Kalász Banda: Mozgásban [In motion]

Record release concert

March of 2020 brought changes to the lives of many people in Hungary. And to us musicians as well. Our concerts, dance houses and performances were all cancelled. After the first two weeks of compulsory break (which I admit was not so bad), came the months without MUSIC, and I had to find some kind of new motivation. Since the pandemic began, I haven’t really been completely successful with this. I missed the live music, dance, conversations, and the singing at the end of the dance houses – I missed the PEOPLE. This time period has proven to me that no matter what the technological development is – when real live meetings cease, and our humanity is lost. Physically being together is essential for human life.

So the situation was right for making a record and to find some of the strength we’d lost since March. With all the free time I was able to delve deeper into the finer points of music I’d never had time to before. The first arrangement on the record is one of these – inspired by the music of fiddler Potta Géza from Southeastern Slovakia. And the same with the music of the village of Bonchida (Transylvania) - now I had the time to take a deeper look at this music too. We wanted to dress this music in “tougher” clothing than it usually appears in, these days on contemporary recordings. At the same time, we believe this toughness comes from the field recordings we’ve heard and have come to love….

We are in motion, because folk music is also in motion with its rhythm, melodies and slow and fast tempo variations. I am convinced that an interval cannot strike out a tradition. This [music] is worth using and this is how we can make [the tradition] live in the present and for the future. I hope this record will cure us after the difficult times, and not only us, but anyone who listens to it. We would like to dedicate it to anyone who has lost anyone or anything in this world epidemic that began in 2019. We hope we can soon meet in person since movement keeps our world alive too. (Kalász Máté)
The time has come to present this wonderful material to a live audience.

Kalász, Máté – violin, voice
Halmos, Attila – violin, voice
Kaszap, Atilla – violas, saxophone
Fekete, Antal - kontra
Molnár, Péter – double bass

Tickets: 1000 Ft