Prague, May 31 (CTK) – Czech Romany musician and rapper Radek Banga dubbed Gipsy will receive the Frantisek Kriegel Prize for his opposition to racism from the Charter 77 Foundation and writer and Bohemian studies scholar Sylvie Richterova the Tom Stoppard Prize on Wednesday.
The award-giving ceremony is held in the seat of the Prague mayor at 17:00.
The Charter 77 Foundation awarded Banga for a “courageous civic attitude” when he protested against the Ortel rock group for receiving a prize in the Czech Nightingale pop music poll last year.
Ortel’s lyrics and performances have unacceptable racist and xenophobic connotations. Banga walked out of the room in protest against the award for it during the ceremony, the Charter 77 Foundation said.
The Charter 77 Foundation was established in Stockholm in 1978 at the initiative of Czechoslovak dissidents. The prize it awards for civic courage is named after Frantisek Kriegel, one of the protagonists of the Prague Spring communist reform movement of 1968, who was the only one among the Czechoslovak leaders to refuse to sign Moscow’s dictate in the Kremlin.
The Frantisek Kriegel Prize is awarded annually on April 10, when Kriegel was born. It has been given for civic courage irrespective of personal benefit and possible risks since 1990.
Tom Stoppard is a British playwright of Czech origin. The prize was established in 1983. Its laureate receives 20,000 crowns provided by Stoppard.
The Charter 77 Foundation bestows it for an important essayist work with an inspiring intellectual contribution.
Richterova will receive it for her Essays on Czech Literature, a collection of her texts from the past 40 years.
