Hall of Fame
Blues Alive Hall of Fame was opened in 2022 and is located in the building of the Regional Museum on Hlavní třída in Šumperk.
The Hall of Fame gives visitors a glimpse behind the scenes and into the history of Blues Alive through dozens of exhibits related to the more than quarter-century history of the international festival. The exhibit features original recordings of festival performances, a rich collection of photographs from all festival years, books related to the festival, samples of festival merchandising, and unique musical instruments signed by festival stars.
A special place is given to all the awards that the Blues Alive Festival has received so far at home and abroad, including the Keeping The Blues Alive Award, which Blues Alive representatives received from The Blues Foundation in 2019 in Memphis, USA. The Hall of Fame is interactive, giving visitors the opportunity to listen to portions of released CDs and view television programs as well as unique, unpublished recordings made directly by the festival.
Address:
Blues Alive Hall of Fame
Regional Museum in Šumperk
Main Street 22
787 01 Šumperk
Opening hours:
Open all year round daily except Mondays from 9 am to 5 pm
Exhibition “Roots of the Blues”
The exhibition presents the cultural, political and social circumstances that gave birth to blues at the beginning of the 20th century. A colorful collage of unique photographs and accompanying text depicts the specific places, artists, and record companies that contributed to the creation and spread of this unique genre forming the roots of all modern popular music.
The exhibition focuses on the early period of the blues: tracing its birth in black plantation communities in the American South at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and the arrival of the first musicians in the cities. Authors note the commercial spread of the blues through vaudeville performances, sheet music and early recordings. The exhibition ends in the 1930s before the electrification of the guitar and the transformation of the blues sound as many performers moved from the American South to Chicago. The exhibit features early blues legends such as Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey and other musicians.
The exhibition is accompanied by unique visual material from the collections of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and the University of Mississippi Archives in Oxford. Text and photographs are accompanied by links to Spotify so visitors can listen to samples of the songs on the spot via their mobile phones.
Authors: Kateřina Březinová (Metropolitan University Prague) and Štěpán Suchochleb (Blues Alive)
The creation of the exhibition was supported by the Embassy of the United States in Prague. Significant help was provided by Greg Johnson of the University of Mississippi, Melanie Zeck of the American Folklife Center, Professor David Evans, long-time President of The Blues Foundation Mr. Jay Sieleman, and Visit Clarksdale Director Mr. Bubba O’Keefe.
In addition to music education, this original exhibition can be used successfully to enrich the teaching of U.S. history, human rights, history, and anthropology in music clubs, schools, libraries, and other public spaces. The exhibition is free to borrow. We can provide musical accompaniment, an expert lecture, or a listening program to mark the exhibition’s opening.
Format: The exhibition consists of 6 easily portable exhibition panels measuring 140 x 100 cm with their own stands. Installation is easy. The total height of the panel including the stand is 2 metres.
If you are interested in borrowing the exhibition, please contact us by email info@bluesalive.cz or by phone.