Michal Smetanka is a multi-instrumentalist, maker of folk musical instruments, performer and pedagogue, who since 1996 has focused on manufacturing native folk musical instruments which he plays. His instruments wandered through expositions and presentations on all continents, several of which are part of private collections of musicians and specialists at home and abroad. His repertoire is dominated by native songs from the Spiš and Šariš regions, mostly those related to shepherd culture. As a solo artist, he has cooperated and performed with several folk groups, and performed at numerous music festivals and concerts in Slovakia and other European and Asian countries. In 2008 he was awarded a prestigious title of European King of Folk Crafts. His unique collection of folk musical instruments containing 400 items is exhibited in MuzikMuzeum at Spišský Hrhov, near Levoča, as an interactive exhibition of the folk music cultures of the world. A long-term music project of Michal Smetanka and his musician friends called KarpaTon was founded in 2010. Its main goal was to create a fusion of the traditional music from Carpathian regions with other genres, based on their exclusive acoustic expression. Thanks to the musicians who have been involved in the project over the years, a number of original and successful programs, concerts and albums have been created.
Michal Smetanka will appear in this editon of World Music Festival Bratislava as a guest musician with Polish trio Wernyhora.
Albums:
KarpaTon I (2011)
Na koreňu (2012)
Skadzi Tadzi (MimoArt, 2013)
Karpat Mater (Karpaton, 2015)
Ratoliestky /Príbeh o zbojníkovi Putifarovi (Karpaton, 2017)
Hlasy predkov (Karpaton, 2018) – DVD
Šepotom (Hudobný fond, 2018)
Bože narodzene (Karpaton, 2020)
