Markéta Irglová
Musicienne

Tchèque

Markéta Irglová has released a new single titled Mona Lisa. It features stunning vocal performances by MALINDA, with string arrangements by long time collaborator Marja Gaynor. Manuel Barreto on drums and percussion and guitars by Petr Moc. The song is produced and recorded by Sturla Mio Thorisson at Masterkey Studio in Iceland.

The inspiration for the song came from Markéta contemplating women’s position in society throughout history, combining two timelines, and bridging the gap of about 500 years between the present 21st century and the past age of Renaissance. It uses the renowned Mona Lisa painting as a window through which to transport the listener into a Florentine society of the early 16th century.
“A time when women were expected to find their life’s purpose in being their husbands’ wives and bearing them children their highest priority. Women were not considered to be equal to men, therefore they did not have the same rights. In fact they were considered their father’s and later their husband’s property and they had no real independence or freedom. The the free thinking, artistic women especially, must have dreamt of having a stronger voice in society, wishing to be seen and heard. I imagine they dreamt of a better future for their daughters and I believe they did fight for that dream when possible.”
While some things have changed since the 16th century, others remain the same and in some parts of the world women’s position in society has worsened if anything.
“This brings me much sadness as I consider all the women and girls around the world being harmed and exploited, their voices silenced and their rights taken away. I am one of the lucky ones, having enjoyed a life of freedom and independence, and the opportunity to build a career as well as a family on the foundation of love and equality. I wish every woman had the possibility, and I certainly believe every woman should have the right.”

Markéta asked MALINDA to be the voice of Mona Lisa in this song, given her background in Musical Theatre and her experience in stepping into different characters. MALINDA played the role of GIRL in the Washington production of Once the Musical, and that is how the two became acquainted with one another.
“MALINDA travelled to Iceland from New York and it was a joy to watch her work her magic. The strength in her expression matched by its tenderness were the perfect tools for delivering the message of this song. I am so grateful to Malinda for lending her powerful voice to this character and bringing it to life.”

The music video was conceived and produced by Sigga Soffia, a dancer and choreographer, and Marino Thorlacius, photographer and videographer.
“Their ability to connect to the very core of this song and create visuals that so perfectly match the emotion behind each line is awe inspiring, much like Sigga Soffia’s willingness to dance in freezing Icelandic waters while making it look not just easy but elegant and graceful too. Marino has a unique talent for capturing raw reality while making it feel like utter poetry. His cinematography finds pristine beauty in the most ordinary of moments.”

The song was recorded and produced by a long time collaborator Sturla Mio Thorisson. “Mio helps me bring all of my songs into being, to mind and care for them until they are fully grown and ready to fly into the world. He also created the lyric video for all who enjoy being able to read the lyrics while listening. This song has been in the works for a few years now, and it is simply wonderful to release it now.”

The cover is created by Amy Salomone, whom Markéta discovered on Instagram under forms_most_beautiful. She saw some of Amy’s mixed media collage pieces and asked her to create one for Mona Lisa.

VIDEO CREDITS:
Dancer
SIGGA SOFFIA
Cinematography
MARINO THORLACIUS
Graphics MIO THORISSON

MUSIC CREDITS:
Mona Lisa (feat. MALINDA)
Written by Markéta Irglová
String arrangement by Marja Gaynor
Produced by Sturla Mio Thorisson

Vocals by Markéta Irglová and MALINDA

Vocals, piano and sampled instruments by MARKÉTA IRGLOVÁ
Vocals and flute by MALINDA
Violin and viola by MARJA GAYNOR
Drums & percussion by MANUEL BARRETO
Acoustic and electric guitar by PETER MOC

Recorded, edited and mixed by Sturla Mio Thorisson at Masterkey Studios in Iceland
Mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk

Cover art by Amy Salomone
Graphic Design by Mio Thorisson

Released on Masterkey Sounds 2024
© 2024 Masterkey Sounds
℗ 2024 Marketa Irglova Music
Admin by Warner Chappell Publishing (ASCAP)

Markéta Irglová has released a new single titled Mona Lisa. It features stunning vocal performances by MALINDA, with string arrangements by long time collaborator Marja Gaynor. Manuel Barreto on drums and percussion and guitars by Petr Moc. The song is produced and recorded by Sturla Mio Thorisson at Masterkey Studio in Iceland.

The inspiration for the song came from Markéta contemplating women’s position in society throughout history, combining two timelines, and bridging the gap of about 500 years between the present 21st century and the past age of Renaissance. It uses the renowned Mona Lisa painting as a window through which to transport the listener into a Florentine society of the early 16th century.
“A time when women were expected to find their life’s purpose in being their husbands’ wives and bearing them children their highest priority. Women were not considered to be equal to men, therefore they did not have the same rights. In fact they were considered their father’s and later their husband’s property and they had no real independence or freedom. The the free thinking, artistic women especially, must have dreamt of having a stronger voice in society, wishing to be seen and heard. I imagine they dreamt of a better future for their daughters and I believe they did fight for that dream when possible.”
While some things have changed since the 16th century, others remain the same and in some parts of the world women’s position in society has worsened if anything.
“This brings me much sadness as I consider all the women and girls around the world being harmed and exploited, their voices silenced and their rights taken away. I am one of the lucky ones, having enjoyed a life of freedom and independence, and the opportunity to build a career as well as a family on the foundation of love and equality. I wish every woman had the possibility, and I certainly believe every woman should have the right.”

