Dan Bárta

A highly successful -- both commercially and critically, his work has sold in huge numbers in his home country of the Czech Republic, and he has won numerous Czech Grammys for Best Male Vocalist -- singer, Dan Bárta was born in 1969, and would become one of his country's key pop/rock (and stage musical) figures following the disintegration of the Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc at the end of the Cold War. His first foray into the world of rock, with the band Alice, lasted three albums in the early '90s, and helped lay the foundation of the new sounds of the new Eastern Europe. After the band had run its course, Bárta undertook the demanding role of stage singer, appearing in successful runs of Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. His most successful work, however, came with the group J.A.R., which would become -- as the 20th century drew to a close and the 21st got rolling -- one of the Czech Republic's most celebrated bands. The group won a number of important awards, and was loved by thousands. In 2000, Bárta struck out on his own, and released the solo album Illustratosphere. Not surprisingly, it was a strong seller, and showed his desire to embrace a number of musical styles. In addition to his solo efforts -- and there would be more -- he was also in a dance-pop project called Sexy Dancers. In 2003, he released album number two, Entropicture, and 2008 would see not one but two Dan Bárta releases, Ani Nahodou and Animage. ~ Chris True