Imagine the greatest legends of Czech/Moravian fusion of traditional folk music with rock: Ulrych siblings, Vlasta Redl solo or with AG Flek or Fleret, Cechomor. Imagine them to meet at one place at the peak of their musical shape, recording an album together. If you are interested what it might sound like, try the album "Zdalo sa ne zdalo" by Konaboj. It is great as a whole: by colourful choice of the folk songs from Moravia, Slovakia and Carpathian Russia; by imaginative arrangements often with unexpectedly hard rock sound (in the title song even with metal riffs), nevertheless sounding as naturally as you would expect listening to authentic traditional music. If anything deserves to point out, it would be the voices. Jirina Sanova's expression os not that fierce as e.g. Hana Ulrychova, her voice is more fragile and quiet, yet it is as clear and accurate as hardly any other singer in the genre. In addition, there is a guest female singer Anna Servicka, with a more traditional and authentic folk expression. She brought and arranged a few songs from Carpathian Russia sung in a lovely dialect that is really hard to understand. Fortunately, the original lyrics with translations to Czech are available on the Indies Scope website. And even more to lyrics: there is just one track I caught a bit of a male voice (V zelenem hajicku). And Milan Sana is also doing well; it feels a pity that there's not more. Maybe an idea for the next record: it would be no shame for Sana and his more tender half-self to have a few duets together. But let's not be immodest, this record is good as it is. And saying good, I mean really good, as four and a hald points out of five. Sparing one half just in case I happen to hear a god singing...
[vlk]