The czardas really is more Hungarian in origin, although they are popular in the former Czechoslovakia. Czech folk music is very different from one end of the country to the other. In Bohemia, which includes Prague, the folk music tends to be sort of like Bavarian music. Songs are kind of lively and danceable. In Moravia, the middle part, songs tend to be more sentimental and slower, with references to lost loves and the temporal nature of life being popular. It's hard to find Bohemian folk groups without brass instruments, which are probably a holdover from the Austro-Hungarian Empire days, when military bands were everywhere. Moravian folk groups generally have fiddles, a cimbal (like a big hammer dulcimer) and a viola and bass for rhythm (much like gypsy bands from the same area). Slovakian folk music is similar to Moravian, but the further east you go there is more Hungarian and even Balkan influence. I have a lot of records of Czech music, but my printed music is all songs. The ones that I play I mostly learned from my father-in-law, who played the accordian and harmonica, and sang with such gusto that the police came once when we were all at the beach in North Carolina. One great thing there is that people like to sing, with or without instruments, when they get together socially in public or private. Except for with the young people, who are soaking up western pop music like sponges, folk music is very popular. One good and reliable source for ordering music is www.cdmusic.cz. Very nice folks and good domestic prices. Let me know if I can help.
Chet
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