Csik Zenekar

Today's world of music is very complex, and not only with respect to genres and styles, but also to the multitude of performers. A very interesting and exciting example of this diversity is the Hungarian Csík Band, which has been active for twenty years, and which has been an authentic performer of Hungarian folk music.

During these twenty years the members of the band first acquired and studied folk music, and then performed it at concerts and in 'dance houses' both in Hungary and abroad. They are able to play almost all musical dialects of historical Hungary, and this is important, because Hungarian folk music is one of the most colourful and diverse of its kind in Europe. The members of the band are able to do so, because they can play a lot of musical instruments that are used in traditional Hungarian music. They play not only the village music of today's Hungary, but also that of Palócföld, the Southern part of historical Upper Hungary (a part of Slovakia today) and of the various beautiful regions and settlements of Transylvania, which are connected to both everyday life and customs, and to festive occasions of Hungarian people.

In the past few years the band have chosen a track to try to offer an unexpected, but pleasant experience to as many people as possible. This meant mixing folk music and rock music in such an interesting and successful way that we can claim a new genre was born.
Earlier rock music had been revitalized with the help of folk music, but in the case of the Csík Band folk music has integrated rock music, preserving the authentic values of traditional music, the beautiful fruits of human thoughts and emotions, but with an eye to the drifting power of pop and rock music, which appeal to so many people in our changing world.

The high standards and quality of their activity have been acknowledged by several honours and prizes, such as Eminent Art Group, Young Masters of Folk Art, Fonogram Prize awarded by the Hungarian Association of Record Producers, and the gold and platinum records for their two latest discs.

Classical music, however, also plays an important role in the activity of the Csík Band. In order to play tribute to the accomplishment of the famous Hungarian composer Zoltán Kodály the musicians have compiled the show 'Our heritage', in which featuring a symphonic orchestra, a choir and dancers they perform folk dances and tunes, as well as Kodály's symphonic and choral pieces inspired by folk music, which we can be all proud of in the whole world.

Members of the band (from left to right): Péter Makó - clarinet, soprano sax, tenor sax, etc.,
Marianna Majorosi - singer, Zsolt Barcza - cimbalom / accordeon, József Bartók - double bass,
János Csík - violin, Attila Szabó - violin, Tamás Kunos - viola