The Richmond Boat on Chichester Canal hosts an evening of jazz entertainment with guest performer Kristyna Gilarova.
We sat down with Kristyna to ask about her background in music.
What can audiences expect by coming to Jazz on the Canal?
Kristyna: I have a programme designed with easy listening jazz tunes where I will sing and accompany myself on the piano, some acoustic, romantic music so anyone can enjoy their drinks and relax. I will add in some of my original songs too but mostly it will be well-known jazz standards. In the second half of the trip, I will use backing track so we can bring the full big band in and there will be some space even for dancing. It's a small boat but I'm sure everyone will enjoy it very much.
Tell us a bit about yourself?
Kristyna: I'm from the Czech Republic. I'm a musician, singer, composer, songwriter, a creative soul who found my purpose in music. I enjoy performing, recording, creating music videos and sharing stories and life situations through music. I usually accompany myself on the piano or a guitar but I can also play a bit of drums. I enjoy scoring music and I've done some private music tutoring. A big achievement for me was leading UCSU Acapella Society for a couple of years at Chichester University.
You are studying at The University of Chichester, is that right? What course are you on?
Kristyna: I've been at Chichester since 2019 when I got a place there and started my degree at BA Music Performance as a singer. When I saw there's an MA degree in Composition for film, tv and games I was really considering staying one more year. And I'm really glad I came back. It's definitely challenging but I'm really honored to be a part of it.
Is Jazz your favourite type of music?
Kristyna: I used to play in a student big band STO JAZZ ORCHESTRA (CZ) and that introduced me to this style of music, swing, jazz, fusion, cultural influences, colorful chords and harmonies. It all made sense to me and I knew that one day I'd like to do music like that. So yes, jazz is one of my favourite genres and I love to influence my music with that but I also enjoy heavy rock, hip hop, instrumental music and so on. Especially for a film composer it's good to be open minded to any genre and I'm really glad that Chi Uni offers multiple areas of music to focus on.
What is your favourite instrument to play?
Kristyna: I'm most comfortable playing the piano, but each instrument gives another opportunity of how to enjoy the music, so it's really hard to say. It's similar to learning a new language... I'd like to learn some new instruments in the future, for sure!
Have you ever performed on a canal boat before?
Kristyna: No I haven't. This will be my first time performing on a boat like that. I was part of the Christmas program at Chichester Canal Cafe before with Chichester Fringe. So, this will be a unique experience for me!
Jazz on the Canal is an event as part of the build-up to the Chichester Fringe 2023 season. Find out what's on - from new comedy and theatre to music, family entertainment and poetry.
Tickets are £18 and include 1x drink, the boat trip and entertainment.
Buy tickets on the Chichester Canal website. We promise we won't dress up as pirates...
The Chichester Fringe team.