Bára Zmeková

Bára Zmeková is a singer-songwriter and pianist from Prague and one of the most original female voices of the Czech music scene. Her music is a blend of folk, jazz and classical spiced with a bit of electronica and coloured by unique instrumentation. Fragile nature of her songs is balanced by humor and playfulness and she swaps piano and synths fluently on stage. Singing her songs mainly in Czech she has the ability to take her audience for a soul trip even though they don’t understand the lyrics.
“dreaming”.. “poetry and tones”.. “beauty”.. That is how the audience describes her performances.
In 2013, she won the Czech songwriting competition 1BAND2PLAY and released her debut album Jeste Kousek. She got to the top of Czech radios music charts with her second album Lunaves and got nominated for Czech Music Academy Award as Discover of the Year and Solo interpreter. She won both - the Professionals and Audience Award at the international showcase festival Czech Music Crossroads. She was part of WOMEX 2020 official selection. In 2022 she released a live album Live at Gong recorded at one of the biggest Czech festivals Colors of Ostrava. She visits major festivals and jazz clubs in Czech and abroad. She plays solo sets or with her band of the top Czech and Slovak jazz musicians.
Bara’s new album is coming in March 2024. Stay tuned.

“Composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist BÁRA ZMEKOVÁ moves in her songs between jazz, folk, classical and electronic music. Bára sings in Czech but even those who do not understand the language will be fascinated by her and her extraordinary band in their dream-like world. Her fragile, very intense songs kidnap, seduce and inevitably take captivity. Light-footed humor and an incomparable performance let the poetry of the pieces shine gently and steadily. You can't help but like Bára Zmekova.”
Steffen Wilde, Artistic director for Jazzclub Tonne, Germany


“The moment Bára Zmeková steps on stage, her luminous personality shines all over the audience as she sings her songs – beautifully intimate, witty and charming stories you can understand perfectly even if you don’t speak a word of Czech.”
Abel Petneki, Budapest Music Center, Hungary

“It's undeniable that a new and complex performer has appeared on the scene, one who's utterly convincing and whose songs, in their existential depth and straightforward openness, will appeal to anyone who can think and feel. The originality of her work takes it to a place where the differences between alternative music, jazz, and pop cease to matter.”
Milan Bátor, Czech publicist

“Bára Zmeková is a modest, yet adventurous songwriter-storyteller,
opening many secret doors. As a pianist and bandleader, she paints
images that softly invade your imagination.”
Petr Dorůžka, music publicist, Český rozhlas Vltava, Czechia