These recordings were made in 1992 and January of 1994 in the Százcsávás village nursery school. Track 2 was recorded in 1991 in the cemetery chapel in Budajenő (Hungary). Százcsávás (historical records from 1913 call the village ‘Csávás’; in Romanian: Ceuaş) is a small Transylvanian community of 900 inhabitants in the Kis-Küküllő (Târnava Mica) Valley in Romania. The majority of the population is Hungarian, with 20% Gypsy. This CD is selected from the village musicians’ traditional repertoire.

Forming the core of the band heard on the CD are: lead violin - István Jámbor “Dumnezu”; his brother on double bass, Mátyás Csányi “Mutis” ; and their brother-in-law Ferenc Mezei “Csangáló” playing viola. They have been playing together since 1967. All three of them learned to play music from Csangáló’s grandfather Ferenc Horváth Mezei “Vén Kránci” the famous lead fiddler who is still remembered 30 years after his death. They are joined by younger band members: Csángáló’s cousin, lead fiddler Levente Mezei “Leves”; István Jámbor and Mátyás Csányi’s younger brother Sándor Csányi “Cilika” lead fiddler; and Csángáló’s son, lead fiddler Ferenc Jámbor “Tocsila” who plays viola on this recording.

1. Cigány székelyverbunk 2’41”
2. Sűrű verbunk 2’32”
3. Énekelt lassú csárdás 2’58”
4. Magyar szökő 5’38”
5. A szászcsávási cigány induló 1’22”
6. Sűrű verbunk 3’52”
7. Cigány lassú csárdás 4’40”
8. Cigány hallgató 4’45”
9. Cigány asztali 6’13”
10. Cigány csárdás és szökő 7’45”
11. Énekelt lassú csárdás 3’23”
12. Magyarózdi szegényes 2’20”
13. Magyarózdi öreges pontozó 1’05”
14. Magyarózdi csárdás és szökő 4’46”
15. De-a-lungu 3’35”

Jámbor István “Dumnezu” - first violin (1-4.; 6-15), voice (5.)
Csányi Sándor “Cilika”- violin (4, 7-9, 12-15)
Mezei Levente “Leves” – violin (6-9)
Mezei Ferenc “Csángáló” - viola (1, 3-15), primkontra (2)
Jámbor Ferenc “Tocsila” - “mélyhúros” viola (7-9)
Csányi Mátyás “Mutis” – double bass (1-4, 6-15)
Lunka Erzsi “Ikola” - voice (8)
“Nagy” Méder István - voice (11)
Vass Kacsó János - voice (11)
Erdős “Csinga” István – voice (3)
Erdős “Dádá” János - voice (3)

Mastering: Márton Kopcsik; Producer: Zoltán Szánthó ω Executive producer:  László Horváth; Design:  DóraKiss P + © 2016 Fonó Budai Zeneház; Fonó Music Hall H-1116 Budapest, Sztregova utca 3. s Tel/fax: +36 1 206 53 00 fono@fono.hu; www.fono.hu

The Fonó has released a new series from recordings of the Százcsávás Band. Three of four CDs in the series are re-releases: "Szászcsávás - Transylvanian Folk Music"; "Szászcsávás 3" from 1998; and "Live in Chicago" which was released in 2001 but recorded during the band’s 1998 tour. The fourth CD, "Szászcsávás 1990" contains recordings made on location in Százcsávás in 1990, released here for the first time. What makes these special is that the band members who later became world-famous play here, along with one who died young in the meantime and an elderly lead fiddler. The 1990 recordings show the band with a more raw and vigorous sound (than on later recordings after their international performances). Until then they had played mostly for weddings and traditional events without amplification. The CD series has been released with new covers and more photos. The Fonó plans to continue the series releasing more archive recordings of the Százcsávás Band.