English Table of Contents 2004/4

Page 3
The Kaláka Folk Music Festival celebrates its 25th year. Held each year in the castle ruins in Diósgyőr next to the town of Miskolc. K. Tóth László gives a detailed account of this year’s festival which was held on July 8, 9,10,11 (2004).  Festival included performances by: Kaláka Ensemble, Ferenczi György and Herfli Davidson, Muzsikás, Budapest Dance Ensemble, Bulgarian singer - Kraszimira Csurtova, Csik János, Maskaredes, Szilvási Gypsy Folk Band, Palya Bea, Fassing László, Taraful Mociu, Szélkiáltó Ensmeble, Budapest Klezmer Band, Zurgó Ensemble, Andy Irvine, etc.

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18th Festival of Folk Arts and Crafts in the Buda Castle area of Budapest. 2004. Aug.19-22. A celebration of Hungarian living traditional arts and St. Stephens Day. With extensive crafts market, performances of traditional music, dance, market theatre, crafts demonstrations, children’s programs, exhibitions. This outdoor event is attended by 80-100 thousand people each year.

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Folk art exhibitions in the Eger Castle A series of folk art exhibitions focusing on the folk arts of the Eger vicinity, can be seen on Dobó utca leading to the Eger Castle. Report by Abkarovits Endre

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Hargita National Székely Folk Ensemble (a dance ensemble from Transylvania) performed recently in the Káli Basin in Western Hungary at the Káli Days festival. There are further plans for a folk dance camp next year in the village of Kékkút. Report by Nyulas Ferenc

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Mohácsy Albert – Nagy Zsolt: Twelve Bands Mohácsy Albert is the Méta Ensemble’s bass player, Nagy Zsolt is their viola ("kóntra") player. On their new CD, these two musicians form the constant - playing a variety of music with twelve different constellations of their favorite fiddlers, singers and other musician friends. Review by Sándor Ildikó

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Sándor Ildikó reports on statistics compiled from surveys conducted in 1998, 2002 and 2004 at the "Táncháztalálkozó" (National Dance House Fesitval). The goal: to fi nd out who attends the event, who are the participants and performers; which programs were the most interesting for those attending; and how did those people come in contact with folk tradition. The questionnaires were circulated at the event by volunteers from a special committee of the Hungarian Educational Association on Tradition, the information was processed and analysed by the Jel-Társ sociological research workshop.

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Announcement: press conference and celebration - 2004 September 8 upon the long awaited publication of Martin György's monography of the extraordinary legényes dancer from Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania, Mátyás István "Mundruc". Th e event will be held at the Hungarian Heritage House at Corvin tér in Budapest, starting at 10:00am with the press conference, continuing with discussion, film screening, photo exhibition, lectures, dance performance and dance house. Announcement by organizers: Felföldi László, Karácsonyi Zoltán, Szokéné Károlyi Annamária. Selected excerpts from the book are printed here.

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Announcement: FolkMAGazin announces release of CD-Rom containing the first 10 years of the periodical.

Page 19
Etnofon announces release of a CD-Rom on traditional music and dances of the area of the Ukraine known in Hungarian as "Karpátalja" – lying east of Hungary’s northeastern border and north of Transylvania’s northwestern border.

Page 20
Photograph galery – Stephen Spinder’s photos of Transylvania. Spinder has published two volumes of his photographs; "Budapest Through My Lens" and now his new book, "Ten Years in Transylvania".

Page 25
Antal Mária: "The Beliefs of the Csángó Hungarians of the Gyimes Valley". This book provides the reader with slices of the many kinds of knowledge of the Gyimes Csángó people who live in the isolated communities tucked away along the Gyimes creeks on the eastern edge ofTransylvania. Written by a native Gyimesbükk woman and school teacher there for more than 35 years. Recommendation by Forrai Ibolya.

Page 28
Journey with a silenced bell Soós János tells the story of a little bell found by his father in a sheep pasture in Szék. In 1990 when he emmigrated from Transylvania to Hungary Soós wasn't permitted to take anything except the clothes on his back, his family and something to eat on the train. He was successful, however in taking that little bell with him by wrapping it in newspaper and hiding it amongst the food for the trip.

