BANJO ROMANTIKA introduces the musicians who play this unique bluegrass hybrid. Czechs first heard bluegrass during World War II when the Armed Forces Network broadcast American music for soldiers. The music represented freedom to dissatisfied Czechs living in a communist state. Czechs’ love for the music was solidified when Pete Seeger visited and performed in 1964. Inspired by classic American bluegrass sounds, an assortment of musicians from across the formerly communist Czech Republic have melded the past, the political and the present into a lively musical tradition entirely its own.

CLICK HERE to watch a clip!

Lee Bidgood's new book, Czech Bluegrass: Notes from the Heart of Europe, takes readers insider Czech bluegrass communities, performances, sounds, jokes, and arguments, opening discussions about where music can belong, and how it can thrive in unlikely places. 

We are grateful for the participation of the musicians in the film, the support of East Tennessee State University (Radio/TV/Film Program, Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Program, ETSU's Research and Development Grants, Honors College Research Discovery Positions), ARTEterra, Ed Snodderly, The Down Home and everyone else who is helping to make this project a reality. 

2013 Article in Bluegrass Today - http://bluegrasstoday.com/banjo-romantika-czech-bluegrass-documentary/