Fragment was founded in  Bratislava,Slovak   Republic (former Czechoslovakia) in 1983.
   The band's main intention was to play progressive newgrass music, and the band quite fast gained its recognition on the  Czechoslovak bluegrass scene.
    In the nearly twenty years of its existence,
the band has seen many musicians and musical styles to come and go – from newgrass to new acoustic music  and bluegrass.  

   There was even a period of inactivity, but in 1993 the band was reformed.  Svata Kotas on the banjo, an experienced guitar player
Emil Formanek, and a former member Henrich Novak  were the nucleus of the band. The band´s bass player Jiri Pola spread his activities in two  bluegrass bands at the same time, Fragment, and Poutnici.
   With the arrival of singer Jana Dolakova (formerly of the Grasshoppers) a new era started forthe band. Jana has been the only  female singer in the band's history.
   After one year of playing together the band released the first album, „Sunday Afternoon" (UMG, 1994, with English lyrics). It brought a recognition  to the band on the home bluegrass scene (the Recording of the Year), and most importantly, it was this album which was responsible for the opportunity to play at IBMA Showcase in Owensboro, KY, in 1995. A single CD called „Little Dreams" (Popron, 1995) was released especially for the American appearance. At that time, the CD „Sny" (Dreams)  was available on  the Czech market with songs sang in Czech.
   For the following two years, Fragment performed on Czech and Slovak scenes with occasional trips to festivals in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. 

    The year of 1997 brought big  conceptual and personnel changes. The band's line-up was: Svata Kotas (banjo), Jana Dolakova (vocals), Michal Vavro (guitar, vocals), Stano Paluch (fiddle), and Milan Trnka (bass, vocals). Fragment started  to build a new repertoire in English, and with Honza Maca, guest-mandolinist, recorded „One Of These Days" album (Fragment/Gnosis, 1998). This effort brought the recognition on the American scene again  - the invitation to showcase at IBMA World of Bluegrass 1999 in Louisville, Kentucky.
   A remarkable success came in 1998: the 1st place at SPBGMA European Bluegrass Band Championship,  which was held in Vienna, Austria. Fragment won in the competition of twenty European bluegrass bands. A three-week long stay in the USA was part of the award, as well as invitation to perform at Silver  Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. 

     When Michal Vavro, Stano Paluch, and Milan Trnka left the band in December 1999, Svata looked for new members  again. Finally, Pavel Malina, an ex-guitar player of Druha Trava/Second Grass, and his younger brother Josef, who played the fiddle, joined the band. The „Fragment 2000" CD was recorded in this line-up.  It offered a compilation of the most favorite songs in the band's repertoire from 1993 to 2000.
    After a success at IBMA in 1999 the band went on a three-week long US tour. This  involved performances at The Legends Of Country and Bluegrass Music Festival in Columbia, Mississippi, Bluegrass Harvest Festival in Tuscola, Illinois, and Fan Fest at IBMA  World of Bluegrass in  Kentucky in  2000. A performance in the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, was a highlight of the tour. Fragment had a slightly changed line-up on this tour, with Zdenek Jahoda on mandolin and fiddle.  

    Since 2000 Fragment has had its US manager Terry Lease who helped  the band to fulfill its dream about a longer musical stay in the USA. There was a change of mandolin players again: the newcomer, Milan Marek, has proved as a great lead singer too.
    In  2001 Fragment stayed in the U.S.A. for three months. They toured mostly through the Midwest, but also played at Thomas Point Beach Festival in Maine, and at Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas.  Shortly after the tour Pavel Malina left the band. An 18-year old guitar player Tomas Jurena joined the band, the greatest young talent on the contemporary Czech bluegrass scene. In the spring of 2002  Fragment recorded „Waiting for Summer" album (Hicon, 2002). Shortly afterwards, they left for a four-month long US tour. (For more details click on the USA Tour 2002 .)  

Fragment at  Fan Fest - IBMA.2002 (L to R)
Henrich Novak, Milan Marek, Jana Dolakova,
Tomas Jurena, Svata Kotas  

    After a return  from a successful US tour, Svata Kotas left the band for personal reasons. A young banjo player Richard Cifersky, known for his work in premiere Slovak bluegrass bands, came to Fragment.
    With him the band was working on a new album "Mean To Be"which was released in June 2003, shortly before their planned US Tour.
 

  In May 2004, shortly before the summer US Tour, Fragment was awarded the
#1 EBMA European Bluegrass Band.
 
    In June 2005 Fragment's first Live album "Live At Leatherwoods" was released.

    A couple of months later Fragment's latest album "The Way To Your Heart" hits the streets.

Fragment performing at Leatherwoods Old Tyme
Courtsquare Opry in Shelby, NC

  
    In November 2005 Milan Marek, Tomas
 Jurena and Richard Cifersky left the band.
 A few months later Fragment welcomes new
 guitar/fiddle player and vocalist Ondrej
 Kozak and banjo/guitar player Petr
 Brandejs.