and start downloading…

PS: You can also donate a financial gift to promote their great cause.

CZ: Uz jsem sice o webovkach zvanych Cesta Slunce jednou psala, ale od te doby jsme si s Hanickou tak oblibily jejich pisnicky, ze to nadsene musim vsem maminkam doporucit znovu. Stahnete si desitek modernich i tradicnich detskych pisnicek  a to zdarma! Pokud mate zajem tak udelat, kliknete zde.

PS: Muzete  na jejich stankach take pomoci  jejich slechetne kauze a to jakoukoliv financni castkou.

I ADDED COUPLE MORE EVENTS INTO THE CALENDAR (HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE) :))

Wow! What a busy month! We have about billion Czech/Slovak Festivals coming up as well as the US/Canadian tour of Karel Gott and a Czech band Druha Trava!

CZ: Jezkovy oci! To je ruchu, to je ruchu! Tento mesic se muzeme tesit na miliony roztodivnych ceskych/slovenskych festivalu, ale take na turne Karla Gotta a Druhe Travy!

USA

1. Bohemian National Hall, NY (Czech Center)

A. What: Solo System Band concert (Jiri Stivin)

When: 9/8/2009

B. What: Czech movie showing: Ene Bene

When: 9/3/2009

C. Czech benefashion show

When: 9/12/2009

2. Chicago, IL

What: Karel Gott concert (more…)

“Ta nase pisnicka ceska, ta je tak hezka, tak hezka…” (”That Czech song of ours is so beautiful…”).These are the words of one of the most famous Czech songs of all times. In fact, the catchiness of the tune made it almost an unofficial hymn of the Czech people - the old sing it and the young ones do too. It was created by Karel Hasler, a talented Czech composer, singer and an actor  known from his early teens through the early 40’s. Hasler paid dearly for the words of this song but his spirit lives and will live forever. Not only through his countless songs and a famous Czech candy called “Haslerky” but also through his son whom he had never met - through Tom Hasler. Tom recently contacted me via Czechmate Diary and enlightened me on his amazing life story. He  was born to a German mother, Karel Hasler’s fiance, a month after Karel was brutally tortured/murdered in the concentration camp. When Tom was 7 years old, he and his mom emmigrated to Australia and from there to the United States where he lives up to this day. (more…)

Here is yet another great recommendation from one of the Czechmate Diary readers. Martina sent me a link of the ‘Project S.P.A.D.’ website, which is an on-line simulation of the most dreadful times in the history of formal Czechoslovakia, back when it was called the Czechoslovak Socialistic Republic (CSSR). One can find himself back in the 70’s, watching black-and-white video clips of Marta Kubisova, Karel Gott or Neckar. You can also listen to the communist radio! Check it out, it is well worth your time!

Project S.P.A.D. gallery

PS: English translation is coming soon!

CZ: Tohle proste musite omrknout! Jedna z vas, bezvadnych ctenaru a ctenarek Czechmate Diary (Martina), mi poslala vyborny link. Projekt S.P.A.D. je on-line simulace komunistickych casu, kdyz se nase chudak rodna zeme jeste nazyvala CSSR. Za casu, kdy si sousede zavideli nos mezi ocima a kdy vsichni ridili bud Skodovku 100 nebo zigulika; za casu, kdy se z radia linuly noty pisne “Kavu si osladim” a v televizi jsme se vecer divali na Televariete s Jirinou Bohdalovou a na Vanoce jsme pak meli ’svatecne’ Mrazika. No, vy ten pribeh dobre znate…Dobre se bavte!

Galerie projektu S.P.A.D.