Page 29
One summer's day – stories from Szék Memories of the mice from the neighbor's courtyard, a childhood friend whose house had collapsed and whose father had been sacked from his job tending the calves at the local producer's cooperative for apparantly "speaking crossly" to a man who had been sent out from the Party. Soós János

Page 30
Gázsa band's concert tour in the U.S. Gázsa's band normally spends all of their time accompanying the Budapest Ensemble. This year their tour was a series of well recieved concert performances across the USA – without the dance company. Gazsa's band almost never gives concert performances as such – without the dance company - in Hungary. Report by Abkarovits Endre

Page 32
Halmos Béla: memories of Szék fiddler, Ádám István "Icsán" – Part I. Halmos tells about the first time he heard traditional Szék music (in 1971 on Hungarian Radio, part of a special series by Sárosi Bálint), how he started to learn the music, the first time he went to a dance house in Szék (1972) and his first visit to Icsán's home to collect tunes (in 1974). Transcribed by K. Tóth László

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Kóka Rozália – Ethnographer Part III. Memories and people from my ethnographic collection trips to Hungarian Moldavia During the summer of 1970, Kóka Rozália set out with 3 friends for Gyimes and Moldavia. First they stopped in the Gyimes valley for "Magdolna Day" – the patron saint's day celebration. From there they went on to Moldavia, where Rózália wanted to return to some of the people she had visited on her previous trip in '69 - to complete some of her research for the Ethnographic Atlas of Hungarians project. Along with an account of her adventures, she describes also the old style of Hungarian used by this ethnic group, sometimes a mixture of Romanian and Hungarian used, and finally recounts a visit with Lakatos Demeter – considered to be the only Hungarian Moldavian poet. He died in 1974. He wrote his poems in Hungarian using Romanian phonetics; he had never gone to Hungarian school. His gift for writing poetry cost him repeated beatings by the local police, his house was constantly under surveillance and the village people were afraid to associate with him. Any association with him could result in fines, sudden illness, or inability to find employment all imposed by the Romanian officials.

Sue Foy

English Table of Contents 2004/5

Page 3
Fodor Sándor – "Neti Sanyi bácsi" prímás, 1922 Gyalu – 2004 October 20. Kisbács, Kalotaszeg, Transylvania. I began to understand "hajnali" – the dawn tunes – playing (bass) next to Neti. Teaching ever since: Forget every every rhythm formula, every contrived asymetry put down in written music; pay attention to the primas! Neti, "Hitler", Cilika Jani bácsi... Seems these days we go to Transylvania only for funerals... Mohácsy Albert

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Gáspár Simon Antal – Master of Folk Arts – tells about his birthplace, the village of Istensegíts in Bukovina – where they always felt that as Hungarians they weren't in their mother country. When still under Austrian rule, they were more accepted, but after the war, when the region fell into Romanian hands and the parties were formed, the "Ironguard" party, that's when life became unbearbable for the Bukovina Hungarians. In 1941 they were able to leave the bad situation that had developed in Bukovina to settle in Hungary. In their "mother country" – a Hungary torn by the war and German occupation – they were not welcomed anywhere, were driven out of places, sent from village to village, then allowed to stay in a house emptied because others had been deported as a result of the war. Refecting on the trials and suff ering that he and his family survived, Gáspár's comment; "One cant really tell about these things, only give some idea. I don't even know how anyone could withstand that much." Mrs. Illés Imre – singer, Master of Folk Arts from Hadikfalva, Bukovina – at the age of 13, in 1941 she and her family were deported to Hungary along with the other Hungarians from their town. First there were the camps, then a village in northern Serbia, then displacement to several villages in western Hungary. Since 1980, she and her husband have lived in the town of Érd (just south of Budapest). Along the way she was always one of those asked to sing – singing more than once for visiting diplomats and government officials. As told to Kóka Rozália

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Announcement: 2 new video cassettes. Released by Etnofon with the Hungarian Institute of Musicology. Verbunk-s, Csárdás-s. Selections from the folk dance archive of the Hungarian Institute of Musicology. Representative examples provided from all over the Hungarian language area.

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3rd "Héttorony" Festival - 2004 November 13-14, at the Marcibanyi tér Cultural Center in Budapest. Special guest: Técsői Band  - Ruthenian traditional music from Ukraine. Performances by Békés Band, Tükrős Band, Kiss Ferenc and friends, Vodku V Glotku Childrens programs, photo exhibit, dance teaching, dance house.

