Sasovian band, Šukovci
This evening, two village gypsy bands with very similar energies, still active today, will take to the stage. One is from the village of Szászcsávás in the Vízmelle region of Transylvania, the other is from Feketebalog in the heart of Slovakia - the former the Szászcsávás band, the latter the Šukovci. Another thing they have in common is their dynastic organisation and the knowledge they pass down from father to son. Both groups are famous on the Carpatho-Carpathian revival scene, but they have also conquered stages around the world, with one of the best-known records of the Szászcsávás Band being a recording of a concert in Chicago.
They are guaranteed to blow up the stage, performing their region's repertoire with an irresistible, piercing stage presence - as part of our Landscapes and their Music series. The Concert Hall will have a semi-permanent seating arrangement, so we're especially looking forward to dancing, and everyone will want to dance!
Schedule
The Szászcsávási Orchestra is one of the few Transylvanian Gypsy string bands that have preserved the folk music repertoire and playing style traditionally inherited and learned from their parents and grandparents. Although there is little demand for traditional folk music in their narrower homeland, along the Little Küküllő, they are often invited and celebrated guests at events of the dance house movement at home and abroad, at folklore festivals, summer folk dance camps and dance houses. The dynamism, virtuosity and informality of their playing impresses everyone who hears them.
Szászcsávás is a small Hungarian village in the heart of Transylvania, in Mures County. In the early twentieth century, gypsy musicians were settled in this relatively rich village, which is also famous for its polyphonic church singing. There were several orchestras in Szászcsávás, but the orchestra of István Jámbor "Dumnezeu", the son of the late István Jámbor, was the most important one. Sándor Csányi "Cilika", Ferenc Mezei "Csángáló", Matyi Mezei formation became really famous. Of the old orchestra's first players, only Sándor Csányi is still playing. He is the leading figure of our orchestra. One of his sons is Sányi Sányi, Jr. Sándor Mezei is the second leader and his younger son Alin Mezei is the permanent viola player. Sándor Csányi's grandchildren are also playing more and more. Often they take their son Alin with them to play the bass.
Feketebalog is located in the geometrical centre of present-day Slovakia, in the district of Breznobánya in the Banská Bystrica region. The origins of Feketebalog date back to the early 17th century and are linked to the development of mining and the logging activities that served it. The traditional culture of the Slovaks of Feketebalog forms a distinctive entity in the Upper Garam valley, which is clearly distinguishable from the surrounding area. This unity is reflected in the rich heritage of folk costume, folk architecture and folklore, including music and dance.
The gypsy musicians of the village want to give a taste of this rich tradition, mainly by presenting the typical melodies of Black Balog folk music. The name of the orchestra - "Šukovci" - is derived from the surname of the father of the musicians (or most of them), Julius Bartoš "Šuko" (1933-2006).
House of Music Hungary
A music education centre and concert venue in the heart of the City Park, behind the airy futuristic glass facade of Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto.