Bio
My Story
Karel Espandr started his music career in the eighties in the famous "Hanspaul-City" independent rock scene — an electric guitarist in groups including Vyamhum Quas Group and local legends, Hugo Band.
As a session guitarist and live performer, he worked alongside Czech artists including Combo FH, Bara Basikova, Marcela Brezinova, Lesek Semelka, and Viktor Sodoma. For Czech superstar Lucie Bílá, Karel composed the song Rozvaliny (lyrics by Jan Fischer).
In Slovakia he was known as the guitarist in superstar Marika Gombitova's group, and later as a member of the Czech-Moravian-Slovak rock group Mandragora.
In 1990, Karel's debut East Meets West was recorded for British label Sumo Records, produced by Steve Gresswell, and caught the ear of the BBC. He became the first Czech guitarist accepted into the Musicians' Union as a non-UK resident.
His 2015 breakthrough Coming Through — mixed by English engineer Richard P. James — earned strong critical attention and opened the door to international coverage.
