Bratislavská lýra was a Czechoslovak festival of popular songs that took place every year from 1966 until 1990 and was held in Bratislava. It was renewed in 1997 but cancelled again in 1998.

History

The idea for the festival arose between 1964 and 1965 by composers Ján Siváček and Pavel Zelenay, who went on to organize it. The event was first held in 1966 in the

Park kultúry a oddychu Park kultúry a oddychu abbreviated PKO ( en, Park of Culture and Relaxation) and in the past commonly referred to as ''Pekáč'' was a complex of buildings in Bratislava, Slovakia on the Bratislava Riverfront by the Danube, built in 1954 and de ...

(PKO), under the name ''Medzinárodný festival tanečnej piesne Bratislavská lýra'' ("Bratislava Lýra International Dance Song Festival"), with sound provided by Slovenský rozhlas (later Česko-slovenský rozhlas). Winners received an award called ''Bratislava Lýra'' (Bratislava Lyre), which also became the festival's new name in 1968. In addition to Gold, Silver, and Bronze, other awards included the ''Zlatý kľúč'' ("Golden Key"), for international contestants. Categories consisted of the Critics' Award, Journalists' Award, Audience Award, Popular Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award. Notable winners in the event's first year included famous Czech songster

Karel Gott ) Sinatra of the East( cs, Sinatra Východu, link=no)Divine Charlie The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

(1969),

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

(1970, 1971),

Boney M. Boney M. was a German-Caribbean vocal group that specialized in disco and funk created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group's o ...

(1977), Smokie (1983), Donovan (1983), and Joe Cocker (1998 – the last year of the event's revival). In 1975, the festival won an award from the International Federation of Festival Organizations (FIDOF), being only the fourth festival worldwide to receive this honour, and the first in the

Socialist Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...

. Bratislavská lýra was discontinued in 1990, after the

Velvet Revolution The Velvet Revolution ( cs, Sametová revoluce) or Gentle Revolution ( sk, Nežná revolúcia) was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 28 November 1989. Popular demonstrations agains ...

. Conductor and music director Vladimír Valovič purchased the trademark in 1996 and revived the festival the following year. The 1997 edition was used to select the Slovak representative for the

1998 Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest, held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcas ...

. It was canceled once more in 1998, due to a lack of financial support and sponsorships. As of 2006, Valovič still had plans to relaunch the event at a later date. On 19 October 2016, fifty years after the first edition, the gala concert ''Lýra 50 Mám rozprávkový dom'' was held in Bratislava, with the participation of former winners and festival participants.

Controversy

In 1989,

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

invited Ivan Hoffman, who had recorded the anti-communist song "Nech mi nehovoria" (Stop Telling Me), to take the stage. After about a minute, however, the organizers muted his microphone.

References

{{Authority control Song contests Music festivals in Slovakia Culture in Bratislava Music festivals established in 1966 Music competitions Awards established in 1966 Awards disestablished in 1998 1966 establishments in Czechoslovakia 1998 disestablishments in Slovakia Slovakia in the Eurovision Song Contest Eurovision Song Contest selection events