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Bodrog Folk Dance Ensemble celebrates 50th anniversary. Darmos István present director, tells the history of this dance ensemble from the town of Sárospatak in Northeastern Hungary. The ensemble was founded in 1954 by the local Farmers Association. The ensemble and town of Sárospatak now hosts courses on local dance, childrens groups, college level study, dance camps, music camps, presently involving more than 500 young people in the town in their activities.

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The 16th International Bagpipe Festival was held in August of this year in the city of Strakonice in the Czech Republic. The Hungarian Bagpipe Band attended with two dancers, a hurdy-gurdy player and 4 bagpipe players. They perfomed, held dance houses and had the chance to meet other musicians and dancers from Bulgaria, France, Holland, Italy, Germany, Poland, Austria, England, Scotland, Turkey, and more. Report by Karakas Zoltán

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Hungarian Dance Day – in Pécs For the first time in 20 years, the Nyírség Dance Ensemble performed in the city of Pécs in Southern Hungary. The Nyírség, among the best of the best amatuer dance ensembles in Hungary, gave a full length performance, accompanied by the Szikes Band. The ensemble is from the town of Nyíregyháza in Northeastern Hungary, artistic directors are Demarcsek György, Spisák Krisztina, Kácsor István. Review by Szávai József

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Záhonyi András' comments and critiques on folk dance and music events from this summer: Nagykárolyi days, the dance camp and festival in Jászberény, a Ghymes and Jászság Folk Dance Ensemble concert during the Jászberény camp, folk dance and folk music in the "Müvészetek Völge" (Valley of the Arts) festival in villages in the Kapolcs area of Western Hungary, "Hungarian castle" – a camp in the village of Pomáz just outside of Budapest, several dance camps in Székelyföld (Transylvania), and the camp in Sóvidék (Transylvania).

Pages 20-21
Announcement: New Publication Studies in Hungarian Dance Folklore. Volume 1 Publishes a selection the most significant studies in Hungarian dance research/history covering the period up until 1945.  Series editor: Hoppal Mihály, Editor: Karácsony Zoltán. Gondolat Kiadó- European Folklore Institute. Budapest. 2004. In Hungarian. Forward from the book. By Karácsony Zoltán

Page 22
"Feketetó" – an open air market held once a year in Körösfeketetó (Negreni) in Western Transylvania. Since 1815 this market has been held there on the banks of the Körös River around the first weekend in October. "A centuries old market democracy works here. The common goal; everyone should get a good deal." Another remark from Kiss Ferenc's account: "poor Fellini, what you missed out on!".

Page 23-26
Photographs of the market at Körösfeketetó (Negreni) in Transylvania. Photographer: Molnár Zoltán

Page 27
Listing of dance houses and folk clubs

Page 30
Mátyás István "Mundruc" – A character study of a "Kalotaszeg legényes dancer" Printed here is Kósa László's speech that opened the celebration and press conference upon the release of this book of Martin György's life work. Over a span of more than twenty years, Martin filmed, interviewed, notated and studied the dancing of an extraordinary traditional dancer from the village of Magyarvista, in Tranyslvania. More than 30 people participated in preparing the posthumous publication of Martin's work: "the most extraordinary character study which has gone to press so far in Hungarian ethnography." Heard at the Hungarian Heritage House, Budapest September 8., 2004.

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Part II. Report on the 2004 Dance House Festival  ("Táncháztalálkozó") - results of a survey conducted and compiled by the Jel-Társ Sociological Research Workshop. Includes some comparison of results from a 2002 survey. Discussion of audience responses regarding: Popularity of certain programs of the event Satisfaction with the programs offered. Are those attending the event religious? Attendance of dance houses during the rest of the year Members of folk dance performing groups.

