no. 3 12/2000

Karel Kryl, the interesting Czech folk singer was born on April 12th 1944 in the Moravian town of Kroměříž where he also spent his infancy. His grandfather established a printing house in the town of Nový Jičín. This was probably among the three best printers in the precommunist Czechoslovakia. They printed works by the best-known Czech and Slovak writers and poets, for example Karel Čapek or Jiří Deml, but they also printed many German books. Thanks to his surroundings Karel read many books since his childhood and he loved literature very much. When he was 5 years old, the Communist party won the general election in the Czechoslovakia, and a few months later he was forced to watch while communist militia men destroyed their printing machines. His father had to go work in a factory.

Karel did not have many positive memories about people in his surroundings during his childhood. In his writings he often recalled the scoffs of his school-mates, because he usually wore old, patched clothes. They very often did not have enough money to buy new clothes, because of his father's political inaction. They also lived in an old house with icebounded walls during each winter and with many rats. In spite of such slightings and material trouble he had a place full of love in his family. Though at school he usually made A's, he did not receive good references for his studies, because of politics again. When he was 15 years old, after he finished his primary education, he went to the Treat School of Ceramics in the town of Bechyně. There, in the dormitory, a happier period in his live began. Karel made new friends, started learning playing the guitar and wrote a lot of verses for girls and women he had admired. He made jokes about those years of his treat school many years later:" You know, guy, if you are short and ugly, you must be interesting, at least." He also started playing in amateur theatricals.

After he had passed his graduation exam, he worked in a factory and then, in 1963, he had to fulfill his military obligations. "It was a terrible experience and a completely stolen time", said Karel Kryl about it. His barracks were located in a former convent, that had been destroyed by the army. For the bulk of his time in the army he worked as a draftsman. He was not an exemplary good soldier at all therefore he was not granted much free time to go out. That is probably why he finally decided to volunteer at a library in the barracks . He wanted to create an island of freedom there and he started calling the library "Krylárna" which comes from his last name. There, in "Krylárna", soldiers read books, talked about politicians and listened to news of the radio-station Free Europe. The station was jammed with special machines in Czechoslovakia but they had good, non-interfered listening, because they could receive the frequency of Free Europe from military radars. On the radio-station, there were nice songs, too. Therefore they listened to them not just in "Krylárna" but they also released them for the local relay radio in the barracks. Everything was all right, until one of the new station-monitors overslept and after the songs ended, the news, which was forbidden, started to be broadcast. Kryl and several other soldiers who were involved in that affair, received a punishment. Kryl and other barracks-mates also wrote a play named "Nálet na blby" which means "The Raid On Idiots". The play showed in a very ironical way the conditions inside the army and politics. The play was taken into consideration and its authors went to perform the play in a general military competition. But then some judges realized, what and whom the play was about. The play was prohibited in the end.

After completing his military obligations, Kryl worked as a scorcher in a ceramics factory and continued writting his songs and poems. In that time he definitively established his style - singing narrative songs with the simple accompaniment of his guitar. He never wanted to be an excellent musician and words were much more important for him, than the music. Although the trend at that time was to compose lyrics in English or in a kind of "English" dialect, Kryl preferred to use the Czech language . This made it possible for such a narrative style as to bring across his message. In December 1966 he performed his songs in the Czech town of Litvínov. There, for the first time, they called him a "protest-singer". Songs that he had written in that time, for example "Tráva" (The Grass) or "Anděl" (The Angel), had a strong accent against militarization and war. Then he recorded some of his songs at a local radio-station. He was very proud of himself and expected to be famous but nothing remarkable happened. He still worked as a scorcher until he accidentally demolished a furnace.

Afterwards he left the factory, and a blues band asked him to write lyrics to their songs. Karel lost the job in the end because the members of the band wanted English lyrics while Karel wanted to write in Czech. Like many people in Czechoslovakia Karel did not speak English at all and did not want to write anything, which would be impossible when using some borrowed, but not understood English words and phrases. Then he changed several jobs and among others he worked as a helper at Prague's TV-station.

The political climate in 1968 was rather relaxed, Karel gave several concerts and some of his songs climbed the charts in Czechoslovakian hit-parades. But then, in August of 1968, the Russian army started to occupy Czechoslovakia to bring politics in line with Russian policy. In response to the Russian invasion Karel published a project "Bratříček" (Little Brother) with a very successful song "Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka" (Little Brother, Close the Gate).

The situation in the field of politics and civil rights was gradually changing and people who did not agree with the official politics, became "unconfortable". Several of Karel's concerts were canceled and publication of his new book of verses was prohibited. In September 1969 Karel was very lucky and received a 14-day´s visa to Western Germany where he took a part in a festival of folk singers. At the same time the political situation worsened and politicians of the Eastern Block erected the Iron Curtain. Karel would speak only Czech and Russian, he did not speak German at all, nevertheless he decided to stay there and be free. His 14 days were extended to 20 years. Karel Kryl worked for the radio-station Free Europe covering sports, and he had his own program about music and songs. He also wrote many poems and songs there, recorded them and published his books, usually at his own expenses. In spite of the big effort to jam the frequency of Free Europe, people in Czechoslovakia listened to this radio station and they also learned Kryl´s songs. Many people recorded them secretly and wrote down the lyrics. In paradox, some younger people including myself learned Kryl's songs in summer camps for children that were organized by Czech Socialistic Association of Young People [ČSSM].

