Vesna (band)

Vesna (; named after the Slavic goddess of spring) is an all-female folk band based in the Czech Republic, consisting of five members (three Czech, one Slovak and one Russian). The band represented the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "My Sister's Crown", finishing in the top ten in the grand final with a score of 129 points.

History

Formation and first singles

In 2016, band frontwoman wanted to create an all-woman band that celebrated "femininity and Slavic sisterhood". Although the band is considered to play Czech folk music, Fuxová does not consider themselves to play within the genre, stating "I don't see what we do with Vesna as folklore, they are not folk songs. For me, these are otsongs that work with those archetypes". At the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory, Fuxová met with future members Bára Juránková, who played the violin, Andrea Šulcová, and Tanita Yankova from Bulgaria, who both played the flute.

In 2018, Šulcová and Yankova both left the group, and were replaced by Russian pianist Olesya Ochepovskaya and Czech drummer Markéta Vedralová. In that same year, the band released their first studio album, (). In an interview with Czech news magazine , Fuxová stated that the album was inspired by both real life events that she had faced and by Czech stories and fairytales. The album won the Discovery of the Year award at the Czech music awards show ''2018''.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the band, which at that point also included Slovak bassist Tereza Čepková, started work on a second studio album, . In an interview, band member Bára Šůstková reported that the album was represented by animal motifs, the relationship between men and women, and the female body.

Eurovision Song Contest 2023

On 16 January 2023, the band, with the return of Yankova, was revealed as one of six competitors in , the Czech national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. When the voting results were revealed on 7 February 2023, the band had earned 10,584 votes, winning by a margin of 6,368 votes, thus becoming the Czech representatives for the contest. Their song "My Sister's Crown" is about "all people who are experiencing some kind of unfreedom, as oppression from society, trends, technology, and it's such a symbol for these people to put on a crown and feel strong enough".

Vesna performed in the first semi-final held on 9 May 2023, placing fourth overall and qualifying for the final. They ultimately placed tenth with 129 points.

After Eurovision

On 17 July 2023, Vesna announced a European tour scheduled to take place between 1 and 24 November 2023 across Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. Since July 2023, Yankova has again been inactive in the group.

In September 2023, the group released "Wolfrunners", the lead single from their upcoming LP , which was released the following November.

Band members

Current members

* Patricie Kaňok Fuxová (2016–present) – vocals
* Bára Juránková (2016–present) – vocals, violin
* Olesya Ochepovskaya (2018–present) – piano
* Markéta Mužátková (2018–present) – drums, vocals, guitar
* Tereza Čepková (2019–present) – bass guitar

Former members

* Andrea Šulcová (2016–18) – flute
* Tanita Yankova (2016–18; 2023) – vocals, flute, piano

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

References

{{Eurovision Song Contest 2023
2016 establishments in the Czech Republic
Czech all-female bands
Czech folk music groups
Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2023
Eurovision Song Contest entrants for the Czech Republic
Musical groups established in 2016