I´ve been working on multimedia “Homage To My Roots“ project. I will bring you new songs that are interconnected with visual art, exhibitions, concerts and workshops. Be a part of the story which is a journey to courage, hope, and respect. Thank you!
Author: Milli Janatková
Prague, Czech Republic
All or nothing. Project finished on Nov 24, 2016 at 10:00.
My goal is the creation and publication of songs, paintings, CD, a book and public events. I have been cooperating with great musicians (you can read more in Rewards section). I will create a painting for each song too. We can share the realization of the CD, happenings, exhibition, concerts and workshops. The project is a journey of hope, inner power, healing, and to be able to overcome life‘s difficult challenges. The meaning of the journey is to respect ones self, the past, and to continue the family legacy in the best way. Thanks to this journey it is possible to improve the quality of life, health, and relationships. The main goal is a motivation to renew trust and people´s respect to each other, understanding and interconnectiong. I would like to inspire to reflection and discussion about the values in the life of the individual and the society.
The amount of money I hope to receive from HitHit, I will use for:
What makes sense in life? I was asking myself during a time when I was having some health troubles which kept me in bed for more than one year. I had to stop myself. My album “Transformation“ released in 2013 really made my life different, but in a way that I could not have imagined. Immediately the success with The Independent Music Awards (USA) nominations and interviews was not so important. I had two options – either find the causes and understand what my body and psyche were telling me or to go on being afraid in bed. In a moment of hope, I laughed to myself that my health troubles were actually causing the album to come together! So, since 2014 I have been working on another project called “Quiet, please!“ that contains songs in Latin (eg. Hormonal, Brain, Ophtalmic) and graphics. However, soon I knew I wanted to go deeper. By asking myself and my family members, I hoped to understand them and our ancestors and by doing so I would understand myself. I decided on the first option. I began to search my ancesteral roots in hopes of learning and growing. So I started digging them up.
Photo by Pavel Micka, the first „Homage to my Roots“ project event, Goodbye Gallery in Volyně, Czech Republic
Photo by Jakub Frydrýšek, Volyně Town Museum, preparation of „Homage To My Roots“ project exhibition called „Roots of a Violet“
Since the summer 2015 I have been working on a research, family tree and "Homage To My Roots" project. The memories from my childhood started to surface and I remembered my Grandma Mania´s story. She sang beautifully and was forced to labor in the German “Reich“ (Empire) during the second World War for three years. I also remembered her narration about Great Aunt Vera Polenova Kistler, a girl born in Volary who lived in Volyne. She met an American soldier in 1945 and they fell in love with each other. She moved to America and they married. It seemed to be an American dream for a war bride. Vera couldn´t speak a word of English. She thought that her new American husband was a doctor but due to a misunderstanding in translation she learned that he was a funeral director. Vera also did not imagine that years later she would be living above a Funeral Home. My Grandma´s and Vera´s courage to overcome life’s obstacles has encouraged me to become a stronger person. There is no need to blame myself, my family or judge anybody else. I like searching for common ancestors and interconnecting with other family members. It brings me understanding, calmness and deep sense.
Vera Polenova, 1947 Vera P. Kistler painting
Vera finished her studies with a doctorate degree in music composition. She performed and organized concerts and as a teacher she had a great influence on many of her students. Vera also wrote short stories and novels as well as painted. Vera wrote in English but more so in Czech as she wanted to stay close to her Czech heritage. Vera P. Kistler / Věra Kistlerová (1929 - 2006), was a successful composer and writer in the Czech Republic as well as in the USA and Canada. However, she knew that success of this kind was not the most important part of her life.
I have organized Vera´s exciting story and creative work exhibition called “Roots of a Violet“ which takes place at the Town Museum in Volyně, Czech Republic. Soon we will be recording a CD of her songs in jazz chanson genre. I will create a painting within each song. The inspiration is from the lines formed by our common ancestors´ countryside hills, as well as the vocal and musical lines formed from Vera's music. I will combine the two lines together to create a link, or a continuation of my family's legacy.
“You must take each moment as an opportunity. I don´t believe in wasting any time. There are too many things worth living for, like love, truth and beauty.“ Vera P. Kistler was speaking about the will to achieve, in a period of her life that was influenced by Parkinson disease. McLeod Magazine interview, 1999.
I am Milli Janatková. I have been working on the author´s creative projects that are interconnected together, such as “Transformation“, “Quiet, please!“, and “Homage to my Roots“.
I like searching and finding, understanding, and inspiring. I like to create and grow. I´m looking forward to sharing my project with you, and that you would be a part of the journey. If you decide to help me, I believe we can create a web of firm roots thanks to which we can interconnect and grow together.
Hello everyone! A great news for you! The new CD "To My Roots" has been born and you can get it here on Supraphon website, if it´s not your HitHit reward. If so, I will send you the CD as soon as possible. The CD launch performance at Prague Jazz Dock Club was wonderful, full of people and very…
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