Page 34
"I had to go to the source (Part II)" Halmos Béla remembers Ádám István "Icsán" – master fiddler of Szék. Amongst other things, Halmos talks about his experiences learning from Icsán to play the Szék music. In Szék one learns solely on the basis of listening and watching. Halmos made a series of visits to Szék to visit Icsán from 1974 until Icsán’s death. Information collected from these visits he later wrote up in a monography. As Icsán told it, playing a wedding meant playing continuously for about 30 hours. Especially for the prímás, after such intense use of the musician’s nerves, body and spirit, by the end of the wedding, he can neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep; everything hurts - it takes time to get rested afterwards. Transcribed by K.Tóth László

Page 37
Dániel "Our regular guest at breakfast time from spring until the end of grapeharvest – was the "grapeherder" on his way home from his dawn rounds. Some of these morning occsaisions lasted til noon, even though we hadn't glued Dániel down. He returned the favor of these breakfasts with talk. At such times we didn't really relish his visits, but we liked him anyway. We regarded the grapeherder, as the farmer regards the barren, brambly soil; it doesn't promise anything – it gives what it can. My mother sometimes evaluated his lectures: Forgive me God, but most of the time, that person's talk isn't worth more than a chervil on the ground. One day Dániel was quiet. He wasn't stitching one word to the next, he sipped only half of his pálinka. "Zsuzsi! I have been to heaven! Today at dawn the 'beautiful women' kissed me... the dance of the beautiful women, barefooted, they floated undressed down to their cotton underclothes, like feathergrass bouquets in the dewy morning grass..." Dániel finished his story and when he left our place, rather then heading home, he headed out toward the vineyard and I knew that he didn't want to talk to anyone else that day." Excerpts from this issue's tale of Szék life by Soós János

Page 38
Interview with Timár Sándor Timár was born in 1930 on a farm in the Hungarian plain near the town of Szolnok. When he went into Szolnok to attend secondary school, he became a member of the Regös Cserkész group – a sort of scouts group "involved in learning dance, among other things". In that group he met Molnár István – the great dancer, teacher – who was a great inspiration to so many of Timár's generation. In this interview we hear about the SZOT Ensemble, Bartók Ensemble, Budapest Ensemble, Hungarian State Folk Dance Ensemble, Csillagszemű Dance Ensemble, the Molnár technique, Timár's teaching technique, choreography, peers and colleagues and more. Interviewer: Paluch Norbert

Page 42
Árendás Péter describes ways the viola is used in traditional village string bands of the Carpathain Basin. Basically there are three possibilities which are referred to as "viola" (using mainly the C-G string), "kontra" (using mainly the G-D strings), "kontra-viola" (also using mainly the G-D strings but using intervals smaller than a fifth). He provides us with examples from his field collection work in Northern Hungary and Transylvania.

Page 44
Digitalizing audio materials. Part 1. Ifj. Vitányi Iván provides concrete, technical information (both theoretical and practical) on the process of digitalizing audio materials - useful information for those who perhaps have ’old’ analog field recordings which these days are already becoming difficult to access, etc.

Sue Foy

English Table of Contents 2004/6

Page 3
Széki Soós János' tale this time is about foggy, cold Szék in late November, the old carpenter who made the coffins, a funeral on the edge of the village and young couples on the way home from a wedding that were taken into a cellar by the secret police and forced to sign statements saying they'd been singing anti-Romanian songs at the wedding...

Page 4
Kóka Rozália's collection trips to Moldavia – final part Late Dec.,1977 – a trip to collect Bethlehem (christmas pagent plays) customs in Moldavia; in the village of Lészped, Kóka and her hosts were arrested, spent a night in jail and then escorted out of town. She was fortunately taken in by a family in the village of Klésze – alive with people going from house to house greeting neighbors and friends for the New Year. Later her Lészped hosts had to pay hefty fines for hosting foreign guests. Upon return to the village to reimburse the family, the people were afraid to speak to her. She was followed by Romanian detectives at home in Hungary, "fear moved into (her) life" – she didn't return to Moldavia for many years.

Page 6
Announcement : New CD Hungarian Bagpipers. Archival recordings of traditional Hungarian bagpipers are released by the Téka Foundation as part of the "Our Masters" series. Only one of the bagpipers on the CD is still living: Pál István of Northern Hungary’s Palóc region. Lányi György

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Announcement: new CD Singer, Bárdosi Ildikó is from the Kis-Küküllőmenti region of Transylvania, she now lives in Debrecen. This recording features tunes from her native region; she is accompanied by a host of singers and musicians from Hungary’s táncház movement. Distributed by Hangvető György-Horváth László

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Announcing release of a new CDHodorog András – Traditional flute player from Hungarian Moldavia. CD release party and christmas celebration to be held at Marczibányi Square in Budapest on December 18, 2004. Article includes English summary. By Bolya Mátyás

