Parno Graszt
The band, which was founded in 1987 and symbolises purity and freedom, aims to preserve and perpetuate authentic Roma traditions, to build community and to present music of sincere joy. It is hard to find a city, a concert venue or a festival in Hungary where Parno Graszt has not performed. In addition to their performances in Hungary, they have danced their joyful music to audiences in many cities around the world and introduced the Roma culture of Szabolcs-Satmár-Bereg County to many countries around the world.
Schedule
"If I go to the pub, I'll bang on the piano." It's the very first line of the first song from Parno Graszt's debut album, which since its release in 2001 has been greeted by the same universal, ancient gesture: head down, hands in the air, snapping fingers and dancing madly. All this at 160 beats per second.
The Parno Graszt ensemble was founded in 1987 in the village of Pasab, in the Sabolské village. The musicians and singers of the multi-generational group - the youngest member is ten years old, the oldest seventy-seven - are all of Roma origin. Parno Graszt means "white horse" in Gypsy. The choice of name was guided by the colour white as a symbol of purity and the horse as a symbol of freedom.
The ensemble draws its repertoire from authentic gypsy folklore, using traditional instruments such as kettle, spoon, tambura, guitar, double bass, mouth bass. The musical material was collected in Romania and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county with the aim of preserving and introducing the traditions, music and dance culture of the Gypsy society to the public. Parno Graszt not only preserves these values, but also develops folk traditions with new compositions and lyrics translated from Hungarian into Gypsy. The ensemble is accompanied by a ten-member dance group, which performs Gypsy dances such as the Gypsy 'csárdás', the 'Szatmári botoló' dance and traditional Gypsy dances.
A38 Ship
Converted from a coal-mining ship, the A38 is easily Budapest's most unique concert venue. The belly of the ship has been home to a wide range of live and electronic music for almost 20 years, and when it's full you can feel the rhythmic movement of the partygoers making waves in the Danube. Foreign acts often refer to it afterwards as their favourite club.