Markéta asked MALINDA to be the voice of Mona Lisa in this song, given her background in Musical Theatre and her experience in stepping into different characters. MALINDA played the role of GIRL in the Washington production of Once the Musical, and that is how the two became acquainted with one another.
“MALINDA travelled to Iceland from New York and it was a joy to watch her work her magic. The strength in her expression matched by its tenderness were the perfect tools for delivering the message of this song. I am so grateful to Malinda for lending her powerful voice to this character and bringing it to life.”

The music video was conceived and produced by Sigga Soffia, a dancer and choreographer, and Marino Thorlacius, photographer and videographer.
“Their ability to connect to the very core of this song and create visuals that so perfectly match the emotion behind each line is awe inspiring, much like Sigga Soffia’s willingness to dance in freezing Icelandic waters while making it look not just easy but elegant and graceful too. Marino has a unique talent for capturing raw reality while making it feel like utter poetry. His cinematography finds pristine beauty in the most ordinary of moments.”

The song was recorded and produced by a long time collaborator Sturla Mio Thorisson. “Mio helps me bring all of my songs into being, to mind and care for them until they are fully grown and ready to fly into the world. He also created the lyric video for all who enjoy being able to read the lyrics while listening. This song has been in the works for a few years now, and it is simply wonderful to release it now.”

The cover is created by Amy Salomone, whom Markéta discovered on Instagram under forms_most_beautiful. She saw some of Amy’s mixed media collage pieces and asked her to create one for Mona Lisa.

VIDEO CREDITS:
Direction MARINO THORLACIUS
Cinematography MARINO THORLACIUS
Choreography SIGGA SOFFIA
Editing SIGGA SOFFIA & MARINO THORLACIUS
Color Grade MARINO THORLACIUS
Graphics MIO THORISSON
Starring SIGGA SOFFIA, ÍSOLD & NÓI

MUSIC CREDITS
Mona Lisa
Written by Markéta Irglová
String arrangement by Marja Gaynor
Produced by Sturla Mio Thorisson

Vocals, piano and sampled instruments by MARKÉTA IRGLOVÁ
Vocals and flute by MALINDA
Violin and viola by MARJA GAYNOR
Drums & percussion by MANUEL BARRETO
Acoustic and electric guitar by PETER MOC

Recorded, edited and mixed by Sturla Mio Thorisson at Masterkey Studios in Iceland
Mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk

Cover art by Amy Salomone
Graphic Design by Mio Thorisson

Released on Masterkey Sounds 2024
© 2024 Masterkey Sounds
℗ 2024 Marketa Irglova Music
Admin by Warner Chappell Publishing (ASCAP)

This song was written for a Czech movie titled Útěk, about a boy who runs away from home and the adventure he never planned to embark upon, resulting in the founding of an unlikely friendship between him and another, older boy who is also on the run. I was looking for a male vocalist to sing the song with me, and was introduced to Marcell, by our mutual friend Jan P. Muchov. We organized a long distance recording collaboration between Iceland and Czech, and the result is something we are excited to be able to share at this point, ahead of the film’s premiere. I am both grateful and honored to have been given an opportunity to write music for a film, and delighted by the opportunity to collaborate with both Marcell and the David Lanka the director of the movie. David also made a video for our song, combining footage from the movie with footage of Marcell and me, shot in a studio in Prague during my summer visit to Czech.

Tato píseň byla napsána pro český film Útěk ve spolupráci Marcellem, skladatelem, muzikantem a zpěvákem působícím v Praze. Požádala jsem jej o spolupráci poté, co nás seznámil společný kamarád Jan P. Muchov. Jeho hudbu a projev mi doporučoval i můj tatínek po shlédnutí Marcellova koncertu v rodném Valmezu. A oprávněně. Marcell je nejenom talentovaný a šikovný muzikant, ale i ryzí člověk se srdcem na správném místě. Při mém pátrání po vhodném mužském hlase pro tuto filmovou píseň všechno nějak směřovalo k tomu, abychom se s Marcellem potkali a něco společného vytvořili. O výsledek se teď s vámi můžeme podělit a píseň vyslat do světa ještě před podzimní premiérou filmu. Příležitosti psát hudbu pro film si moc vážím, stejně jako spolupráce s Marcellem i režisérem Davidem Laňkou. Ten nám k písni navíc vytvořil klip, a to kombinací sekvencí z filmu a záběrů mých i Marcellových.

