Music, dancing, fine food and fine wine – what better way to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Slovakia’s independence? The Ottawa branch of the Canadian Slovak League, with the generous cooperation of the Embassy of the Slovak Republic, co-sponsored just such a joyful event as 2007 came to an end and 2008 began.
Emil Asuma Prikryl, a prize-winning pianist, now studying at the University of Toronto, dazzled the audience with some of his solo renditions of classical music as well as traditional Slovak music. He was accompanied by the talented violinist Kaya Nagayo, the daughter of well-known Slavic scholar Susuma Nagayo of Japan. The well-trained deep baritone singing voice of Andrej Stolarik, son of the President of the Ottawa branch, filled out the evening entertainment as guests waited for the midnight toll ending the old year and bringing in the new.
Guests toasted the New Year with Slovak champagne, gasped at the fine view of the fireworks on Canada’s Parliament Hill and spent the next couple of hours enthusiastically dancing and singing to Slovak folk music.
Jan George Frajkor, Ottawa
