József Káló was a left-handed first violinist, which is not rare among the village musicians. The strings on his violin were strung in a reverse order. He could also play on a three-string viola, on which, interestingly he did not change the order of the strings around, but played “mirrored” chord shapes.
His regionally common harmonising style was made up of a mixture of older and melody-following method of accompaniment containing mixtures in major. Urban influence is only represented by a few seventh chords in his playing style.
On this record, we introduce him as a first violinist, accompanied by a contra bass and a viola player, two famous musicians from the village of Ceuaş.

1. Sűrű verbunk (Fast recruitment dance) 3’18”
2. Lassú (Slow Hungarian csárdás) 5’14”
3. Féloláhos (Turning csárdás) 2’34”
4. Szökő (Fast csárdás) 2’49”
5. Asztali nóta (Table song) 2’43”
6. Lassú (Slow Hungarian csárdás) 2’22”
7. Sűrű verbunk (Fast recruitment dance) 3’55”
8. Székelyverbunk (Székely men’s dance) 3’34”
9. Lassú (Slow Hungarian men’s) 3’02”
10. Szegényes (Slow dance for men) 2’54”
11. Asztali nóta (Table song) 4’47”
12. Lassú (Slow Hungarian csárdás) 8’04”
13. Szökő (Fast csárdás) 1’58”
14. Katonanóta (Soldiers’ song) 2’22”
Román népzene / Romanian folk music
15. Leppendi căluşar (Rituális tánc – Ritual dance) 0’57”
16. Învârtita (Forgatós páros tánc – Turning csárdás) 7’54”
17. Haţegana (Gyors páros tánc – Fast csárdás) 2’05”
18. Közép-Maros menti menyasszonykísérő
(Bride’s processional from the Târnave Region) 2’38”
19. Küküllő menti menyasszonykísérő
(Wedding march from the Târnave Region) 2’02”
Cigány és szász népzene / Gypsy and Saxon folk music
20. Meszeljekli zili (Cigány asztali nóta – Gypsy table song) 3’50”
21. Szász polka (Saxon polka) 1’23”
Összidő (Total time) 71’03”

Válogatta / Selected by: PÁVAI István



ADATKÖZLŐK / PERFORMERS – INFORMANTS

KÁLÓ „Cuppa” József (1943, Héderfája) – hegedű / violin
(1–5., 7–8., 10–11., 14., 20.)
SZABÓ „Brusu” Béla (1940, Gogánváralja) – hegedű / violin
(6., 9., 12–13., 15–19., 21.)
MEZEI Ferenc „Csángáló” (1951, Csávás) – háromhúros kontra / 3-stringed viola
MEZEI „Policer” Pál (1961, Csávás) – nagybőgő / double bass