His parents left communist Czechoslovakia in 1971.
The Slovak language was part of everyday life in Erick Macek’s childhood, even though he grew up thousands of kilometres from the country. It was spoken around the family table in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where his parents settled after leaving the village of Zbyňov near Žilina in 1971.
They had emigrated from communist Czechoslovakia in search of new opportunities, first arriving in New York before building a new life in Pennsylvania. Their son would eventually become a musician, songwriter and creative director, appearing on NBC’s The Voice, but the family never let go of the traditions they brought with them.
“I speak Slovak fluently,” Macek told the news website Žilinak.sk. “My family jokes that I sound like someone from a Slovak village in the 1960s.”
The language survived because it was used every day. The family attended a Slovak church, took part in community events and remained involved with the Tatra Slovak Folk Group, where music and folklore helped preserve a connection to the old country.
