A singer-songwriter who can surprise, entertain and make you sing. A collector who likes to translate masters. In the summer he loves the wind and movement, so he goes on a bike tour. In the winter he seeks shelter and peace, so he broadcasts online from his attic.
Jan Řepka (1982) has been active on the Czech songwriting scene since the late 1990s. He first worked as an author, singer and guitarist in the duo Nestíháme, and since 2010 has been performing under his own name.
He has been developing the concept of a bicycle music tour for a long time, which combines songs and movement, art and ecology, profession and health. Following the American model, he has also developed the concept of house concerts and, above all, the renowned Open Mic series.
His solo career includes more than 550 concerts in five different countries, two albums (Čistý byl svět 2010, Rozjímání o sendviči 2016) and more than 160 livestreams.
The original work revolves around the eternal axis of love-journey-freedom. Man and landscape have their place in it, a picture of the time and an imprint of the soul, irony and nostalgia. Especially on stage, the effortless singing performance, sober accompaniment and tailor-made program stand out.
A special chapter in Řepka's work are his song translations. He was the first to translate the work of the most important Swiss chansonnier Mani Matter (1936-1972) into Czech; the almost forty-song anthology Rozjímání o sendviči was nominated for the Anděl Award in 2016, but it is also exceptional on an international scale.
Řepka also successfully crosses linguistic and geographical borders with his other translation and interpretation activities (English: Bob Dylan; German: Gerhard Gundermann; French: Georges Brassens).
Since March 2020, he has been broadcasting regular live thematic programs on his YouTube channel. Over the course of five seasons, he has performed over 1,100 different songs and hosted more than 60 guests in 168 streams.
Řepka also occasionally works as a lecturer in song translation (University of Basel, Summer School of Literary Translation Znojmo), music production (Organization of Open Mic events) or guitar playing.
Tours: Switzerland (2022, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2011, 2009), Germany (2024, 2019), Poland (2017, 2011), Slovakia (2017, 2011)
Notable concerts: Buchmesse Leipzig, Goethe Institut, Mani Matter Festival, Landesmuseum Zürich, Academy of Sciences, UNICEF, Czech Center in Warsaw, Blues Alive
Projects: Gundermanns Lieder in Europa (2018), Open Mic Potrvá (Prague 2007-2017), Open Mic Na Prahu (Brno 2012-2017)
Collaborations: Michal Bystrov, Justin Lavash, Loes van Schaijk, Keimzeit