88.1 KDHX Saint Louis

This is the first of some shows musically describing my recent trip to Hungary on a "travelling folklore seminar". Starting we have one of the new popular bands that mix Hungarian dance music with music of the Hungarian Roma.

This famous group and singer were part of the Táncház movement when it started way back in the 1970s

These are soldier's songs from about 150 years ago, sung accompanied by tekerõ (hurdygurdy).

men's solo dance, followed by shepherd's songs, all from the Paloc area of north central Hungary

songs from southwestern Hungary, played on citera, a type of table zither with double fret boards and many drone strings

This starts a long group of songs and dance tunes from the Moldvai Csángó people of the eastern slopes of the Carpathian mountains in Romania

song accompanied by a fretless lute-like instrument called a Koboz

This is a couple mixer in 7/8 time

this is a composition in folk style based on shepherd's flute melodies

László Szlama is one of the star koboz players in Hungary; he studied several instruments at the Liszt academy and has formed several successful groups.

This is a traditional village player with a group of younger folk-revival musicians

a traditional Csángó song about a small bird, to whom the singer addresses her woes over her love life. Zalán Csenki is the showcased koboz player on the CD