HlasKontraBas

Duo HLASkontraBAS will premiere a new song at their only spring performance in Prague

The internationally acclaimed project by singer Ridina Ahmedová and double bassist Petr Tichý is renowned not only for its unusual line-up and original repertoire, but also for the relaxed yet captivating atmosphere of its performances. The concert, to be held on May 13, 2026, at Chodovská tvrz in Prague, will also be special in that HLASkontraBAS will offer a glimpse, or rather a "listen," into the repertoire of their upcoming new album.

In recent years, HLASkontraBAS has rightly attracted attention with its expanded lineup of four singers and four double bassists. And with the album Kaleidoscapes, prepared in Iceland, for which renowned composers from Norway, Iceland, Israel, and the Czech Republic wrote a repertoire on the borderline between contemporary music, world music, and jazz. The activities of HLASkontraBAS Oktet are far from over, as the project has more surprises in store. At the same time, however, Ridina Ahmedová and Petr Tichý are still returning to their original duo lineup. To the clarity of the equal dialogue between voice and double bass, to the spontaneous interactions and original work with "humanized" loopers.

"We are currently working on songs for a new album, which should be released in 2027. And at this year's only spring concert in Prague, we will premiere the song Këngë," revealed Ridina and Petr. However, it should be added that thanks to the improvisational spark and empathy of two outstanding musicians, even the performance of songs already proven and known to the audience from albums and previous performances has an exciting stamp of uniqueness and a certain otherness.

The duo's intuitive interplay, evoking almost "extrasensory communication," should not actually come as a surprise. After all, Ridina Ahmedová and Petr Tichý have been working together for two decades. First in various jazz ensembles, then in the Floex project. The pinnacle of their creative journey together, however, is HLASkontraBAS. The duo's initial repertoire was captured on their eponymous album from 2016, which was rightly nominated for an Anděl Award. The same goes for the ambitious album Kaleidoscapes (2024) by the expanded HLASkontraBAS Oktet ensemble, which also won the Czech Radio Jazz Jazz Harvest poll of experts. In addition to the "voice-double bass" duo and octet, both protagonists are also involved in a number of other activities.

Singer, composer, and lecturer Ridina Ahmedová is the founder of the Voicescope project, which organizes singing workshops, seminars, lectures, and conferences. She has written and recorded music for a number of theater performances and films. She created the solo program Voicescape. She caught the attention of vocal magician Bobby McFerrin, who invited her to improvise with him during his concert in Prague in 2008. She has also made a name for herself as a presenter and podcast creator, for example with the documentary radio series Odpustit? (Forgive?), about the fates of people who find it difficult to forgive their loved ones due to the traumas they have experienced.

Double bassist and composer Petr Tichý is undoubtedly one of the most active musicians on the Czech scene. He is also a truly genre-defying performer, crossing over between jazz, contemporary music, folk, experimental electronica, and pop. He can be heard on dozens of albums and rarely misses an evening without a concert. He collaborates or has collaborated in the past with the Berg Orchestra, the NTS trio with Michal Nejtek and Štěpán Smetáček, and with personalities such as Pavol Hammel, Mirek Kemel, Sylvie Krobová, Jan Vébrová, Vladimír Václavek, Jono Bono, Petr Nikl, Franta Skála, and many others. His other major projects include the improvisational trio Romanovská, Tichý, Hrubý, occasionally expanded to include guests such as harpists and sopranos Hana Blažíková and Barbora Kabátková, Irish violist Garth Knox, and German drummer Klaus Kugel.