No one would dare to challenge me as they needed me
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Martin Hrbáč was born on 10 January 1939 in Hrubá Vrbka as the oldest of six children. He grew up in a farming family and went to elementary school in his native village. After completing his secondary education he went to study at Brno University of Technology. While in Brno, he also started to play with local music ensembles, and in 1958, he could accompany the musicians abroad for the first time. In 1965 he got married. A year later he started working at the South Bohemian Pipe Making Plant in Veselí nad Moravou. At the plant, he managed to build a folk music ensemble supported by the Revolutionary Trade Union Movement (ROH). Later on, he played with the Brozané folk dance ensemble, visiting many countries abroad. The folk music served as a showcase of the regime. After the Velvet Revolution, he went his way both professionally and musically. Even today (2021) he has been performing, being hailed as one of the most important figures of Czech folk music.
