Ida Kelarova

"I remember those days when I used to go with my father home to visit his family and relatives in Slovakia. He was always so happy there! The family always gathered and all of them set off to play - especially weddings, which lasted for three days and three nights.

"They (the Gypsies and the whites) would not even call it a wedding without Gypsies playing there. But when they all, after three exhausting days and nights, finally came home tired and sleepy, instead of going to bed, they would sit around a table in the garden and then they would really start to play.

"I was a small girl, and I was supposed to be sleeping. But hidden, I watched them, sometimes even the whole night. This was the moment where everyone opened their soul and heart, and I remember the inexpressible happiness. I realized that even sadness can be beautiful, and this inspiration has stayed in me for the rest of my life. And that is why Old Tears (Stare Slzy). If you ever should feel lonely or sad, do not run away from this sadness, try to live the strength and the depth of it all the way through." —Courtesy Calabash Music