Alexander Králik playing fujara, a traditional Slovak overtone flute. (source: From Alexander Králik's archive)
Alexander Králik, the manufacturer of musical folk instruments is well known throughout the Banská Bystrica Region. He started playing the fujara, a traditional Slovak overtone flute, in the 1980s during his university studies at the Technical University's Faculty of Forestry in Zvolen.
The instrument is also one of nine Slovak entries in the UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
At the time, he joined a folklore group, fitting in very quickly. No wonder, as he himself comes from a musical family and his parents infused him with a great deal of talent. Although he hails from Zlaté Moravce, Nitra Region, he has found a home in Zvolen, central Slovakia, where he also met his wife.
Gradually learned to play the fujara
"I started at university. I played in an ensemble and we took care of our instruments ourselves. Our professor showed us how to do it, I got the basic idea, learned it and slowly started making them. Around 2000 I started to fully devote myself to it," explains Králik.
Gradually, through years of playing and living the music, he improved at making the instruments. But he always did so in addition to work, as still the case today. Not only does he manage to produce, play and teach, he also works at the Slovak Environment Agency in Banská Bystrica.
"Right after starting this job, I learned about a fujara manufacturer competition. I applied at the last minute and ended up getting the Instrumentum excellence title. That's how I got into the community," he says.
