Oldřich Janota: Concert

convent
Plasy Monastery 1994

Oldřich Janota (born 1949, Plzeň) is a Czech singer, musician, composer and writer. He started his career in the Czechoslovakian semi-official music scene of late 70s and 80s as a folk singer. Apart from his solo activity, he was the leader of the "acoustic rock" group Mozart K. Its line-up included harmonium, mandolin, xylophone, tape recorder (Miloš Vojtěchovský), saxophones (Jan Štolba), electric guitar and sitar (Emil Pospíšil), and percussion (Martin Rychta, Mirek Kodym). In the early 80s, Janota disbanded Mozart K and changed the genre along with experimental guitarists Luboš Dalmador Fidler and Pavel Richter. The group practiced interweaving acoustic guitar strumming, alternative tuning system, involved record players, tape recorders, radios or DIY instruments, such as the roletophone (amplified window blind-wand) constructed by Luboš Fidler. In the grip of minimal moods - listening to Terry Riley and Robert Fripp - they concluded that circles of arppegiated chords are a good departure point. After 1989, Janota became associated with the "tea-room culture," establised a trio with Irena and Vojtěch Havel whose music often fuses old music with Eastern influences. in 1992 and 1993, he performed with the ensamble Jiná rychlost času, and with Luboš Fidler. Recently Janota has been touring with the ensemble Ora Pro Nova. Janota publised several books of his texts and stories, and composed the opera Koza about the "Left Hand Universe".