Vesna (; named after the Slavic goddess of spring) is an all-female folk band based in the Czech Republic, consisting of five members (three Czech, one Slovak and one Russian). The band represented the Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with the song "My Sister's Crown", finishing in the top ten in the grand final with a score of 129 points.
History
Formation and first singles In 2016, band frontwoman Patricie Kaňok Fuxová wanted to create an all-woman band that celebrated "femininity and Slavic sisterhood". Although the band is considered to play Czech folk music, Fuxová does not consider themselves to play within the genre, stating "I don't see what we do with Vesna as folklore, they are not folk songs. For me, these are [not] songs that work with those archetypes". At the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory, Fuxová met with future members Bára Juránková, who played the violin, Andrea Šulcová, and Tanita Yankova from Bulgaria, who both played the flute.
In 2018, Šulcová and Yankova both left the group, and were replaced by Russian pianist Olesya Ochepovskaya and Czech drummer Markéta Vedralová. In that same year, the band released their first studio album, (). In an interview with Czech news magazine , Fuxová stated that the album was inspired by both real life events that she had faced and by Czech stories and fairytales. The album won the Discovery of the Year award at the Czech music awards show 2018.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the band, which at that point also included Slovak bassist Tereza Čepková, started work on a second studio album, . In an interview, band member Bára Šůstková reported that the album was represented by animal motifs, the relationship between men and women, and the female body.
Eurovision Song Contest 2023
On 16 January 2023, the band, with the return of Yankova, was revealed as one of six competitors in , the Czech national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. When the voting results were revealed on 7 February 2023, the band had earned 10,584 votes, winning by a margin of 6,368 votes, thus becoming the Czech representatives for the contest. Their song "My Sister's Crown" is about "all people who are experiencing some kind of unfreedom, as oppression from society, trends, technology, and it's such a symbol for these people to put on a crown and feel strong enough".
Vesna performed in the first semi-final held on 9 May 2023, placing fourth overall and qualifying for the final. They ultimately placed tenth with 129 points.
After Eurovision On 17 July 2023, Vesna announced a European tour scheduled to take place between 1 and 24 November 2023 across Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic. Since July 2023, Yankova has again been inactive in the group.
In September 2023, the group released "Wolfrunners", the lead single from their upcoming LP , which was released the following November.
Band members Current members Patricie Kaňok Fuxová (2016–present) – vocals Bára Juránková (2016–present) – vocals, violin Olesya Ochepovskaya (2018–present) – piano Markéta Mužátková (2018–present) – drums, vocals, guitar Tereza Čepková (2019–present) – bass guitar
Former members Andrea Šulcová (2016–18) – flute Tanita Yankova (2016–18; 2023) – vocals, flute, piano
Discography
Albums Title Details Peak chart positions CZE Released: 20 November 2018 Label: Warner Music Czech Republic 48 Released: 22 May 2020 Label: Warner Music Czech Republic — Released: 22 November 2023 Label: — "—" denotes an album that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
EPs Title Details Released: 14 May 2023 Label:
Singles Title Year Peak chart positions Album or EPPeak chart positions for singles in Czech Digital Chart: "My Sister's Crown": "Moravo": Peak chart positions for singles in Czech Airplay Chart: "Moravo": Peak chart positions for singles in Czech Domestic Airplay Chart: "Nezapomeň": "Na dračích perutích": FIN LTU SWEPeak chart positions for singles in Slovak Digital Chart: "Moravo": ""(featuring Terezie Kovalová)2017 — — — — — — —""2018 — — — — — — —""(featuring Vojtěch Dyk) — — — — — — —""(featuring Věra Martinová)2019 — — — — — — —"" — — 41 — — — —""2020 — — — — — — —"Downside" — — — — — — —"" — — 33 — — — —"" — — — — — — —""2021 — — — — — — — ""2022 — — — — — — — "Love Me" — — — — — — — "My Sister's Crown" 2023 15 — — 21 17 86 — "" — — — — — — — "Wolfrunners" — — — — — — — "" 2024 12 15 5 — — — 95 rowspan="3" "The Silence & The Storm" 2025 — — — — — — — "She Dances with the Sun" — — — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
References