Performed by Markéta Irglová and Marcell

Lyrics by Markéta Irglová
Music by Markéta Irglová & Marcell

Produced by Sturla Mio Thorisson

Vocals by Markéta Irglová and Marcell
Piano and sampled instruments by Markéta Irglová
Drum & percussion programming by MIO

Recorded, edited and mixed by Sturla Mio Thorisson at Masterkey Studios in Iceland
Mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk

Released on Masterkey Sounds 2024
© 2024 Masterkey Sounds
℗ 2024 Marketa Irglova Music
Admin by Warner Chappell Publishing (ASCAP)

MUSIC VIDEO

DIR. David Laňka
DOP. Václav Tlapák
ED. Lenka Gmitrová
MU. Jana Zimandlová
Filmed at Pokrok Studios
© 2024 No Stress Production

LYRICS:
Není to lehké

Kam teď mám jít?
Chci jasno v tom mít,
Když všude jsem nevítaný.
Nikam nepatřím,
A vždy se prozradím,
Svůj osud dávno napsaný mám.
Ne, není to lehké,
Ne, není to lehké,
Ne, to mi věř!
I přesto srdce ví,
Že jak řeka doproudí
Přímo do moře,
Tak on mi neodepře
Svoji lásku a svůj cit,
Šanci všechno napravit,
Jeho náruč mě chytí
Nad propastí.
Ne, není to lehké,
Ne, není to lehké,
Ne, to mi věř!
Bože, dej mi znamení,
Že jsem na správné cestě,
Dej mi varování!
Ne, není to lehké,
Ne, není to lehké,
Ne, to mi věř!

"Spirit Is Here Too" is a humanistic song I wrote for the world. It promotes peace while warning of the dangers that lurk on the path of division and polarization, radicalism that leads tio disconnection from our humanity. It pains me to see the world in constant conflict with itself, and the pointless loss of lives and people’s suffering trouble me deeply. Writing songs whose objective is to uplift myself and others by offering hope in the place of despair gives me a sense of purpose these days.

This song is a collaboration with a Czech orchestra called Jihočeská Filharmonie (The South Czech Philharmonic) based in České Budějovice. It’s manager Otakar Svoboda and I have known each other since we crossed paths at the Sundance film festival in 2007 when Once came out. It has been a long time dream of mine to record and perform with an orchestra, and I am grateful to Otakar for helping me make it come true.

Given the importance this particular Czech collaboration represents for me, I decided to present the song in my native tongue in addition to English. I translated the lyrics myself, trying to stay as true to the original meaning as possible. We decided to include an instrumental version in the release as well, so that those who wish to enjoy the sound of the philharmonic in all its beauty can do so.

The song was arranged for the philharmonic by Karel Chudý and conducted by Alena Hron, first female chief conductor in Czech Republic. Coincidentally Alena and I are from the same town and graduated from the same high school, although this collaboration was the first time we had an opportunity to get acquainted.

The cover art is once again by my long time friend Nahid Hagigat out of her series titled Hand Painted Etchings from 1970’s Plates.

I am very proud of this song for peace and solidarity and it is a joy to finally release it into the world.


CREDITS:
Markéta Irglová and Jihočeská Filharmonie
Conducted by Alena Hron, Arranged by Karel Chudý

Written by Markéta Irglová
Produced by Sturla Mio Thorisson
Performed by Markéta Irglová and Jihočeská Filharmonie

Conducted by Alena Hron, the chief-conductor of Jihočeská Filharmonie
Arrangements and Musical Direction by Karel Chudý
Additional percussion by Manuel Barreto

Recorded by Roman Kamba at the Church of St. Anne in České Budějovice
and Sturla Mio Thorisson at Masterkey Studios in Iceland

Mixed by Sturla Mio Thorisson
Mastered by Scott Hull at Masterdisk

Cover art by Nahid Hagigat
Graphic Design by Mio Thorisson

Heartfelt thanks to Otakar Svoboda, Linda Neumanová, Karel Chudý, Alena Hron, Nahid Hagigat, Manuel Barreto, Jana Irglová, Marek Irgl, Maria Rawlins, Roman Kamba, Scott Hull, and Jihočeská Filharmonie.

Released on Masterkey Sounds 2024
Distributed by TuneCore

© 2024 Masterkey Sounds
℗ 2024 Marketa Irglova Music
Admin by Warner Chappell Publishing (ASCAP)

VIDEO CREDITS
Director: Anni Ólafsdóttir
Co-director: Andri Snær Magnason

Producer: Andri Snær Magnason
Producers on set: Hanna Björk Valsdóttir & Sturla Míó Þórisson
Executive Producers: Markéta Irglová & Sturla Míó Þórisson

Director of Photography: Anton Smári Gunnarsson
Focus Pullers: Hjálmar Þór Hjálmarsson
Róbert Magnússon
2nd AC : Rúnar Vilberg Hjaltason
DIT: Eva Lind Höskuldsdóttir
Gaffer: Halldór Kristinsson
Best Boy: Bjarki Heimisson
Key Grip: Tómas Freyr Jóhannsson
Production Designers: Dröfn Ösp Snorradóttir
Johnny Rozas
Costume Designer: Ellen Loftsdóttir
Costume Assistant: Arna Engilbertsdóttir
Make-Up Artist: Flora Buenano
Color Grading & Credits: Mio Thorisson