Ridina Ahmedová & Hlaskontrabas (RU/CZ/SD)

Hlaskontrabas Duo is a meeting of two seasoned personalities from the Czech music scene.

This project relies solely on two people and two instruments—a female voice and an acoustic double bass. Their music is original, raw, and stripped-down, without the usual layers of accompanying instruments.

Their self-titled album was nominated for the Anděl Award in 2016.

Ridina Ahmedová and Petr Tichý have been musical companions for nearly two decades, having collaborated in jazz formations and later in the Floex project. "Now, the time has come to fulfill a long-held dream—to play original music as a duo, purely acoustic, raw, and without additional instrumental layers," they say. "It was also important for us to build the project as equal partners—not as a singer with accompaniment, but as two instruments freely coexisting in a shared musical space."

A loop station serves as an unofficial third member of the duo, allowing them to layer multiple tracks on top of each other. "We use it in almost every piece, creating a ‘sonic architecture’ that enriches the harmonic and melodic depth," explains Ridina Ahmedová. At times, the number of layered vocal tracks reaches eight, ten, or even thirteen. "Our goal wasn’t to create the densest possible composition but rather a musical landscape people would want to return to," adds Petr Tichý.

Performing in such an intimate setting is an intense experience for both musicians: "It gives us clear boundaries due to the limited instrumentation, yet it also offers great freedom. There’s both delicacy and strength—when only two instruments are present, they can connect on a deep and intimate level. It’s a journey into pure joy of sound."

Ridina Ahmedová is a distinctive vocalist with Czech-Sudanese roots and extensive musical experience. She has contributed to numerous projects and was even invited to perform a duet with Bobby McFerrin at his Prague concert. She has also composed music for several theater productions, most recently Eymen – Tanec Praha 2019.

Petr Tichý is a double bassist whose musical reach spans free jazz, electro-swing, and classical music. He collaborates with a wide range of musicians and composers and is also active as a composer and arranger.

In April 2024, under the Animal Music label, they released Kaleidoscapes, an album by Hlaskontrabas Oktet—an expanded acoustic ensemble featuring a custom-made repertoire created by composers from Norway, Iceland, Israel, and the Czech Republic.