DJ KAYA started his music path at 1976 when he was 14 as a drummer in a rock band. He met reggae music for the first time in May 1981 and fell in love for the rest of his life. After mandatory military service (1982 - 1984) he went on with a new band (with his "old friends") AMARILLO as a singer. AMARILO was playing strictly roots reggae and ska until the end of 1989. DJ KAYA established civil association REGGAE KLUB to support Jamaican music and Rastafari culture after the Velvet revolution in former Czechoslovakia and became the “Czech reggae presidentâ€.
At midnight from 8th to 9th March 1991 together with his friend UNCLE MISHA they started the very first regular broadcasting of his own radio show REGGAE KLUB at the first Czech private (and at the beginning the pirate ;) radio station RADIO 1. At the same time DJ KAYA began play as a selector in famous Prague's clubs like RC BUNKR, NEW D CLUB, HIDE OUT, REPRE, ROCK CAFE, BAR KLUB REGGAE, UBIQUITY, ARKADIA, SUBWAY, U ZABRANSKYCH, ALTERNA KOMOTOVKA, ROXY, JO'S BAR & GARAGE, LUCERNA MUSIC BAR, RAVEN'S NEST, FUTURUM, KLUB 007 STRAHOV, VAGON, UZI, GURU, SWAMP, U BULDOKA, STROMOVKA MUSIC GARDEN, MATRIX etc. (unfortunately some of them do not exist anymore :(
DJ KAYA gradually expanded his SWAMP SAFARI SOUND crew up to four members and they can be seen now every Friday at NAFTAR CLUB in Prague.
DJ KAYA was twice an official guest on REGGAE SUMFEST at Montego Bay, Jamaica. He played with SWAMP SAFARI SOUND SYSTEM in Vienna (AT), Rotterdam (NL) and in many Czech, Moravian and Slovak cities and towns. In Prague SWAMP SAFARI supported famous artists like THE WAILERS, BURNING SPEAR, BLACK UHURU, LUCIANO, BUSHMAN, MAD PROFESSOR, ANTHONY B etc.
Sometimes DJ KAYA works as a MC or programme manager of serious Czech music festivals headed by MIGHTY SOUNDS and SAZAVA FEST and in the past e.g. Reggae Ethnic Session or Malibu Reggae Mix (with Mighty Diamonds, Frankie Paul, Pato Banton, The Wailers, Chaka Demus & Pliers, Spanner Banner) etc.
In 2007 DJ Kaya established a new category called SKA & REGGAE in the Czech Pop Music Academy (Czech version of The Recording Academy) starting in the academical year of 2006. DJ Kaya was appointed by Pop Music Academy as the head of this category. The very first Czech grammy award (which is called „Angel“) winner in category SKA & REGGAE is the best Czech reggae band Svihadlo with the album „Oci otevreny“ (Open Eyes).
In the summer 2007 you might meet SWAMP SAFARI SOUND in Prague every Tuesday on very nice beach close to Vltava river bank ZLUTE LAZNE from 6pm.
News update:
Since December 2007 SWAMP SAFARI SOUND plays every Friday in such a nice club "Zizkovska tancirna". For details (the address, connection etc.) look at Upcoming Shows
Background from flickr user
