Karel Kryl
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Karel Kryl (April 12, 1944 – March 3, 1994) was a Czech popular author and interpret of many "protest songs" in which he strongly criticized and identified shortcomings and inhumanity of the communist regime.
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[edit] Life
Born on April 12, 1944 in Kroměříž, today Czech Republic, son of Karel Kryl and Marie Krylová. His father owned printing business, which was confiscated from the family in 1948 upon communist takeover.
Karel Kryl moved to Prague in 1968, as an assistant in Czechoslovak TV. In his spare time he played his songs in numerous small clubs. When armies of Warsaw Pact occupied Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968 to suppress the democratization movement of Prague Spring, Karel Kryl released album Bratříčku zavírej vrátka (English: Close the Gate, Little Brother), full of songs describing his disgust over the occupation, life under the communist rule, and rude inhumanity and stupidity of the regime. The album was released in early 1969 and was banned and removed from shelves shortly after. This work became icon of anti-communist movement for years to come — when he returned from exile in 1989 during the Velvet Revolution, almost every little child in Czechoslovakia knew the lyrics of these songs by heart.
Faced with certain imprisonment, Kryl left Czechoslovakia in 1969, and lived in West Germany. Most of the time in exile he worked for Radio Free Europe. In exile, Kryl released a number of albums. Some of his songs almost became traditionals, known by everybody in the Czech Republic, sung by all campfires.
During the enthusiastic November days in 1989, Kryl returned to Czechoslovakia only to experience bitter disappointment with the transformation of society.
On March 3, 1994, just a month before his fiftieth birthday, Karel Kryl died of a heart attack in Munich hospital.
He received posthumously the Order of the White Lion - the highest Czech decoration.
[edit] Discography
- Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka (issue by Panton 1969, re-issued by Panton 1990, Bonton 1995, Sony Music 2002 and Supraphon 2006)
- Rakovina (exile issue in Germany by Primaphon 1969, Caston 1969, in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1980, re-issued by Bonton 1990 and Sony Music 2003)
- Maškary (exile issue in Germany by Caston 1970, in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1980, re-issued by Bonton 1991 and Sony Music 2004)
- Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka! (live koncert in Switzerland) (exile issue in Germany by Caston 1971, in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1980, re-issued by Supraphon 2006)
- Karavana mraků (exile issue in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1979, re-issued by Bonton 1994)
- Plaváček (exile issue in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1983, re-issued by Bonton 1995)
- Karel Kryl In Boston ´88 (exile issue - only on two cassette - in U.S.A. by Czechoslovak Documentation Center 1988, non re-issued in Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic!!!)
- Dopisy (exile issue - only on cassette - in Australia by Rhea Publishing 1988, non-authorized re-issued by BestIa 1992, Happy Music 1997, Happy AS 2001 and And The End Record 2006)
- Tekuté písky (issue by Bonton 1990)
- Dvě půle lunety aneb Rebelant o lásce (poems) (issue by H&H Publishers 1992)
- Monology (issue by Janez 1992, re-issue by Bonton 1996)
- Karel Kryl spiewa we Wroclawiu (live koncert, November 4th. and 5th. 1989 in Wroclaw - Poland) (issue in Poland only by Stowarzyszenie Festiwal Wyszehradzki 2004)
- Live (Lucerna 1990 and Porta 1991) (issue by Supraphon 2006)
- Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka - Limitovaná edice (include studio version 1969 and live version 1971) (issue by Supraphon 2006)
- Dopisy akusticky + Dopisy (include cassette version 1988 and the same songs - except Zkouška dospělosti - in acoustic version) (issue by And The End Record 2006)
[edit] Singles
- Carmina Resurrectionis (EP) (exile issue in Germany by Caston 1974, re-issued by Bonton 1990)
- Dívka havířka / Azbuk (SP) (exile issue in Canada by 68 Publishers 1978)
- Ocelárna (EP) (exile issue in Australia by Iron Curtain Records 1984)
- Omezená suverenita / Jedůfka (SP) (exile issue in Canada by 68 Publishers 1986)
[edit] Compilations
- To nejlepší (issue by Bonton 1993)
- Ocelárna - doplněné vydání (non-authorized issue by Monitor 1994, KMa 2004 and And The End Record 2006)
- Děkuji (issue by Bonton 1995)
- Australské momentky (non-authorized issue by Monitor 1995, KMa 2004 and And The End Record 2006)
- Jedůfky (issue by Bonton 1996)
- To nejlepší 2 (issue by Bonton 1998)
- Šuplíky - Mé nejmilejší písně (issue by Supraphon 2005)
