Katapult frontman Olda Říha celebrating 60 years on stage with Nostalgia Tour
Katapult frontman, guitarist, singer and composer Olda Říha is celebrating 60 years on stage with the band’s 2023 Nostalgia Tour.
Olda Říha first appeared on the Czech music scene in 1963 drifting from one band to another, but it was only a decade later that he and his good friend bass guitarist Jiří "Dědek" Šindelář founded a band that would bring them nationwide recognition.
They formed the hard rock band Katapult in 1975, at a time when rock music was frowned upon by the communist authorities – and wowed young audiences with a taste of the “forbidden West”. Despite repeated bans and numerous hurdles on the road, the band survived, selling more than one million albums and eventually appearing on stage with rock legends such as Deep Purple, Slade and Status Quo.
Over the years, Katapult members died or drifted to other ensembles, and today Olda Říha is the sole remaining founding member of the original Katapult band. His close friend bassist Jiří "Dědek" Šindelář, with whom he spent close to four decades on stage, died in January 2009 two days after his 60th birthday. Despite the huge loss, Olda survived –taking on new band members with whom he recorded the album Kladivo na život in 2016 and the single Zahrajem vám rokenrol!
In an interview for the ctk news agency that year Olda Říha said: "I managed to come back. My story is that of a guy who didn't give up because he still wants to play."
After a forced hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic, the popular band Katapult was back in action releasing a new rock and roll album, titled Nostalgia. The band’s present line up is the legendary Olda Říha, bassist Karel "Bigman Kodl" Dvořák and drummer Václav Zima who are touring to promote the album.
