The songs Czechs grew up on

Šíleně smutná princezna, photo: Czech TV
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We can safely say that the songs you will hear today are well-known to generations of Czechs since their childhood. Everyone has watched fairy-tale movies at some point in their lives and the melodies from these films stuck in their heads forever.

Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella
Fairy-tales and children’s films are an important part of Czech cinematography and many of them have reached international acclaim. Tři oříšky pro Popelku, which literally translates as Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella, is watched every Christmas by generations of Czechs and other Europeans. It’s not surprising that many of those melodies were performed by some of the country’s biggest music stars, including Karel Gott.

Probably the best-known fairy tale musical is Šíleně Smutná princezna, or The Incredibly Sad Princess, from 1968, with two famous singers Helena Vondráčková and Václav Neckář in the lead roles. The tradition continues to this day, with popular singer Tomáš Klus recently starring (and of course singing) in the film Tři bratři or Three Brothers.