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Článek od Mirka Vodrážky - Article by Mirek Vodrážka
Report from Prague concert of Blackfire on September 27, 2000
Still during the riots accompanying the Czech "unwelcome" to the IMF/WB meeting the Navajo band Blackfire played in a concert in Prague - here is a brief report from this event:
There was a concert of Blackfire on Wednesday, September 27. It took place in a Prague club (Squat Papirna) and was attended by some 150 people (which was quite a success due to the ongoing riots in the city), mostly young. First the Jones Benally Family (3 siblings and their father Jones) performed examples of Navajo ceremonial dances accompanied with traditional drums and songs on earthen floor of the club's backyard. In the second part of the performance featured the folk singer David Rovic (I hope that I didn't misspelled his name) playing songs with powerful lyrics about injustices committed on Native peoples and against globalization. After the folk music, the club was invaded by the sounds of fierce rock of Blackfire (2 brothers and a sister). I am an older lady of almost 44 and punk-rock had never been part of my favorite music styles, but I must confess, that I really loved their music! Very good musical performance, great lyrics and a charisma that made people move and warmly respond. Atmosphere in the club was unspeakable - people were just happy and feeling close even to strangers. Blackfire mentioned causes of the Big Mountain and of Leonard Peltier in the introductions to individual songs that I was translating to Czech during their performance. All the club cheered up at the news on the premature end of the IMF/WB meeting that I had brought in that evening.
For one song, Jones Benally joined his children and it didn't at all look inadequate to see this aged and dignified Navajo holy man singing with the group. In the contrary, it has just strengthened the feeling that we all had: that these beautiful people had brought the evidence of a surprising fact - that punk-rock and old Native culture can dwell in an unexpected harmony and unity. The concert was closed with the AIM's anthem "Hope". It was a great spiritual night that nobody who attended it would ever forget. When Blackfire come back (as they promised), there will be a lot of Czech people impatiently expecting their arrival.
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