Jakub Urbánek: Slovak music is just good!

Jakub Molnár: As a singer, songwriter, pianist and saxophonist you are a member of the Brno funk-rock soul-pop band Jay Delver, with whom you have released two albums and played hundreds of concerts at home and abroad. However, you have no experience with theatre yet…

Jakub Urbánek: About ten years ago I had the opportunity to work with Dagmar Indrova, the current production manager of Studio Marta. She used to teach at an art high school, where she invited me to make music for a children's theatre production. Then for a long time I only dreamed of continuing in theatre music. Even with my band, I tried to make some connections with the stage elements, but it didn't really work. The collaboration with Husa na provázku Theatre is therefore my first serious theatre project, for which I am very grateful.

How did this collaboration come about?

I don't know to this day (laughs). But I explain it by the fact that Matej Štefík, the drummer from our band, plays in the production We are not home, directed by Anna Davidová. And it was she who contacted me to see if I wanted to jump into this project. Maybe Matej told her something about me, I don't know. Anyway, at first I didn't know what was going on. Then it turned out that we were going to play Slovak songs, which was incredibly tempting. So I didn't have to think long whether to accept the offer or not. But then I was worried. I didn't know what to expect from such a job and how the Provázek collective would take me. But at one of the first rehearsals, the actor Dominik Teleky said that I seemed to feel at home here. And I did! The attitude of all the people in the team is incredibly motivating and at the same time I feel safe at Provázek.

Anna Davidová and Jakub Urbánek, rehearsal of the production of I'm saving you a spot, Husa na provázku Theatre
photo: Jakub Šnajdr

For the needs of the production, the BOSK band was created, which is a combination of music professionals and actor-musicians. Was there any concern that this fusion might not work?

I think that what the production I'm saving you a spot is about, namely interpersonal relationships, is also true for the band itself. Two different worlds meet here and enrich each other. I and bassist Hubert Holásek (who is also from Jay Delver's band) brought fundamental arranging advice to rehearsals, while actors Milan Holenda and Matouš Benda showed us that musical performance doesn't have to be just about playing an instrument, but rather about communicating a feeling and conveying an idea.

As a Slovak living in the Czech Republic, I have been fascinated for years by how much Slovak pop music is played on Czech commercial radios. How do you explain this interest?

Simply - in my opinion it is just good! When I talk about it with fellow musicians - especially about the older Slovak hits - we can't find Czech equivalents to bands like Elán or Modus and artists like Ursiny or Varga. We thought a lot about your question with the actors during rehearsals of I’, saving you a spot. Someone said that the interest in domestic radio might be related to the fact that Slovak music has better lyrics. Richard Müller's or Kamil Petaraj's verses have depth, taste and are terribly addictive at the same time.

production of I'm holding you a spot, Husa na provázku Theatre
photo: Marek Malůšek

Does Slovak music have any specifics that the Czech one lacks?

In my opinion, Czech and Slovak music are two different worlds. Just take our two languages. Slovak is much more sing-songy and rhythmic, whereas Czech is more punchy and harsh. Maybe that's the only reason why styles like soul or R&B with complex harmonies could develop in Slovakia, while in the Czech Republic it's more like straightforward harder music like rock or metal, or quality folk. Then there are cultural differences. I think that Slovak music was and is much more strongly connected to the Western concept of music and has a rich tradition in genres that I find completely lacking in Czech music. I can think of Elán's biggest inspiration - the American band Chicago, which in the Czech Republic is known more to enthusiasts, while in the West it is a concept like ABBA.

Do you have your favourite Slovak performers?

I repeatedly go back to Richard Müller, Jaro Filip or Andrej Šeban, but I also enjoy less "arty" bands. That's why I'm very happy for the songs that made it into the final production of I'm saving you a spot, because they create a varied picture of a quality music scene. There will be songs that - at least I hope - we will all sing along with the audience, but also songs that most of Czech society may not even know.

Jakub Urbánek, rehearsal of the production of I’m saving you a spot, Husa na provázku Theatre
photo: Jakub Šnajdr

Did you choose them with the director? And if so, according to what key?

First, Anna made the first kick and offered more than forty Slovak songs. She wanted songs that were cheesy, full of clichés and familiar even in our country. We chose from those together, even though it was really hard to give up so many great songs. Although some of them may be cheesy, I like them because they are musically very sophisticated. Then came the creation of a theatrical script and sketches that set the songs in broader themes and contexts. When it all started to come together, I was surprised to find that although we respected the original songs musically, the theatrical elements gave them a unique twist. Although the final selection of songs is a mixture of genres from different periods, similar themes such as the self-presentation of Slovaks, the love deficit or the need for togetherness and the miracle of Czech-Slovak brotherhood appear in them. The very fact that the Czech theatre is giving a concert with Slovak music is a symbolic gesture of belonging and positive relations.

The open-air premiere of I'm holding you a spot will take place on the 11th of September 2025 at the Husa na provázku Theatre and will open the 2025/2026 theatre season with the subtitle Don't Be Afraid!.