Karel Kryl (April 12, 1944 – March 3, 1994) was a popular Czech songwriter and performer of many "protest songs" in which he strongly criticized and identified the shortcomings and inhumanity of the Communist regime in his home country.
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Life
Kryl was born on April 12, 1944 in Kroměříž, today Czech Republic, son of Karel Kryl and Marie Krylová. His father owned a printing business, which was confiscated from the family in 1948 after the communist takeover. Kryl moved to Prague in 1968 as an assistant at Czechoslovak TV. In his spare time he performed his songs in numerous small clubs. When the Warsaw Pact armies occupied Czechoslovakia on August 21, 1968 to suppress the Prague Spring democratization movement, Kryl released his album Bratříčku zavírej vrátka (English: Close the Gate, Little Brother), full of songs describing his disgust over the occupation, life under communist rule, and the crude inhumanity and stupidity of the regime. The album was released in early 1969 and was banned and removed from shelves shortly thereafter. This album became an icon work of the anti-communist movement for years to come — when he returned from exile in 1989 during the Velvet Revolution, almost every little child in Czechoslovakia knew the lyrics of these songs by heart. Faced with certain imprisonment, Kryl left Czechoslovakia in 1969, and lived in West Germany. Most of the time in exile he worked for Radio Free Europe. In exile, Kryl released a number of albums. Some of his songs almost became modern traditionals, known by everybody in the Czech Republic and sung around campfires and at other gatherings. During the enthusiastic November days in 1989, Kryl returned to Czechoslovakia only to experience bitter disappointment with the transformation of society. On March 3, 1994, just a month before his fiftieth birthday, Karel Kryl died of a heart attack in a Munich hospital. He was posthumously awarded the Order of the White Lion - the highest Czech decoration.
Discography
Studio
- Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka (issued by Panton 1969, re-issued by Panton 1990, Bonton 1995, Sony Music 2002 and Supraphon 2006)
- Rakovina (exile issue in Germany by Primaphon 1969, Caston 1969, in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1980, re-issued by Bonton 1990 and Sony Music 2003)
- Maškary (exile issue in Germany by Caston 1970, in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1980, re-issued by Bonton 1991 and Sony Music 2004)
- Karavana mraků (exile issue in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1979, re-issued by Bonton 1994 and Supraphon 2007)
- Plaváček (exile issue in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1983, re-issued by Bonton 1995)
- Dopisy (exile issue - only on cassette - in Australia by Rhea Publishing 1988, unauthorized re-issue by BestIa 1992, Happy Music 1997, Happy AS 2001 and And The End Record 2006)
- Tekuté písky (issued by Bonton 1990)
- Monology (issued by Janez 1992, re-issued by Bonton 1996)
- Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka - Limitovaná edice (includes studio version 1969 and live version 1971) (issued by Supraphon 2006)
- Dopisy akusticky + Dopisy (includes cassette version 1988 and the same songs - except Zkouška dospělosti - in acoustic version) (issued by And The End Record 2006)
- Karavana mraků + 9 bonus tracks (issued by Supraphon 2007)
Live
- Bratříčku, zavírej vrátka! (live concert in Switzerland) (exile issue in Germany by Caston 1971, in Sweden by Šafrán 78 1980, re-issued by Supraphon 2006)
- Karel Kryl In Boston ´88 (exile issue - only on two cassette - in U.S.A. by Czechoslovak Documentation Center 1988, not re-issued in Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic!!!)
- Karel Kryl spiewa we Wroclawiu (live concert, November 4th. and 5th. 1989 in Wroclaw - Poland) (issued only in Poland by Stowarzyszenie Festiwal Wyszehradzki 2004)
- Live (Lucerna 1990 and Porta 1991) (issued by Supraphon 2006)
- Koncert z Melbourne (live concert, May 17th. 1986 in Sokol House, Melbourne - Australia) (issued by And The End Record 2006)
- Koncert ze Sydney (live concert, May 20th. 1986 in Sokol House, Sydney - Australia) (issued by And The End Record 2006)
Recitation
- Dvě půle lunety aneb Rebelant o lásce (poems) (issued by H&H Publishers 1992)
- Básníci před mikrofonem (various author's recitation, Kryl is one of twelve authors) (issued by Radioservis 2003)
Singles
- Carmina Resurrectionis (EP) (exile issue in Germany by Caston 1974, re-issued by Bonton 1990)
- Dívka havířka / Azbuk (SP) (exile issue in Canada by 68 Publishers 1978)
- Ocelárna (EP) (exile issue in Australia by Iron Curtain Records 1984)
- Omezená suverenita / Jedůfka (SP) (exile issue in Canada by 68 Publishers 1986)
Compilations
- To nejlepší (issued by Bonton 1993)
- Ocelárna - doplněné vydání (unauthorized issue by Monitor 1994, KMa 2004 and And The End Record 2006)
- Děkuji (issue by Bonton 1995)
- Australské momentky (unauthorized issue by Monitor 1995, KMa 2004 and And The End Record 2006)
- Jedůfky (issued by Bonton 1996)
- To nejlepší 2 (issued by Bonton 1998)
- Šuplíky - Mé nejmilejší písně (issued by Supraphon 2005)
- Miláčku (issued by Supraphon 2007)
Specials
- Lieder gegen Panzer (various singers - various authors, Kryl sing five his songs - four in deutsch and one in czech language) (exile issued in Germany by Neue Welt 1978, (not re-issued in Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic)
- Swing Time (various singers - various authors, Kryl sing three songs of other authors) (exile issued in Canada by West Record 1983, re-issued by Producentské centrum Františka Rychtaříka 2007)
- Piosenky Karela Kryla (with Polish singers Antonina Krzyston and Andrzej Michalski, Kryl sing five his songs) (exile "samizdat" issued - only on cassette - in Poland by Niezalezna Oficyna Wydawnicza 1986. (not re-issued in Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic)
- Křesťanské songy a podobenství (various singers - various authors, Kryl sing two his songs) (issued by Multisonic 1990)
- Folkfórum - Spolu... (various singers and authors on concert 7.12.1989 in Ostrava, Kryl sing three his songs) (issued - only on cassette - by Panton 1990)
Bootlegs and unofficial recordings
- Bratislava 1969 (live concert in Bratislava) (bootleg issue)
- PF 93 (sampler of different recordings - only for members of Kryl's fan-club) (issued - only on cassette - by Klub Karla Kryla 1992).
Videography
- VHS III.setkání u Čárlího (recording from meeting a few exil singers in July 4th. to 7th. 1988, Kryl sing three his songs) (exil issued in France by Club Culturel Productions 1988)
- VHS Nachtasyl 18.11.1988 (Kryl's appearance in Nachtasyl club) (exil issued in Austria by Video Skalak 1988)
- VHS Filmový portrét (documentary film about/with Kryl) (issued by Bonton 1991)
- VHS Kdo jsem? (music and poems film from Spiš Castle) (issued by Intersonic 1993)
- VHS Krylogie 19.4. a 24.5.1993 (Kryl's appearances in Reduta club - only for members of Kryl's fan-club) (issued by Klub Karla Kryla 1994)
- VHS Krylogie - Reduta 9.6. a 24.5.1993 (Kryl's appearances in Reduta club - only for members of Kryl's fan-club) (issued by Klub Karla Kryla 1996)
- DVD Kdo jsem? (re-issued VHS's film with bonus - document/interview film) (issued by Dikrama 2004)
