magyarul

About the band and its concerts:
(2004)

Eszterlánc is a collaboration between traditional singers and a lead violinist from Buza, a settlement in Mezőség, the Transylvanian Heath, and a group of experienced folk musicians from the Budapest area.
Together they perform the music of Mezőség, ancient songs and tunes presented in time-honoured style using authentic playing techniques. The band use reshaped classical music instruments retaining the characteristic tuning of the region and Alexandru Ripa, the first violinist possesses a unique and inimitable playing technique. The pure style of the singers is characterised by penetrating force and tasteful ornamentation.
Visually the performance is enhanced by the colourful traditional costumes worn by both the singers and the dancers who present the virtuoso and dynamic dances of Buza, including solo men's dances and couple dances. In one part of the programme the female singers demonstrate the ancient spinning technique of using the distaff while singing. The performance is accompanied by an exhibition by Károly Pató, graphic artist and photographer, which takes the audience into the village life of the performers, the enchanting land of Mezőség.

Buzaiak és az Eszterlánc (MC-1999)

Singers from Buza:
Mária Eke
Anna Takács
József Simon
Sándor Balla "Dogány"
Péter Eke "Vrécsi"
Márton Simon
Erzsi Takács
Attila Takács "Bandikó"
Ilona Takács

Musicians:
Alexandru Ripa "Miku" (violin)
Miklós Molnár (violin)
Császár Attila (viola)
Sándor Bankó (bass)

Hear the first track

Mezőségiek és az Eszterlánc (CD-2001)
Traditional Hungarian Music from Transylvania

Singers:
Anna Szilágyi
Anna Takács
Piroska Takács
János Kolca
Ilona Vince
Mariska Miskolczy

Musicians:
Alexandru Ripa "Miku" (violin)
Balázs Vizeli (violin)
István Horsa (violin)
Mihály Dresch Dudás (flute, tenor saxophone)
Attila Császár (viola)
Sándor Bankó (bass)

Hear the second track

Új Élő Népzene 6. (Living Village Music 6.)
Eszterlánc : "Üzent nékem János deák... " (Szék)

Új Élő Népzene 7. (Living Village Music 7.)
Mariska Miskolczy and the Eszterlánc : "Hegyek alján.... " (Búza)

BÚZAI ESZTERLÁNC: VERŐFÉNY
The band's new CD called Verőfény (Alpenglow) was releaced in August, 2005..

Featuring::
Anna Takács - vocals
Anna Szilágyi - vocals, dance
Alexandru Ripa "Miku" - violin
Ferenc Salamon - violin
Attila Császár - viola
Sándor Bankó - double bass
József Vigh - double bass

BÚZAI ESZTERLÁNC/ MUSIC FROM BÚZA BY ESZTERLÁNC
VERŐFÉNY/ ALPENGLOW
LESEPERVE A KÁRPÁTOK ALJÁRA
SWEPT DOWN TO THE FOOT OF THE CARPATHIANS

Notes:

The tunes heard on this album afford us an insight into the musical traditions of one particular settlement of the Transylvanian Heath (Mezoség), the village of Búza. Certainly, these songs - or variations of them - are also known in the majority of the surrounding settlements. This made it possible for Anna Szilágyi, despite her Melegföldvár origins, to fit perfectly into Eszterlánc.

Hungarian Blues (track 1)
I collected the lyrics of the song beginning "My heart aches..." from the women of Mezoveresegyháza.

From the East; The Engine is Whistling, Couple Dance for Soldier's Songs (track 2)
The numerous soldier's songs have preserved the memory of the Hungarian soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their homeland in two World Wars more beautifully than any war memorials or memorial days by recalling the sorrows of the fresh recruits, of those at the fronts who longed for home, and of the many parents and loved ones who remained at home.

Old Batuta (track 4)
We learnt this Romanian tune from the singing of gordon player (double bass player) József Vigh. The instrumentation of the melody is based on his hummed rendition.

A stroll in Búza I-II. (track 7)
The community of Cege in the neighbourhood of Búza (known locally as Wass-Cege) got the first part of its name from the family of the well-renowned Mezőség writer Albert Wass. Indeed, the plots of many of the writer's novels take place in this area ("By the time the trees have grown", "In the Shadow of the Manor-house", "Csaba" etc.). His works paint an authentic portrait of the local atmosphere and the typical phrases of the Mezőség. The songs heard on this disc, though modest, are good complementary companions to his books.

I'll Yoke My Ox (track 7)
Friedmann mentioned in this song was once the innkeeper of the village.

Farewell to the Dead (track 9)
The Búza "gordon player" Stefán Moldován "Bapó" who is mentioned at the beginning of this track was mourned over with this very song. We also played the same song when we escorted Ripa Alexandru "Miku" on his last journey.

Street of Sorrow; Miku In The Alpenglow; Anna On High; Farewell Song (track10-12)
These recordings suffer from certain technical deficiencies. However, as there is no way of re-recording them I considered that even in this form (with a distorted violin sound) they were worthy of release.

Live Eszterlánc (track 8)
"They can say whatever they want in Paris, the river Tisza will still remain Hungarian". This text refers to the fact that even before the First World War, Romania made a claim for the Trans-Tisza region of Hungary as well as Transylvania and the so called Partium.

Császár Attila

ESZTERLÁNC: ÉGSZAKADÁS
2007
 

Concerts:

Photos:

Information:

Attila Császár
phone :
(Hungary : 36) 30/619 30 13
30/324 22 65
e-mail: csago@t-online.hu