Collaboration of Babra and Megtiza

While Babra nurtures authentic traditional music in their own fresh take, Megitza is more infused with popular genres and own compositions. A natural collaboration of these two bands, both lead by female vocalists who play the double bass, is an exciting intersection of two different kinds of musical and performing perspectives. This collaborative record features songs both in Polish and Hungarian, and draws from both culture’s folk heritage, creating a strong bond between them. RAZEM does not wish to simply re-record, to reproduce traditional songs – the goal of this collaboration is to use musical heritage as a guideline for taste, a basis for inspiration, a shared touchstone in the two cultures’ common Carpathian identity.

Babra

The magic of BABRA lies in the dynamic, powerful, rich songs of the South Slavs, an ethnic minority of Hungary settled by the banks of the Danube river. The young band members were brought together by their shared ancestry and deep passion for South Slavic music in 2014. Their music is at home in Budapest, the heart of Europe, and a melting pot of Eastern and Western European traditions, of urban culture and rural wisdom.

The backbone of South Slavic music is the unmistakable family of plucked string instruments, the tamburitza. Accompanied by captivating polyphonic vocals, the musical tradition of the South Slavs is a real delicacy in world and folk music, both dynamic and intimate, ripe with sorrow, cheeky and joyful.

Babra performs authentic Hungarian South Slavic melodies but also plays songs of Macedonian and Serbian origins. Their young, fresh, open-minded perspective, their witty and skillful performances and their musical mastery sets them apart, all the while respectfully preserving the authenticity and spirit of traditional music. The extraordinary talent of Veronika Varga, lead singer and bass tamburitza player of Babra, allows her to serve as the rhythmic backbone of the band while enchanting and luring the audience closer to South Slavic music with her beautiful vocals. Members Dániel Koller and Bálint Horváth highlight the unique character of the tamburitza; Benedek Réti shows off the many colours of the Balkans with his accordion, while Bence Babcsán, the band’s multi-instrumentalist brings great energy on stage with the tamburitza and various wind instruments.

Megitza

Małgorzata Babiarz, the lead singer and double bassist of MEGITZA is a self taught artist with a well deserved place among the most well-known world music artists around the globe. A Polish Highlander from the Podhale region, Megitza brings a unique character and unforgettable performance to the stage, as well as her skills and talent. A collective of folk and academic musicians, the style of Megitza takes inspiration both from the band members’ Polish-Slavic roots and from popular music. Their music is improvised and performed acoustically, composed and worded by Małgorzata herself. Marcin Cyzowski, a composer, studio sound engineer, and music teacher is the band’s guitarist; Konrad Ligas, also a composer and music teacher plays the accordion; Paweł Świderski, the band’s percussionist is a full time musician playing drums in several genres.