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Walnut Valley Festival ::
Fragment brings a Czech chunk to Kansas
By Rex Flottman
RockKansas guest columnist
"Maybe it's the water or something in the air; maybe it's the mountains and forests and meadows. Whatever it is in the Slavic Republic that encourages musicians to take up the fiddle and the banjo and play the mountain music of America, it works..."
-- Bluegrass Unlimited.
This year the Walnut Valley Festival will feature a number of artists from out of town. In fact, from a long way out of town.
In 1983 Fragment was founded in Czechoslovakia by Svat'a Kotas. Czechoslovakia has gone through a major development since 1989. The fall of communism came first and it opened the borders for free travel and exchange of ideas. Then the country split peacefully in two: the Czech Republic and the Slovak republic.
In Fragment, there are both Slovak and Czech citizens. Four members of the band live in Slovakia and Fragment recorded its first album for a Slovak independent label. The bands management is located in the Czech Republic and the band recorded its two latest projects for a major Czech label. Fragment has performed for Czech, Slovak, German, and English speaking audiences, and their songs are written in Slovak, Czech and English languages. They have hit high marks in both Czech and Slovak music polls, charts and competitions.
In the 18 years of its existence, the band has encountered many musical styles-from newgrass to new acoustic to bluegrass. Svat'a Kotas (banjo) is Fragment's leader. Jana Dolakova has been singing with Fragment since 1993. Her voice, with its fine range, is full of emotion. She writes lyrics in Czech, Slovak, and English. Pavel Malina is among the best bluegrass guitarists in the Czech Republic.
He has also been part of Druha Trava (at Walnut Valley Festival 1994). Zdenek Jahoda (mandolin and violin) is the youngest member of the band, but has won in the European Bluegrass Band contest in Vienna in 1998. Henrich Novak is the most respected Dobro player in Slovakia and was voted best Dobro player at the 1998 European Bluegrass Championship in Vienna.
Fragment plays concerts regularly in many countries (Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, etc.) But they always look forward to a chance to play in the birthplace of bluegrass. Their goal is to become a permanent member of the "bluegrass family" abroad. They have what it takes!
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