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Berko

'Berko'

(ERCD095)

Musicians:
Csaba Soós - violin
Zoltán Bobár - voice, accordion, 3 stringed viola, "Sajó" viola, synthesizer, drums
Márton Éri - 3 stringed viola, 4 stringed viola
András Bognár - double bass

Guests:
Kálmán Balogh - cimbalom
Péter Bede - saxophone
Milós Both - guitar
Péter Éri - voice
Pál Havasréti - voice
György Lányi - voice

Label - Etnofon, Hungary
Released 2007

The Berkó Hungarian Folk Music Ensemble was formed in 1997; they started playing together while attending music school where they studied under Sándor Csoóri and Péter Éri, the founding members of Muzsikás Ensemble. They learnt that traditional Hungarian folk music must be learned first hand and were inspired to explore regions of the so-called 'historical Hungary' (which includes Transylvania and other regions which today are outside of Hungary's borders). 

Berkó found that the music and folkloric traditions were still alive, and accompanied traditional musicians like the fiddler, Sándor Fodor 'Neti' from Kalotaszeg as well as other musicians of the village of Magyarpalatka in Transylvania.

The name of the band comes from Méra, a small Hungarian village in the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania where the Gypsy musicians live on a little hill. The nick-name for that hill is Berkes or Berkó.

From record label:
"The Berkó Ensemble is ten years old this year. This record is a celebration of that anniversary.

"Thanks to our personal experiences with musicians in the village of Méra (in the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania), the music of that region forms the backbone of this record - from the dawn songs all the way to the Gypsy csárdás. Our experiences in Kalotaszeg have also helped us play the other music heard on this recording. In the last few years, the traditional style of playing has changed a lot. The violin is slowly being replaced by the saxophone, the viola and accordion by the 'orga' or synthesizer, the double bass by drums or bass guitar. New melodies are coming into the repertoire; at weddings the music blasts out through amplifiers. Romanian, Gypsy and Hungarian music are getting all mixed together.

These changes are reflected in the final track on this record, wherein the guitar and saxophone have been borrowed from the city music and added to the virtuoso violin style and traditional accompaniment. This is a kind of experiment blending the concept of traditional music with new possibilities."
Berkó Ensemble

USD 16.99

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Berko

'Berko'

(ERCD095)

This symbol  indicates an mp3 sound clip for that track. Click on the symbol and wait for the clip to start. For more information click here. Tracks
1. Két és fél Kalotaszegi cigánycsárdás, csingerálás
2. Péterlaki cigánycsárdás
3. Széki Magyar és sűrű tempó
4. Megyek az úton... Mérai hajnali
5. Vajdaszentiványi Korcsos és szöktető
6. Samu-menet Kalotaszegi legényes, csárdás és szapora
7. Bonchidai ritka és sűrű magyar
8. Palatkai Akasztós, szökős, sebescsárdás és korcsos
9. Mérai lakodalmas I. Kalotaszegi csárdás és csingerálás
10. Mérai lakodalmas II.
Duration (49'40")
mp3 samples are approximately 30 seconds long - click on play symbol to start + pause clip

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