Czech Republic: Pop star's video features senior citizens in love and lyrics in Romanes
The singer Jan Bendig premiered his new video for a song called “Love Stays With Us” (Láska nám zůstává), on 1 May, a day celebrated in Czech culture as the “time of love”. In the video, two senior citizens find and live love.
The plot of the new video, as has recently been customary in Bendig’s work, intends to break down a societal taboo. This time it is the prejudice alleging that the affection of love, displays of being in love, and sex are not appropriate for senior citizens.
Bendig’s work stands in opposition to the vast majority of music videos where the main role is played by a beautiful young couple, demonstrating that the experience of love is also meaningdul for older people. The 23-year-old composer and singer comes from Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
In 2009 Bendig came in fourth in the “Česko Slovenská SuperStar” (Czech Slovak SuperStar) singing competition. His most successful singles include a duet with Markéta Konvičková, “Bloudím” (“I’m Wandering Around”), which has been viewed almost four million times on YouTube.
Bendig has also enjoyed success with a song in the Romanes language, “Me tut užarav“, and with his single “Roma Boy“. His latest song, which features a catchy melody, is in Czech and Romanes.
“After ‘Bloudím’, which I sang with Markéta Konvičková, I wanted to present the Romanes language again. I want to bring Czechs and Romani people together and demonstrate to them that Romanes is also a beautiful singing language. Many people are even writing to me that they don’t understand the ‘Spanish’ – it does not occur to them at all that the language that sounds so beautiful is Romanes,” the singer told news server Romea.cz.
Bendig has several upcoming performances around Europe. On 19 May he will perform in Kent, England.
Audiences in Prague will be able to see him during the opening of the World Roma Festival KHAMORO. “That will be on Sunday, 28 May on Shooter’s Island (Střelecký ostrov) in Prague. I will have big stage, a live band, and stars as my guest performers like Monika Bagárová, Markéta Konvičková, the Romani boyband Roma Boyz and the winner of the Czech Nightingale competition, Elis. You will hear the most beautiful Romani songs and also my own pieces. The show is free. Come have a good time with us,” Bendig told Romea.cz.
