Békés Banda

ZSOK ·  JOC

Romanian Village Music from Hungary

ER-CD 073

The Békés Banda from the Southeast Hungarian county of Békés has had collecting and playing the traditional music of the Slovaks, Germans, South Slavs and Romanians of the region. A friendly relationship and regular cooperation has envolved between Békés Banda and the musicians and dancers of Méhkerék, Kétegyháza and Elek. The present recording is the result of this, over twenty years old, relationship, together with the valuable contributions of Hungarian and Romanian folk music researchers and fellow musicians.

In selecting and arranging the tunes for this album, the band have had a sight the inseparable unity of music and dance, and followed, for the most part, the established order of of the traditional ball, or joc.  The band would like to give an opportunity to share this culture through dancing for even those who do not speak the Romanian language.