Page 9
Palya Bea -Álom, Álom kitalálom Tales in song. A new recording – Palya Bea in collaboration with Gryllus Samu, Bolya Mátyás, Füri Anna, Sebő Ferenc and more. Recomendation by Bolya Mátyás

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In memorium – Vavrinecz Béla – d. 2004 November 8. Composer, conductor, ethnomusicologist – a summary of his life work – which covered all areas of classical music, scores for films and ballet, arrangements of traditional music. "We hope that the heritage – the work he has left behind – will serve to inspire a next generation in their work, just as he was inspired to continue the work of his grandfather" – music director of the St. Mátyás Church. Olsvai Imre

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Feszty Árpád – Hungarian painter, writer (1856-1914) A painting of peasant theme entitled "Karvallottak" (meaning: the aggrieved) is described here in  such a way that one wants to run out and see the painting itself – which is on permanent exhibion at  Tüzoltó Museum in Budapest. Benkő András

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The Godfather/mother program makes it possible to sponsor Csángó Hungarian youngsters from Moldavia through school. 30, 000 HUF will support a Hungarian child in Moldavia for a school year in a local school. 120,000 HUF will support a Moldavian Csángó student for a year of study at Hungarian secondary school in Transylvania. See article in Hungarian for contact info. Róka Szilvia – Moldavian Hungarian Csángó Association

Page 11
Tabulatúra Band. This band has been together for 4 years now, playing music from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque periods on historical instruments, with particular interest in Hungarian musical traditions and history. One Monday a month they host a "club" evening at the Marcibányi tér Cultural Center in Budapest. Announcement by Rossa Levente Bors – band member

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Budai László – traditional dancer This fall Budai László was awarded the title of Master of Folk Arts by Hungary's minister of National Cultural Heritage. Budai, a Hungarian from the town of Jóka (Jelka) in Western Slovakia – born in the neighboring village of Újhelyjóka (Nova Jelka) – where the local dances include: Bertóké verbunk, Bársony verbunk, foursome, padegat, bagpipe csárdás, broom-, bottle-, and storkdance, couple csárdás-es, bőgőtemetés (double bass funeral) and so on. Congratulation by dance researcher, Takács András.

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Children's world  of the Bodrogköz region Darmos István's paper on life of children in this area focuses mainly on the time prior toW.W.II,  before the "disintegration of traditional culture". At that time in these poor agricultural communities, the children helped with all levels of the household chores and farmwork, leaving  actually very little or no time to play. "Play" happened in the winter while shucking corn, they  made their own toys, made games out of the work itself, sang, played while tending the grazing  stock. On Sundays after the housework, lunch and afternoon mass, there was a short time for taking a  walk, talk, games, singing, girl's circle dance. 

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Somoska (Somuşca) village week Every year during the first week of August the village of Somoska in Hungarian Moldavia hosts guests from Hungary for several days' of immersion in local culture – with emphasis on the traditional music, dance and crafts. Participants live with local families, the events of the week are organized to include the local people as much as possible – both adults and children alike. Report by Bolya Mátyás

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30 years of the Vujicsics Ensemble Interview with director, Eredics Gábor Everything about the Vujicsics Ensemble, their history, repertoire, their name, their families, various ethnic groups of southern slavs, their recordings and their plans. Abkarovits Endre

Page 21
Bubik István – lived 46 years "A rare Hungarian actor" – Novák Ferenc

Page 22
Kása Béla – photographer Born in Pécs, Hungary, 1952. At age 13 he moved with his family to West Germany. In 1979 he earned a diploma from Köln School of the Arts – ever since he's been photographing in Transylvania, Hungary, Budapest, Romania, other parts of Eastern Europe, India, China. A recurring theme in his work: traditional village musicians

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In memory of Fodor Neti Sándor (b. 1922 – died Oct. 2004) – prímás – traditional fiddler from Kalotaszeg, Transylvania. "Sanyi bácsi brought us not only music, but a hint of it's cradle too... Sanyi Bácsi brought the secret to us – but he couldn't bring us everything from the villages of Szucság, Bodonkút, Méra where he learned his craft... anyone who wants the whole experience, must go there himself. Life is lived differently there, there are more threads connecting the people to one another... what could be brought over, he brought indeed... May he rest in peace." Molnár Miklós

