Alois Harvilla, Slovak/Czech singer

June is “Immigrant Heritage Month.” Throughout the month we will be posting materials relating to immigration and immigrant cultures of NYC.

One hundred years ago today … Alois Havrilla was recording traditional Slovak and Czech folk songs for Edison Records. On February 28, 1921, he began his recording career with Tancuj, Tancuj” (“Dancing, Dancing”). Listen to it here. 

On June 20, recorded “Zasvít mi ty, slunko zlaté” (“You Shine on me, Golden Sun”).

Both are listed in the Edison logs as “Bohemian” songs.

In the decade 1910-1920, over 100, 000 people claiming to be either Czech or Slovak immigrated to the US. In the following decade, that number dropped to under 20,000, thanks to new draconian immigration laws. (See our post of June 3rd.) The state of Czechoslovakia was formed in 1918 and lasted until the Czech and Slovak Republics split in 1989.

The Edison Studio was located at 79 5th Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets.

References/ Further reading:

"Edison matrix 7817. Tancuj, tancuj / Alois Havrilla." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2021. Web. 26 June 2021.

"Edison matrix 8082. Zasvít mi ty, slunko zlaté / Alois Havrilla." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2021. Web. 26 June 2021.

– Jonathan Goldman, June 27, 2021

TAGS: Czech, Slovakia, Bohemia, immigrants, folk music