ESZTERLÁNC: Égszakadás
Released by: fROOTS
Author: Ken Hunt
Date of release: 2008-12-02

For Hungarians, Mezőség - the Transylvanian Heath - has a long and timehoary cultural role as a sort of folk music wellspring-cum-bedrock-cum-folkways breadbasket.

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Olah Vince &Earth Wheel Sky Band: From India to Ibiza
Released by: Songlines
Author: Kim Burton
Date of release: 2008-11-01

Once upon a time, before they invented 'world music', record shops used to have a small section towards the back labelled 'international'; a rack, or less than a rack, which held LPs with titles such as The Romantic Side of the Steel Band, A Night in Beirut, 24-Hour Polka Party or Gidget Goes Latin. The music itself ranged from local classics reissued for the émigré market to library music put together over a tired afternoon in Cricklewood. One particular sub-group of these joys was the travelogue, with a series of musical excursions supposed to represent the cultures encountered at various imaginary ports of call.

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Tools Of The Trade: The Cimbalom
Released by: Songlines
Author: Simon Broughton
Date of release: 2008-10-04

Simon Broughton unravels the mesmerising charms of the Hunarian hammered dulcimer with Kálmán Balogh.

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Kálmán Balogh and the Gypsy Cimbalom Band: Aven Shavale
Released by: Songlines
Author: Simon Broughton
Date of release: 2008-10-04

Kálmán Balogh is without question Hungary's most celebrated cimbalom player - able to get many varied voices out of his most distinctive of instruments - but he's also one of Hungary's most interesting and innovative musicians.

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Palya Bea Quintet - Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House, Londo
Released by: fROOTS
Author: Ken Hunt
Date of release: 2008-10-04

Owing to clashing schedules it has been my misfortune to keep missing the Hungarian singer Beáta Palya. This time fate dealt me a kind hand. A series of plans fell through and I finally got to see Bea Palya - to invert her name to the British convention - perform with the Bea Palya Quintet. They were doing two engagements as part of the 'Voices Across The World' concerts at the Royal Opera House. saturday's performance was a concert proper with a Q&A session afterwards; Sunday's afternoon was "new music created and performed live" to accompany writer-director Zoltán Fábri's 1956 film Körhinta, meaning 'roundabout' - as in magic - or merry-go-round.

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