Pohoda 97: Chór vážskych muzikantov
Underground band Chór vážskych muzikantov (also known as CHVM) was established in 1980 in the city of Trenčín. The band made Trenčín the centre of Slovak alternative music and helped many other bands, including Bez ladu a skladu. CHVM also assisted the birth of Pohoda and they keep supporting the festival also now – among other things, the company owned by band members sets out festival grounds. This and other bands will commemorate the first year of our festival at Pohoda 2017.
03. January 2017
Their first official concert was also the first year of Trenčínʼs Gympelrock festival, and the festival continues until today. The positive response from concert visitors was not shared by communist officials: they turned off the electricity during the concert, and the band was ʻenjoying similar pleasuresʼ up until 1989. Ľuboš Dzúrik and his Fukkavica Records spread underground recordings in Slovakia and the bandʼs concerts in Bratislavaʼs Primaf university club in 1983—1985 became legendary. Their three-hour concerts would include also spoken word, Alpine Riesling (cheap fruit wine, red wine, Alpa – spirit herbal solution, citrodeko – ascorbic acid with sugar, and sugar: all of these would be mixed in a 10 litre pot and the band would share it with the audience), or rolls with mustard. In 1985 and following the model of great Czech alternative bands, CHVM grew by more violinists and wind instrument players. In April 1989, they were invited to Rockfest Praha. The first years after the collapse of communism, paradoxically, brought less of the bandʼs activities. CHVMʼs second peak years were 2005—2010, when they recorded three albums in a short sequence. They celebrated their 30 years on the scene with a joint concert with The Stranglers at Pohoda 2010.
Current CHVM line-up:
- Ľuboš Dzúrik – bass guitar, vocals
- Rasťo Dobranský – drums
- Miro Puna – vocals
- Ivan Masarik – keyboard, violin, vocals
- Peter Kohout – saxophone
- Martin Skovajsa – guitar
- Juraj Šinka – guitar
- Milan molon Štefánik – vocals and choirs
This line-up will perform also at Pohoda 2017.