With a population less than the size of greater New York, Hungary has produced a remarkably wide variety of music. While Marta Sebestyen and Muzikas (represented here) are probably the country's best-known musical export, there's plenty more worth hearing, not just the remarkable traditional tanchaz dance music of the Ökrös Ensemble, but gypsy and regional traditions, which remain very potent, with Zoltán Juhãsz and Mihály Halmágyi prime examples, the latter with some wonderful dance music. But there's plenty of room for the modernists, too. Romano Drom offer the contemporary end of the Rom Gypsy tradition, and they're remixed to great effect by Emil on their track. The Transylvanians seem to be very ethno-punk, with "Akasztós" sounding as if "Anarchy in the UK" had traveled to the Balkans. Kalyi Jag would seem to be strongly influenced by Dylan and Springsteen, while keeping their central European roots intact, while Fekete Vonant offer a sort of Gypsy rap that's not quite rap at all, but co-exists in the same neighborhood. Overall, incredible music and playing, and a chance to explore the many tangled strands of music that make up Hungary. by Chris Nickson
Tracklist:
1 László Hortobágyi & Irén Lovász – Páva = Hey, Peacock 1:48
2 Muzsikás – Hajnali Nóta = Morning Song 6:02
3 The Transsylvanians – Akasztós 3:53
4 Sebő Ensemble – Hungarian Verbunk 2:15
5 Bogyiszló Orchestra – Jumping Dances 3:37
6 Emil – Deta Devla = God Bless 4:20
7 Traditional Band From Tura feat. Tibor Szénási – Friss Csárdás = Fast Csárdás 2:51
8 Ferenc Sánta And His Gypsy Band – Hungarian Songs 5:25
9 Kalyi Jag – Könyörgés = Song For Mercy 3:08
10 Kampec Dolores – A Bivaly Hátán = Sitting On The Buffalo 5:14
11 Zoltán Juhász – Pásztornóták Hosszúfurulyán = Shepherd's Flute Song 2:43
12 Mihály Halmágyi – Kerekes = Round Dance 3:20
13 Zsigmond Székely – Danses De Lõrincréve = Dances From Lõrincréve 4:03
14 Ghymes – Tánc A Hóban = Dance In The Snow 5:56
15 Vujicsics Ensemble – Petruševo Kolo 1:45
16 Romano Drom – Szátélé Zsáv 4:11
17 Fekete Vonat – Numa Romanes 1:44
18 Ökrös – Rábaközi Karéj, Dus, Csárdás És Friss = Dances From Rábaköz 7:19
19 Tükrös Zenekar – Rákóczi Induló = The Rákóczi March 2:08
