Biography
Singer/songwriter Vêra Bílá and her ensemble Kale bring a contemporary edge to the longstanding musical customs of Eastern Europe's Gypsy communities. Although they enjoy greater recognition in France than at home, Bílá and Kale produce music shaped by an eclectic array of influences. Raised in the modest Gypsy settlement of Rokycany in Bohemia, Bílá has performed vocally for most of her life. She began her professional path singing in her father's cymbalom band and later assembled her own group, Kale, toward the end of the 1970s. A mid-'80s slot at a folk festival secured the band an invitation to tour alongside Czechoslovakia's leading act Nerez and yielded a recording deal with BMG Ariola. In spring 1999, Bílá and Kale served as the focus of the Mira Erdevicki-directed documentary Cerná a Bílá v Barve (Black and White in Color).
Albums
