Illustrative photo – Jan Kalina, Bandleader of the Hundred Animals Group (pictured on January 10, 2017).
Prague – Bandleader Jan Kalina with the rejuvenated band Sto szvítě is completing the new album Noční ptáci, which will offer 11 songs in the style of ska, rocksteady, reggae and other genres. The title of the record is related to the lyrics of a song recorded a year ago. It occurred to Kalina that the theme of the night appears in several tracks of the upcoming recording, which should be released after the summer holidays. Singer, percussionist, composer and artist Kalina said this in an interview with ČTK.
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“I also really liked the two connections – One Hundred Animals and Nocturnal Birds. The night is in many texts, for example the tightrope walkers of this night, without pressing the saw and making a composed operetta out of it. Tomáš (lyricist Belko) also experiences the night a lot, so we returned to two texts from 1990, where the night was present,” Kalina said.
The group will perform some new songs at summer festivals. He is saving an even larger number of novelties for autumn christenings in Olomouc, Brno and Prague. “For the baptisms, I have arranged Tomáš Jeřábek in Prague and Michal Isteník in Brno as godparents. I'm still looking for someone in Olomouc. I think it's funny to have actors as godparents, and not musicians,” said Kalina.
The lineup of Hundred Animals currently consists of five original members – in addition to Kalina, singer Jana Jelínková, keyboard player Petr Hostinský, trumpet player Pablo Herzog and trombonist Martin Kachna Líska. The newcomers are saxophonist Markéta Smejkalová, guitarist Jakub Červinka and a rhythm group consisting of drummer Jakub Nývlt and bassist Adam Nohavica.
“The boys and Markéta (Smejkalová) sat down with the established members. There is a thirty-year age difference between us , but we influence each other. I like that no one feels like they come to play with us like at Kolbenka. All this new blood is just amazing. We're having fun, I hope people also realize that there's no calculus, ” noted Kalina.
One of the new members, guitarist Červinka, wrote almost half of the new songs. “I almost dare to say that he beats me. He's a real hitmaker. In addition, Kuba (Červinka) listens to guitars, drums and bass in the studio, I listen to brass and vocals. I'm completely satisfied with our cooperation,” stated Kalina. “The entire young group really started dancing, we look forward to every performance, outdoors and in clubs,” he added.
The band was formed in 1990 from the student band Matěj Čech and first presented itself to the Prague audience with a double concert in Malostranská a conversation. So far, she has shot two dozen music videos and played more than 2,700 concerts in the country and abroad.
