Remembering Dežo

The evening without you is bad. But you didn’t leave, you just didn’t come back to me. I look out of the window, I think about you, for you, with you,” Deža Ursina’s song O tebe, pro teba, s te from the album Pevniny a vrchy.

Love, tenderness, presence, woman. Part of the texts, letters, books of Dežo Ursiny’s work and legacy. Women will also be part of the sixth year of the art festival called Spomienka na Deža. In the park on Fedáková in Bratislava’s Dúbravka, it is being prepared by the Civic Association Spomienka na Deža on September 9.

The program will bring together generations, references to childhood, musical memories, artists, Slovak and Czech musicians and creation in a live broadcast. The program of the cultural festival will start already at one in the afternoon and will last until 22:00. Entry to the festival at Fedáková 24, where the legendary Slovak musician, screenwriter, documentarian, playwright, director, artist Dežo Ursiny lived and worked, is free. The program will be accompanied by music columnist Oliver Rehák.

At the start of the festival at 1:00 p.m., songs from the musical Don’t take the princess from us will be performed by the students of the Church Conservatory in Bratislava. They will also meet other students from the Tokajíčka United School on the stage, who will perform with models O dresses, woven from strawberry foam.

Part of the student accompanying part of the event will also include two exhibitions right in the park – on the theme of music, small and large artists of the Pri kríci Elementary School under the guidance of artist and teacher Zuzana Rybaničová, and during the summer, students of the Jozef Vydra School of Art Industry were also inspired by the music and personality of Dež Ursiny. They will present themselves with a photo exhibition.

The introduction of the musical part will belong to Slovak singer Jane Kirchner, who will perform with her band. Dež’s son Jakub, who takes care of and develops his father’s legacy, put together a formation called Provisorium for the festival. Six artists will join together to perform Dež’s songs – Provisorium – Dorota Nvotová, Jakub Ursiny, Marián Slávka, Tomáš Michalčák, Filip Hittrich and Martin Majlo Štefánik.

After the so-called Best of Dežo, two girls from the Slovak project Meowlau x Val will present themselves. He is supported by bassist Laura Jašková and singer Valentina Vlková.

Another female singer will also have her premiere at the festival. Zuzana Mikulcová will perform with her band. In 2019, Zuzana recorded the song Hovor mi, which is a reference to Dež’s song Hovor mi do úho from the album Ten istý tanec.

Similarly, another female artist will sing for the first time at the commemoration. Sisa Fehér. The singer, lyricist and her lineup of KHI musicians will bring alternative jazz to the park.

The performance of František Báleš with his ensemble is also connected with jazz and literature. Various poetic works were set to music in the form of songs, for example by Pavel Országh Hviezdoslav, Janek Kráľ, Ján Smrek, Rudolf Dilong, Ján Kostra or Milan Rúfus.

The solo female performance will belong to Katarína Máliková, singer, composer, who will return to Fedákova for the third time.

The festival will be closed by a Czech punk singer with musical guests – Nikola Mucha and Ondřej Kyas.