ZÁVIŠ

Záviš, real name Milan Smrčka (born 27 September 1956 in Znojmo), is a Czech singer, guitarist and poet known as the “Prince of Pornofolk”. He began performing his autobiographical songs in a pub near the Vranov Dam back under the communist regime. His songs, full of rough humour and swear words, gave rise to the genre label “pornofolk”.

Since 1998 he has released more than twenty albums — from Určeno pro uši rabijáků (1998) through Bože, já jsem vůl! (2008) to Ryby, ryby, rak (2024) — as well as a number of books of poetry and prose. In 2006 director Karel Vachek made the documentary Záviš, kníže pornofolku about him. He tours regularly across the Czech Republic, including the Melodka club in Brno, and appears every year in the Český slavík music poll.