On the blade of a samurai sword: the exclusive premiere of the new video single by Viah
The new video single by the winner of Radio Wave's export project Czeching 2019, Czech-Vietnamese singer, composer and performer Viah, is finally here. In it, the trio of Vi Huyen Tran, Rosalie Malinská and Eleni Michailidu, which in June won over the international jury made up of musical professionals, joined forces with producer Aid Kid.
The single Samurai was made with the support of Radio Wave at Liberec's Resound Studio and marks a departure from the more mainstream production of Jiří Burian into the waters of contemporary alternative pop. "Our collaboration with Aid Kid was based on intensive studio sessions. What that looked like for the single Samurai was that I brought in the chorus, and off that we started building the format of the song, which we wanted to cast as a kind of musical epic," is a glimpse behind the scenes of the single's creation offered up by Vi, who views rebellion against the traditional pop format as a personal challenge.
Creation of the music video fell to the capable hands of promising directorial duo Viet Duong and Tomáš Bláha, who also collaborated with Viah on the video to their first hit Gloria from the album Tears of a Giant. "At the root of it all is my personal story, but I didn't need to shoot a video directly about that. Rather I gave a freer hand to their creativity and ideas, as we speak completely different creative languages. It is true though that since I've had a half-Greek girl from Moravia in the band, I've learned to listen to people much more and be more patient in communication," says Vi, alluding to the fact that her project has recently expanded to a trio.
By winning Czeching, Viah presented at the showcase festivals Waves Vienna in Austria and Nouvelle Prague at home. On 16 January 2020 they will then perform at the largest European showcase festival Eurosonic Noorderslag in Groningen, Netherlands. "Eurosonic is currently our biggest project. We are so focused on it that we can't even say what else we're going to do until then. I'm glad that we can be a part of it thanks to Radio Wave – it forces us to think more comprehensively about the whole Viah project," Vi adds.
In the past Czeching has dispatched the bands Wild Tides, VR/NOBODY and Himalayan Dalai Lama and singers and composers Never Sol, Zagami Jericho and Hellwana on the path to foreign audiences. The latter two firmed music videos with Radio Wave support, Zagami Jericho for the single Invitation and Hellwana for the track Love Game.
Czeching is a musical export project through which Radio Wave has been giving favourites of the progressive scene the opportunity to take a step towards foreign audiences and listeners every year since 2013. Czeching makes it possible for the winners to make a professional recording, shoot a music video, get media support, and present themselves at the largest European showcase festival Eurosonic Noorderslag, while also paving the way for them onto European radio stations.
Radio Wave is Czech Radio's station for young and young-at-heart listeners with an interest in contemporary culture and cultural goings-on. Since 2006 it has offered playlists full of new music from both the mainstream and alternative circles, entertainment and news programmes, and prepares more than 30 cultural events a year.
Find out more about the project at: http://wave.cz/czeching .