POSITIV 2/2018: strana 60

BUSINESS STYL You come from a Polish environment, what sort of benefits do you see in this? I have less prejudice towards other nationalities, I would say, that I am quite a tolerant person. Living on the border is sort of like having or not having siblings. People that had to learn to respect others in their childhood, and grew up in a competitive environment, where two groups are fighting for attention, then that is something different. I find it similar to living in an area that is split between two different mentalities. This type of environment can make people xenophobic as well, but that is the worst-case scenario. Most importantly, however, our region gave me the advantage of being able to sing in Czech as well as Polish, to work in both markets, and I can be taken as “at home” in both of them. Interviews, lyrics and concerts can all be done in languages native to me, which is a big plus. Thanks to the fact that I am from this region, I am able to maintain a career in two countries, which is an unbelievable advantage. I am very grateful for where I come from. We can see, however, that in the Czech Republic, there are many successful people in the music industry that come from Třinec or its surroundings… Kryštof, Nohavica, Klus, Mirai, and many others-that is the beauty of our Moravian-Silesian Region. 58 ǀ POSITIV 2/2018 Not only were you born in Třinec, but you also had your first concert here. In your opinion, how has Třinec, and the region in general, changed? I have not lived there for 5 years now, but I go there to visit my parents, for performances and celebrations with my close friends, so I try to visit as much as I can. Either way, now that I am more disconnected from the daily happenings of the region, I don’t want to play smart and pretend I know what life is like there right now. Now that Vendryně is my home, I can see that it is still as beautiful as before. When it comes to architecture, I would dare to say that there are more historic and interesting regions, like Olomouc, Brno, and Prague, but I do believe that our nature is “on fleek” and I think we should protect it. How would you describe the Moravian-Silesian Region to people from Prague? The people here are hard working, determined, and have good morals (at least the ones I know). There is also beautiful nature here, such as the Beskyd Mountains. Třinec and Teschen Silesia are unique thanks to a creative population that has been able to achieve something with their business, and you can often meet them in Prague or abroad. Do you meet these sorts of people, and what do you think motivates them? I meet them, and I am always proud of them! Many talented people from many fields, like medicine, come