Budapest-based Babra performs captivating almost-forgotten traditional music of South Slavic minorities along the Danube from a fresh perspective, with tamburitza, accordion, clarinet, percussion and vocals.
Performing captivating South Slavic and Balkan music, Babra was formed in Budapest in 2014, at the intersection of Western and Eastern Europe, a long-time melting pot of still-living rural traditions and innovative urban cultures. The dynamic and varied music of the South Slavs who centuries ago resettled along the banks of the Danube, features the traditional plucked string instruments called tamburitza along with beautiful polyphonic singing. Babra performs this music as well as Macedonian and Serbian styles, incorporating clarinet, saxophone, accordion, and traditional percussion into their instrumentation.
Babra takes the almost-forgotten diverse musical styles as inspiration for their own unique sound, embodying this rich musical heritage with youthful energy. Their first album was released in 2019, earning a spot in the top ten of the WMCE. They also had the opportunity to play at the Womex2020 showcase in MÜPA.
“From the banks of the Danube we came, tamburitzas in hand; from a tiny, hidden musical paradise of archaic, polyphonic singing style, the unity of the tamburitza and the harmony of the clarinet and the accordion, whose rolling melodies taught us what it’s like when one sound freezes time, while another joyfully gives birth to light.”
CONTACT: bandbabra@gmail.com // Réti Benedek +36 30 550 4503 // Varga Veronika: +36309855626