Best of the Romani musicians program BAŠAVEL in 2020, broadcast online by Czech NGO ROMEA
The online Romani musicians program BAŠAVEL on ROMEA TV offered unique guests and clips from the best performances of 2020 in the closing episode of the series. In addition to performances, the program features an interview with Miro Bartoš, a Romani opera singer who spent part of his childhood in a children’s home in the Czech Republic and is now a professional soloist with a theater ensemble in Plzeň.
“Leaving home changed my life and that of my sister. If we had stayed at home we would never have gone to college and gotten the jobs of our dreams,” the singer told ROMEA TV.
Milan Kroka, a musician who is a favorite on the Romani music scene in the Czech Republic, is interviewed about what music means to him. “I haven’t always just been a musician. I had to do manual labor too. When things were the very worst, I went to work in a factory as a tool grinder. Music is my life. It’s a difficult craft, and when it’s not done with love, honestly, people can tell,” the composer, producer and vocalist told ROMEA TV.
The final episode of BAŠAVEL for 2020 also featured Terezie Ondičová alias Tessie, who has competed in the nationally televised singing competition The Voice; the young Romani musician from Slovakia Richard Adam alias Vajdis; Karin Cinová, Robert Boldi, Ondrej Ferko & Ondra Gizman, Jr; and the Galiani Gypsy Jazz band. Big thanks go to Ladislav Cirok and his recording studio, EL CIROX PRODUCTION, for collaborating on producing several episodes of the series.
MIRO BARTOŠ
Mgr. et Bc Miro Bartoš, dipl. um., graduated in classical voice from the Conservatory in Plzeň, where he studied with Professor L. Ročáková-Rybářová and then studied voice, musical education and secondary school instruction at the Faculty of Education, University of West Bohemia in Plzeň. During his studies he represented the university in the finals of an international singing competition in Montreal, Canada.
Bartoš has also been educated in the field of global business and management at Newton College in Brno and Prague. Since 2008 he has been a soloist and ensemble member of the J. K. Tyl Theater in Plzeň.
His imaginative performances as “Papageno in the Magic Forest”, based on motifs from Mozart’s The Magic Flute and other dramatic stage productions have captivated children’s audiences. He performs in operas and operettas (e.g., as Prince Yamadori in Madame Butterfly).
Bartoš teaches music and singing to pupils in the primary schools and primary schools with an arts focus and is also dedicated to performing in concert both at home and abroad (France, Germany, Slovenia, the USA, etc.). He is currently perfecting his vocal art under the direction of the baritone Vladimír Chmel (a soloist at the Metropolitan Opera in New York).
MILAN KROKA
As one of the most interesting and sought-after contemporary Romani musicians in the Czech Republic, Milan Kroka fell in love with music at the age of seven, when he began playing guitar. He has collaborated with other important Romani musicians domestically such as Ida Kellarová, Věra Bílá and Kale, Romano Rat, Bengas, Mezcla Orchestra, Kmeťoband, Ben Christovao and many others, performing since 2012 with his own project called Milan Kroka – Live Band.
