Iva Bittová is said to be the Czech Republic's best known avant musician, she's a singer, violinist and composer. She began as a film actress, but eventually made a mark in music as well. Her father was a well known Slovakian Roma (gypsy) musician, her mother a professional singer. Bittová was classically trained in music, ballet, and theater, but also conversant in contemporary traditional/folk musical genres from an early age. After recording a handful of records, Chris Cutler heard her and decided to re-release. Through Cutler, Frith made her acquaintance and featured her in his 1990 film, Step Across The Border (haven't seen it, but have it on order). She's played with everyone from Tom Cora, Pavel Fajt, and Vladimír Václavek, to Bang On A Can All-Stars, and has already assembled a lengthy discography.
I've been listening to her record Elida, which she recorded with Bang On A Can and released in 2005 on Cantaloupe. Her vocal stylings sound a bit like early Kate Bush blent with a touch of Meredith Monk, and the compositions show the influence of Eastern European folk and nursery rhyme genres (though not in a kitsch way, the sonics are quite holistic, fully realized). The record is quite striking.
So, has anyone heard her music? Or seen her films? My gf will be interviewing Bittová next week, as Bittová will be performing here soon with Bang On A Can. Apparently Bittová has toured extensively through Europe and the UK, so I thought that people might (a) have something to add or (b) enjoy finding out about her.
I've been listening to her record Elida, which she recorded with Bang On A Can and released in 2005 on Cantaloupe. Her vocal stylings sound a bit like early Kate Bush blent with a touch of Meredith Monk, and the compositions show the influence of Eastern European folk and nursery rhyme genres (though not in a kitsch way, the sonics are quite holistic, fully realized). The record is quite striking.
So, has anyone heard her music? Or seen her films? My gf will be interviewing Bittová next week, as Bittová will be performing here soon with Bang On A Can. Apparently Bittová has toured extensively through Europe and the UK, so I thought that people might (a) have something to add or (b) enjoy finding out about her.