Divé Husy (Wild Geese)

Singer and violinist Jitka Šuranská is a rising star of the Czech music scene, drawing inspiration from the traditional music of Moravia in the east of the country. She also has a day job in the symphony orchestra in Zlín. In her trio, with Martin Krajíček on mandolin (and vocals), and Marian Friedl on double bass, cimbalom, various shepherds pipes and vocals, the arrangements are fresh and transparent. On ‘U Suseda’ for example, it's only plucked strings on the violin, mandolin and bass (apart from one bowed violin melody). ‘Maliny’ has the irregular springy rhythms that make Moravian music so distinctive and Šuranská's voice is crystal clear and delightful to listen to. Although the cimbalom is the region's signature instrument, Friedl wisely avoids the virtuosic cascades of arpeggios that are a cliché of local music.

There are just a couple of moments where the male vocals have an old-fashioned, folkloric feel though. There are some gorgeous tunes here, such as the opening ‘Jablůška’ and ‘Išlo Dzievča’. Jitka Šuranská is currently the musician who is most likely to take Moravian music right out into the wider world and new audiences.