Cantina's music

A vocal and instrumental world-music ensemble comprising some members of the Moberg Ensemble band and the Apsora choir.

The Moravian and Czech traditional folksongs presented by Cantina sound (not only on the CDs) like film soundtracks for stories told by the songs. At its live performances, Cantina proves that world music is not dead. Three male and seven female voices, ethnic drums and the piano create a catching, even enchanting atmosphere, underlining the tales about life and hope contained in the folksongs.

Cantina members have rehearsed together in Prague at Dobeška since 2010. Over time, the group has come a long way and has tried many different forms of live performances. In 2015, it issued the first CD "V dúhém poli" with songs mostly from Moravia and Bohemia. The second album "Sváteční" was made in 2017 and presents less known Advent songs from Bohemia, Moravia and Europe. The pandemic year 2020 was used to release the third CD "Live in concert" with a recording of a concert given as part of the Night of Churches festival. For 2022, Cantina is preparing a new concert programme and an album of the same name "Svitaj, bože, svitaj", bringing folksongs about love, light and hope.

Blanka Laurychová - artistic director of Cantina, author of all music arrangements, is a composer and lecturer. She has won Cena Anděl, the award of the Czech Music Academy, for the Smrtihlav album (performed with Petr Nikl & Lakomé Barky ensamble). She is the author of projects such as Moberg Ensemble, Lakomé Barky or Klenota. Blanka also organises and manages the programme of a music festival on the Vltava River. She enjoys searching for treasures in the tradition of folklore music, and gives them a new musical form.

Karel Fišer - the founder of the Cantina project and of the Vo icecamp association. A psychotherapist by profession, he has been passionate about music all his life. For many years, he cooperated with the International School of Human Voice, leading the international project of the Apsora choir. After that he managed the Czech part of the international music project Raduga. He cooperated with Feng-yun Song or Léňa Yellow from Yellow Sisters, with whom he led voice workshops. He was engaged in preparing the programme of music festivals such as RefuFest, TátaFest etc.