Divokej Bill

Originating from Úvaly near Prague in the Czech Republic, the eight-piece group Divokej Bill—whose name translates roughly to Furious Bill—has navigated an uneven rapport with portions of its home audience while earning its strongest reputation for the melodic, user-friendly sound that turned the act into one of Eastern Europe’s most commercially successful and widely embraced outfits. Established in 1996, the lineup of Vaclav Blaha on vocals and guitar, Milos Jurac on bass and vocals, Stepán Karbulka on vocals and dance, Adam Karlik on violin, Roman Procházka on guitar and vocals, Honza Bartl on banjo, Martin Pecka on accordion, and Mark Zezulka on drums and percussion issued its debut album, Propustka do Pekel, in 2000. Across the ensuing six years the band put out three additional studio albums plus a live DVD, all showcasing its distinctive fusion of Celtic, folk, and country elements. The group also became a regular presence at European festivals such as Ouvalskej Bigbit and Masters of Rock. Certain members have described the music as “redneck rock,” and in 2007 Divokej Bill delivered Rock for People, an album that entered the national charts’ Top Ten.