Hungary - The Northeast

 Last year I helped a friend relocate to Spain and as a thank you she gave me a CD/book by Hungarian folk ensemble Szeredás from Debrecen in the Hajdúsák region of north-eastern Hungary.  The 1999 Cuháré album is beautifully presented with an explanatory booklet in Hungarian and English.  The group have been playing traditional Hungarian music of their home region since 1993.  Here is the title song from the album, meaning merry making, a fun song in the Csardas style about a lost horse and other countryside adventures:

We are moving on to the town of Eger, where folk rock band Kerekes was formed in 1995.  They combine traditional shepherds flute tunes with Jimmy Hendrix-like guitar riffs and elements of psychedelia.  It makes for a great fun Ethno-funk sound.  They recently released a new album: Fire (Live at Hortobágy).  This is a song of the album, called Jellyfish/Ördöngős

In a similar vein electro folk band Holdviola were formed in 2006 in Miskolc.  Having recently split, they took Hungarian folk songs and put them in a contemporary pop setting, making them very popular in their home country.  Here is a song called Ha Te tudnád amit én from their 2010 album Vandórfecske:

Cimbalom virtuoso Kálmán Balogh was born in 1959 in Miskolc of Gypsy heritage.  He has studied gypsy music for several years before becoming a prolific performer both solo and as part of varies ensembles, most notably with the Gypsy Cimbalom Band.  This solo performance of the Bonchida Dance (Bontsida Tánc) really shows off his wizardry on this instrument and features as a full band version on the 1995 album Roma Vándor:

The name of Roma Hip-hop band Fekete Vonat means Black Train, referring to the train departing from Szabolcs to Budapest, which was used as a commuting train by many of the Gypsy community looking for work in the capital.  They were formed in 1997 demonstrating some sub-culture amongst the minority community.  Here's a song by them called Hol van az a lány:

From a black train to a white horse, the meaning of Gypsy music ensemble Parno Graszt, who were formed in the village of Paszab in 1987.  In Roma culture the colour white stands for purity and a horse symbolises freedom, so you could call them Pure Freedom, a very Gypsy concept.  Simon Broughton of Songlines magazine is quoted as saying: "They do not use sources of Gypsy music - they are the source itself".  This is the title song of their 2002 album Rávágok a Zongorára/Hit the Piano:

That's it from Hungary as we hit the 10,000 mile mark on our virtual journey since we started in Portaferry, Northern Ireland.  Next stop is Slovakia.  Until then you can follow my virtual trip on my tripline map.