Karel Kryl

Karel Kryl ( born April 12, 1944 in Kroměříž; † March 3, 1994 in Munich) was a Czech songwriter and poet.

Life

He came from a book printer family. In the 50 years the family business was liquidated by the Communists. Kryls career aspiration was to be potters, like his great-grandfather. But he soon discovered his love for poetry and music. He was followed by his protest songs famous overnight and by the communist regime in 1968. 1969 emigrated Kryl to Munich. All his later works appear in exile. He first worked as a freelance editor for Radio Free Europe, then in 1983 there permanently employed. After the Velvet Revolution, he returned in November 1989 for a short time in his homeland.

Person

Kryl the poet was often referred to with guitar. He was one of the most important Czech representatives of the protest song generation in the years 1968 to 1989.

Works

His self-composed songs were not only short, powerful pamphlets but also poetic, melancholy music. His first recorded with the band The Bluesmen piece was Nevidomá dívka ( Blind Girl ) ( 1968). His first LP was released half a year after the invasion of the armies of the Warsaw Pact in Czechoslovakia. The title song, with which he became famous right away, Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka ( brother, closing the door ) arose spontaneously in the night after the invasion.

Awards

Kryl received in 1994 for his contribution " to the development of spiritual and moral support of the nation" in memoriam the silver commemorative medal of Charles University. In 1995 he was awarded the František Kriegel Prize, the Czech Grammy Sin slávy and by the President Václav Havel with the Order of Merit of the second degree.

Biography

• Václav Maidl: Karel Kryl - not a singer with only one string

Lyrics

• Karel Kryl: songs and poems