Category: Bands

Founded in 2004, the Karaván Família is the only known family band whose sound is based on the personal and musical harmony between the parents and their children. Over the past 13 years, they have created their own world with their songs, diversity and refined taste, bringing a new colour to the Hungarian and international world music scene. Building on Gypsy folk music, they boldly use and combine different musical styles, making them easy on the ears. In addition to their clear, acoustic arrangements, they launched a more modern-sounding world music project in 2017.

CONTACT: karavanfamilia@gmail.com

The Hungarian formation Esszencia is made up of seemingly contrasting concepts: folk, classical and jazz music; old and young; new and old, women and men; joyful and sad; traditional and progressive. Yet, these contradictions originating from the diversity of our world naturally coexist in their music in a way which we all desire in our everyday life as well: through respecting and learning from each other. The band cannot be compared to other, traditional folk bands. Its members each are well-known and acknowledged artists and musicians. Playing music together is an expression of their joy to experience unity in their diversity and thus creating an inner harmony that is unique to them. With their openness they are able to create a sound unlike anything else that is honest and, of course, characteristically Hungarian.

CONTACT: info@esszenciaprodukcio.hu / +36 20 454 0407

Áron Dóra teaches Hungarian folk music on folk flutes at various art schools, camps and further trainings, safeguarding the Hungarian musical heritage. His main musical interest is Hungarian shepherd music of the Carpathian Basin, but he also travelled to several eastern countries where he had been researching and collecting similar musical relics. In 2006, as an instrumental artist, he received the Hungarian State Award of the Young Master of Folk Art.  In his story-telling, he uses the folk tales and tools of the traditional Hungarian peasant story-tellers. 

The Juhász Band was founded in the spring of 2000 in Subotica, Serbia. They are familiar with the main folk music dialects of the Hungarian language area and have long been performing as a string band as well as a tambourine formation. They have over one hundred concerts a year touring with their own songs and accompanying folk dance groups, thus becoming one of the most popular folk music bands of Vojvodina.

CONTACT: juhaszok.gabor@gmail.com / +36 30 313 2270

Balázs Istvánfi and András Németh are among the most renowned musical “masters” of their instruments. The multiple award-winning musicians are both professors at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. Their duo was founded in 2011, but they have been playing together in different arrangements for fifteen years now. During their years together, they created a unique musical language based on authentic Hungarian folk music which also contains contemporary and classical elements. Their presentation and the special sound of their instruments focus the attention of the audience, thus providing both a musical and spiritual experience at their concerts.

CONTACT: nemandras@yahoo.com / +36 20 436 6796

The Hungarian band named Erdőfű was born from the collaboration of táncház (‘dance-house’) musicians. Its members are all committed to the authentic performance of folk music tradition in the Carpathian Basin, both in dance-houses and concert venues. The aim of the initiative – which can also be regarded as a music workshop – is to provide a comprehensive picture of the string folk music of  Hungarian-populated areas as well as other ethnic groups living there, paying special attention to the particularities of a given region or settlement. The musical philosophy of Erdőfű is based on professional knowledge and proficiency in the specific instruments regarding the music tradition of a certain region, therefore, its members each are highly experienced in playing instrumental folk music. Their performances provide an opportunity for the audience to experience the unique sound of folk music in the Carpathian Basin through various instrumental formations and specific articulations.

CONTACT: erdofuzene@gmail.com

Zabavna Industrija was formed in 2008 in Budapest to express  its members’ love for Southern Slavic music. They speak several languages and dialects of the Serbo-Croatian family tree and adore the traditional music of the region. Accordingly, they play a wide range of melodies from the many ethnic groups and traditions of the Balkans, be it Serbian, Macedonian, Bosnian, Croatian or any mix of these. The purpose of their music-making is to maintain this musical heritage and increase its popularity.

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CONTACT: zabavnaindustrija@gmail.com / +36 30 5717 904

„If it wasn’t for this music, I wouldn’t have touched a violin ever again.”
Attila Halmos, band leader

Tükrös formed in 1986 with the purpose of playing traditional music of magyars within and outside of Hungary. Personal encounters, trips to Transylvania, experiencing folk tradition, still alive and well at the time, inspired the group of city boys with a classical music background to devote themselves to this heritage. Their models are the village bands of old, with their seasoned sync and tight play in service of dancers.
After a decade of playing together, they release their first album: Tükrös Ensemble: Hungarian Folk Music. It already displays a mature style and harmonious music making, along the unflinching love for the folk tradition. The band launches their own summer camp, first in Debrecen then in Simonpuszta, to pass over the experience of living music, songs and dances to hundreds. A growing number of domestic gigs are componded with invitations across the borders: Tükrös render the Hungarian musical heritage in Prague, Brno, Dortmund and Vienna.
The 2000s see overseas tours: Sidney, Melbourne, New York and Chicago are the band’s recurring destinations.

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CONTACT: tukros.zenekar@gmail.com

Suttyomba means „on the sly”, and suits the light-hearted, humorous approach to music characterizing the band since 1993. They are serious about tradition though: they play authentic folk music from across the Hungarian speaking territories within and outside of the borders. They are the definitive danchouse band of the southern Great Plain area, and frequently give concerts and play at folk-themed productions. While keeping their music authentic, they don’t refrain from popular tunes outside of the tradition and an opening towards world music.

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CONTACT:  suttyomba@gmail.com / +36 20 934 6096