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Halmos Béla's memories of Ádám István "Icsán" – prímás fiddler from Szék (part III.) Musicologists and researchers had found indications that the "Shepherd looking for his Sheep" genre had existed at one time in Szék in a stick dance form. By the time Halmos was collecting from Icsán, the custom was no longer practiced in Szék. Halmos asked Icsán on many occaisions if he remembered anything like that. Answer was always no – until once it came to his mind and he began to play a lament in the key of C minor – not a key generally used in Szék. On this occasion both of Icsán's sons were home and playing with him – his favorite band – which may have helped for a tune long forgotten to come to mind. Transcribed by K. Tóth László

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9th Dance House Festival in Hungarian, Voivodina was held in Újvidék (Novi Sad) on October 16th. Performances by traditional musicians, singers, choruses, local dance groups, concert, CD release, film screening, traditional crafts market. Unfortunately was not well attended this year. Report by Szabó Gabriella

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Silladri - 1st Voivodina Hungarian Folk Dance competition. November 6, 2004. Organized for the first time in an effort to raise the artistic level of local Hungarian dance  groups, this juried festival was aimed at chamber (max. 8 member) dance groups. Jury 1st prize: Csördöngölő chamber group from Ujvidék (Novi Sad). Organizers are planning the next festival in 2 years. Report by Raj Rozália, Szabadka (Subotica)

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Traditional flute players and singers of Gyimes Text from a radio program: full of information about the music, personalities, dance and music events – from Juhász Zoltán's many, many years of personal experience, collection work, study of this isolated culture residing at the alpine eastern border of Transylvania

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Csíkszereda – Transylvania – October 22-23. 7th Festival of Transylvanian fiddlers Concerts by more than 10 bands, almost 200 hours of studio recordings were made, joint performance by the Harghita National Székely Folk Ensemble and Budapest's Jánosi Ensemble. October 20th death of Fodor Neti Sándor -  master fiddler from the Kalotaszeg region, the last of the "old generation" of traditional Transylvanian fiddlers – understandably lent a great note of sadness to this occaision. In tribute candles were lit round stage on Friday night, the day of Neti's funeral. Report by Bodi Ildikó

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Edwin van Schie – a dutch man who first became acquainted with Hungarian culture 25 years ago. He is editor of a magazine on Hungarian culture called Most Magyarul! Hongarije Magazine. The most recent edition includes several articles on traditional Transylvanian musicians. Website mentioned in article in Hungarian. By Abkarovits Endre

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Bagpipe head, bagpipe skin A study on bagpipes – in Hungary and the entire Hungarian language area bagpipes characteristically have carved animal heads.... Kozák József

Page 40
Boglya Folk Music Ensemble Celebrate 20th anniversay with release of a new CD This band has been active in Western Hungary since 1983 playing music, making recordings, hosting  projects for study/collection, encouraging performance of the local music, teaching, organizing  camps, workshops, dance houses. Conversation with bass player, Földesi János – by  Molnár Nándor

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Part II. Digitalizing audio materials. A technical discussion of the most common analog „signal sources": Tape recorder, record player. By ifj. Vitányi Iván

Sue Foy

English Table of Contents 2005/3

Page 3
Critique – 2005 Dance House Festival. Szász József’s comments centered around the overbearing presence of the Sport Arena’s security guards and a general lack of warmth in those attending, performing and organizing.

Page 6 
Next to the town of Csíkszereda (Miercurea Ciuc) in Transylvania there is a Catholic church in a place called Csíksomlyó. Hungarian Székely and Csángó people traditionally make a pilgrimage to this church at Pentecost. 2005 marked the 438th pilgrimage – a religious event attended by tens of thousands of Hungarians. This year a group of celebrated guests travelled onward from Csíksomlyó to the Hungarian Csángó village of Rekecsin in Moldavia (Romania) for a ceremony laying the first foundation stone of a Hungarian school to be built there. In this area of Romania there have been very strong efforts towards assimilation of the Csángó Hungarians into Romanian society. Hungarian schools have been prohibited for many, many years. Now finally with Romania on the threshold of the European Union, they are obliged to show deference to minorities in their country and a Hungarian school can be built. By Kóka Rozália

Page 10 
15th Csángó and Hungarian Minorities Festival. 2005 Aug. 4-9. Jászberény. Invited guests include traditional musicians and dancers from: 3 Hungarian Moldavian villages, 3 villages in Gyimes, 3 Csík villages, 5 other Transylvanian villages (and more). Festival is as usual preceeded by the International Dance and Music Camp (this year’s is the 24th annual). Jul. 30th – Aug. 6th. Announcement: Kocsán László

Page 12 
Kallós Zoltán – dr. Martin György: (Gyimes Csángó dances and dance life). Printed here is an introduction to this publication which also includes audio recordings of traditional musicians from 1962-1990. 35 kinds of dance events and 30 different dances are known from this region. D’sing Kft. 2000. Szentendre, Hungary.