The record "Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka" seems to be definitively the most famous Kryl's album. It was recorded just before he left Czechoslovakia. Kryl became a symbol of the struggle for political, civil and social rights for many people.

After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, he moved back to Czechoslovakia. His concerts were a great success and some people started to idolize and worship him. Kryl disliked this treatment and publically condemned it. In interwievs made with him around 1990th he said he did not want to be a kind of a living memorial. The euphoria of the Velvet Revolution gradually wore off and several months later Kryl noticed deminished crowds at his concerts. He was satisfied with the fact. He knew, that they were people who liked his songs and verses, not those, who wanted to see him as a living rarity.

After the separation of Czechoslovakia into the Czech and Slovak Republics, Kryl together with his wife decided to move back to the West Germany. He was never in agreement with the separation. He said several times that his native country used to be Czechoslovakia and his lovely native country no longer existed because of the stupidity of some people. He also said that both houses where he lived and places he remembered before he escaped to the Western Germany, were demolished, so he simply did not have any substantial remembrance of his former life. But neither in the Western Germany he stayed for a long time. He died of cancer on March 3rd 1994. After his death he once again achieved a legendary status. This was just before the general elections in the Czech Republic and suddenly many politicians proclaimed Kryl as a good friend of theirs. At some political meetings his songs were sung and quotations from his books were read. Kryl also received several posthumous prices for his songs. A memorial CD entitled "Děkuji" (Thanks) is a good compilation of his songs from 1963 to 1994. The CD also includes a cycle of several spiritual songs with the name "Carmina Ressurectionis". The best-known song from this collection is definitively the song "Děkuji". Kryl's very good friend, abbot Anastáz Opasek, said about the song:" If Karel had composed nothing but the song, his life would have been worth living."

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Hana Tůmová

Little Brother, Close the Gate Little brother, do not cry those are not ghosts those are just soldiers they arrived in square, iron caravans. With a tear on an eyelid we watch each other stay with me, little brother I'm worried about you on difficult roads little brother, put on your shoes. Ref.: It's raining and it is dark outside this night will not be short the wolf hunts for a lamb. Little brother, did you close the gate? Little brother, do not cry do not waste your tears swallow the angry words and save your strength. You mustn't blame me If we do not finish the journey. Learn this song, it is not so difficult lean against me, little brother the road is destroyed we will stumble over rocks but we cannot go back. Ref.: It's raining and it is dark outside…

Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka Bratříčku, nevzlykej to nejsou bubáci vždyť jsi už velikej, to jsou jen vojáci přijeli v hranatých železných maringotkách. Se slzou na víčku hledíme na sebe buď se mnou bratříčku bojím se o tebe na cestách klikatých bratříčku v polobotkách Ref.: Prší a venku se setmělo tato noc nebude krátká beránka vlku se zachtělo bratříčku, zavřel jsi vrátka? Bratříčku, nevzlykej neplýtvej slzami nadávky polykej a šetři silami nesmíš mi vyčítat jestliže nedojdeme. Nauč se písničku není tak složitá opři se bratříčku cesta je rozbitá budeme klopýtat zpátky už nemůžeme Ref.: Prší a venku se setmělo...

Thanks God created Created a branch So as I could make wreaths Thanks Thanks for the pain That teaches me to question Thanks Thanks for the failure That teaches me to work harder So that I could bring a gift Despite my weakness Thanks, thanks, thanks Thanks Thanks for the weakness That teaches me to be humble To be humble with joy To be humble without any bondage Thanks Thanks for tears That teach me to be sensitive To be sensitive for those who suffer Who suffer and cry out for mercy Thanks, thanks, thanks Thanks Thanks for the desire for beauty That gives me something to long for Thanks for the fact That love combats spite For the sweetness Sweetness of falling asleep Thanks for the feeling of tiredness For blazing of fire For rushing of rivers Thanks Thanks for the thirst That was revealed by my weakness Thanks Thanks for the torment That inspires good deeds. For the fact That I love Although my heart is constricted by anxiety Lamb, Thank you You did not die in vain. Thanks, thanks, thanks

Děkuji Stvořil Bůh stvořil Bůh ratolest bych mohl věnce vázat Děkuji Děkuji za bolest jež učí mne se tázat Děkuji Děkuji za nezdar jež naučí mne píli bych mohl přinést dar byť nezbývalo síly Děkuji, děkuji, děkuji Děkuji Děkuji za slabost jež pokoře mne učí pokoře pro radost pokoře bez područí Děkuji za slzy děkuji jež naučí mne citu k živým jež žalují a křičí po soucitu Děkuji. děkuji, děkuji Pro touhu pro touhu po kráse děkuji za ošklivost za to že utká se láska a nevraživost Pro sladkost pro sladkost usnutí děkuji za únavu za ohně vzplanutí i za šumění splavů děkuji, děkuji, děkuji Děkuji děkuji za žízeň jež slabost prozradila Děkuji děkuji za trýzeň jež zdokonalí díla Za to že za to že miluji byť strach mně srdce svíral Beránku Děkuji marně jsi neumíral Děkuji, děkuji, děkuji

More info:http://www.jikos.cz/kryl/