Ida Kelarova is a personality on the current European music scene.

Ida hails from a music family. She studied cello and piano at the Janaček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno. Ida’s parents were her life teachers. Her mother Ludmila, hailing from the Moravian-Slovak region, and her father, Koloman Bitto, the great musician, who lived the music, and who was her greatest teacher.　He also raised two of his three daughters in music – Ida, and her sister, who is also very famous, Iva Bittova.　Ida spent a part of her life in Great Britain, Denmark and Norway, however, in 1995 she returned to the Czech Republic to continue her work, which she had started in England. The list of her activities is really extensive. Ida is a respected and well-known singer, musician, choirmaster, music designer and producer.　Her work is based on her knowledge and experience, which she gained while working in the Western Europe; she gets her inspiration from her eastern and Romany roots. She is best know, probably, for her more than 20-year work with people and human voice under the patronage of ISHV (International School for Human Voice), which she founded. She also directs her efforts at helping talented Romany children and youth. Her ability to open her heart and invest all her emotions into her voice is legendary.　Her emotions and legacies are able to address also those, who do not understand Romany lyrics, and share the feelings familiar to all humans. Ida feels a continuous need to help saving and protecting the environment, this planet, relations, relationships between Romas and non-Romas. This path, this unique, non-violent junction of cultures; we are able to learn by art, to convey to people things we know best, in the best way we know. Ida believes that this path we are walking is the maximum we can do, nowadays. Again and again, she leads the people around towards love and solidarity. Faith is her hope. She strongly believes that we will succeed in creating a better world. Awareness that we, the people, are strong and powerful.

 

We were created to create, not to destroy and kill – that is Ida’s motto.　

Desiderius (Dežo) Dužda　　Guitar player, vocalist, composer, one of the most significant personalities of the Romany culture. Dežo started to play the guitar when he was four. His father, Vojtěch Bela Dužda, one of the most recognized viola players, was the greatest inspiration and teacher to him. During the 90’s he was a founding member of the Kale music band, accompanying vocalist Věra Bílá. He was awarded the Golden Record for 10 000 CDs sold. In 1997 Dežo started his close cooperation with Ida Kelarova, founding a band called Romano rat (Romany blood) and an international choir called Apsora (Tear drops) and the Jazz famelija band. He has been cooperating with Ida Kelarova ever since. Dežo is a successful music composer with extensive production, and his songs are chanted all over the world. In terms of vocal production he focuses on Romany multichoirs and vocal harmonies. He passes on his artistic experience: he organizes guitar workshops, focusing mainly on Romany harmonic techniques, so typical for Romany music. He chairs the Miret civil association along with Ida Kelarova, aimed at supporting the talented Romany youth. Owing to his openness and heartiness, Dežo is not only known as an exceptional artist, but also as a popular teacher, representing the Romany culture on the professional level.　

Ida Kelarova and Desiderius Dužda have been passing their songs and music all over the world for past fifteen years, and anyone listening may enjoy more of the Romany staff. To extend our perception of all that is Romany to get deeper to the roots of the Roma culture, to learn the true issues of this minority, to learn the history of this rare culture. Gypsy songs have magic energy inside and are considered to be the jewels of the gypsy culture. They evoke emotions and they open human hearts, human souls, whence they always originated from. Songs are noble teachings and uncover inspiration and entertainment for artists and all creative people. Their mission is not a question of their abilities, but truth, lifestyle, blood, since the gypsy culture is a spontaneous creation.　Awareness of opening to our own experience, the need to look into eyes, to be able to feel the love, hope, light, joy in what Romas can do, since that is their heritage – the art of giving.