Page 14 
Vujcsics Ensemble- specializing in traditional music of various Southern Slav ethnic groups - celebrated their 30th birthday in April in a 3 hour concert to a full house at Budapest’s new National Concert Hall. Reknowned musicians in the Hungarian dance house movement along with the Söndörgő Ensemble – a young band made up largely of the Vujcsics Ensemble’s offspring - were invited to share the stage for this event. A sentimental and symbolic gesture during the performance was presentation of a flute once owned by Vujcsics himself, to the youngest member of the Söndörgő Ensemble. Report by Tóth Ferenc ’Vuk’

Page 20 
New Publication: Wagner Péter: "Feneketlen a múltnak kútja..." (The unfathomable well of the past) Documentation of traditional architecture of the village of Szék – photographs and survey drawings done in the beginning of the 1970’s by architect Wagner Péter (during his student years). The life and culture of this village has changed enough over the past 30 some years, that most of the traditional homes in this book are no longer standing. Europrint Kiadó, Nagyvárad (Oradea, Romania) 2005. Announcements: Wagner Péter

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Kricskovics Antal – choreographer, dancer. Born in 1929 near the village of Gara in the area of northern former Yugoslavia known as "Bácska". He danced professionally with the SZOT, LADO Ensembles, became director of Central Yugoslav Ensemble, danced in the Építők Ensemble, was director of the Budapest Ensemble 1976-1989 and is still active with the Fáklya Ensemble. He did field collection work the length of Hungary’s southern border with Vujicsics Tihamér. "Perhaps the most important thing is to love the culture, its people, and the region of the dance you are involved in. Get to know the people and their customs personally by eating, drinking and sleeping with them." Interview by Paluch Norbert

Page 32 
Textile Exhibit Exhibition of Ardai Ildikó’s work will open on July 7th, 2005 at the Herman Ottó Museum in Miskolc. Ildikó graduated from the Hungarian College of Arts and Crafts in Budapest in 1968 with specialization in weaving. She has studied in Finland and has done extensive field research on the rug weaving of the Csík, Kászon and Gyimes areas in Transylvania. All of her work is and has been influenced by Hungarian traditional weaving. The exhibition will be open until September 2005. Report by K. Tóth László

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Interview – Irish musician Andy Irvine. Irvine has been playing music since the 1960’s in famous Irish bands such as Planxty, Patrick Street, Mosaic and others. Here is discussion and comparison of the Irish traditional music scene and revival movement and the Hungarian authentic peasant music and dance house revival movement. "Tradition is the kind of thing that must change...if no one writes anything new...it’ll become a museum object. This may sound sad, but tradition must be fed, it must be carried forward. And hopefully the musicians have enough good taste to keep the music within the framework of the tradition". By Abkarovits Endre

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9th Legényes competition. April, 2005 – Budapest Material performed by competitors: Pontozó dance of Vincze Ferenc, traditional dancer from Magyarszentbenedek (Sinbenedic), Küküllőmenti region of Transylvania. First prize went to Balla Zoltán. Fügedi János, member of the jury, reports on the event with a discussion of authenticity in dance, also exploring concrete aspects of the movement motifs that characterize this particular men’s dance and provided the basis for his opinions.

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New publication: Balogh Balázs – Fülemile Ágnes: (Society, landscape structure, identity in Kalotaszeg). (Ethnographic studies) series. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest. 2004 This monography publishes the results of methodical ethnographic research conducted in both Hungarian and Romanian villages in the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania since the beginning of the 1990’s. Chapter headings are: Patterns of marital connections in the Kalotaszeg area Examples of regional network problems History of the region in the Middle Ages Ethnic stress between Hungarians and Romanians ...originating from the period of 1940-44.

Sue Foy