HOBOUD

Artist Information

Biography

Hoboud /Kobold - in the local dialect of Warmia/

The need to know their cultural roots and the history of the region of Warmia and Masuria, together with the people who lived there long before them, prompted Maria and Marcin's search...and in the old songs written down in the nineteenth century they found Hoboud.
Hoboud was reborn at the beginning of 2008 as an idea for a music project. After the thought occurred to Marcin and Maria Ruminski (as they are the originators of the project) they briefly arranged the first songs and started to look for other musicians to form their band. The people who joined them are versatile musicians, proficient in a couple of musical genres, with one thing in common - interest in folk music.

In their own words:
"We quite easily found songs that would fascinate and inspire us. The local dialect used in the lyrics though was a bigger challenge as the language is practically out of use now and so very difficult to verify and reproduce. A native speaker of Warmia dialect, raised in a home with strong Warmian traditions, lent us a helping hand and, enchanted with the idea of the project, joined us and became in charge of 'the literary side'. Edward Cyfus, the man in question, apart from translations of literary works into the local dialect, is well known in the region as a vernacular story-teller."

Since their first official rehearsal in the community centre of the Free Artists Association ("Wolna Grupa Tworcza" the band has been accompanied by constant attention of the Mass Media and the music scene. Within less than two months from the day Hoboud set up their Myspace profile, the site was visited the record number of times - 12 thousand - from all over the world and the uploaded 4 demo tracks were played over 9 thousand times!
Their World Premiere Show was staged on 21 March 2009 in the Stefan Jaracz Theater in Olsztyn on the inaugural night of the XVII Olsztyn Theater Festival (XVII Olsztynskie Spotkania Teatralne). So many people wanted to see Hoboud's first ever concert that a double show had to be organised (the tickets for the concert had been sold out within less than two days).
The local Olsztyn insert issue of one of the main national quality newspapers in Poland, Gazeta Wyborcza, features the following review:

"The performance absolutely came up to the expectations of those who had heard Hoboud's music in the Internet. The band's charisma was even stronger live. The energetic playing together with the beautiful singing of Maria Ruminska and Agnieszka Symolon carried the audience away to another world. The new songs presented for the first time turned out to be as interesting as the ones already known."

Hoboud's music consists in modern new arrangements of the original traditional songs of the Warmia region, the part of Poland where the local culture has been forgotten almost completely..
All the lyrics are sung in the original local dialect and the correct pronunciation is controlled by Edward Cyfus, the famous in the region native speaker and active propagator of the Warmian culture in Poland and abroad.
The unique and modern sound is created by Hoboud's versatile musicians who belong to the cream of the ethno-jazz and folk scene in Poland:

Maria Ruminska (family name Namyslowska) - vocalist, composer, arranger, pianist; graduate of the Karol Szymanowski Music Academy in Katowice, Poland (composing and arrangement in the Faculty of Jazz and Light Music); the founder and leader of the group Mary Go Round (with Michal Bryndal,Maciej Obara, Maciej Szczycinski and Michal Wroblewski); cooperated with Olgierd Walicki in two music projects: 'Helmucik Quartet' (the soundtrack for a play by Ingmar Villqist) and 'Kaszebe' (in the album with the same title "Kaszebe" 2007); since 2007 pianist and vocalist of the band Shannon (in the album "Psychofolk"); since 2008 artistic manager for music in the Stefan Jaracz Theater in Olsztyn.


Marcin Ruminski - vocalist, multiinstrumenatlist, composer, arranger; educated in fine arts; founder and leader of the band Shannon (where he sings and plays the low whistle, highland bagpipes, uilleann pipes, melodeon, thin whistle, bombard, mandolin, bodhran; cofounder of the band Bracia Soprano; session musician; his 15-year onstage performing experience has brought him numerous successes and touring throughout different parts of the world. Shannon released officially 6 full albums, one single with the group Ryczace 20-tki, wrote the soundtrack for the film 'Afera na zamku Bartenstein' (SPI); for a couple of years Marcin has been in cooperation with the Olsztyn Town Council as a cultural propagator, organising concerts - among others - "Shannon and Friends" ("Shannon i przyjaciele") which is a regular event within the Olsztyn Artistic Summer.

Agnieszka Symolon - vocalist; a teacher of Polish by profession, whose interest in music turned from a hobby to a consuming passion; she began her adventure with music by taking private lessons of classical singing from a soprano teacher Ewa Alchimowicz-Wojcik; Agnieszka took her first artistic steps by performing with different projects, beginning with poetry songsters, through Gypsy music groups; also a member of the scientific theatre circle RAPSOD directed by Krystyna Spikert;
Agnieszka joined HOBOUD in 2008.


Marcin Drabik - violin, nyckelharpe
Graduate of the Katowice Music Academy, Poland, in the Jazz and Light Music Department; founder member of the band Gladius Noctis; musician in the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity cyclical event (Wielka Orkiestra Swiatecznej Pomocy); member of the rock band Shallow Script, folk-shanty group Mordewind, acoustic project DNA by Pawel Leszoski and the band Craic; composer for TV and radio shows as well as film soundtracks;
actively takes part in projects of various musical styles – from Irish or bluegrass, through traditional and modern jazz, to rock or electronic music; currently expands his virtuosity from the violin (and its electronic varieties) to nyckelharpe, a Swedish traditional stringed instrument;
in 2007 joined the band Shannon;
since 2009 a musician in HOBOUD.

Slawomir Przytula - guitars, vocals
Graduate of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland, with a Master of Arts in English studies (in the Faculty of Psycholinguistics);
secondary music education at the Fryderyk Chopin Music School in Olsztyn, Poland (French horn and guitar);
finished Guitar Craft Course Level 3 in Barcelona, Spain, directed by Robert Fripp (the leader and guitarist of the group King Crimson);
as a child co-founder and member of the guitar trio The Colt;
co-author of "Afera na zamku Bartenstein" movie soundtrack (SHANNON soundtrack – SPI);
since 2008 a member of HOBOUD

Michal Jaros - double bass
Graduate of the Karol Szymanowski Music Academy in Katowice, Poland (the Faculty of Jazz and Light Music); also finished the Faculty of Jazz at the Fryderyk Chopin College of Music in Warsaw, Poland (Zespol Panstwowych Szko³ Muzycznych im. F. Chopina w Warszawie);
Michal is the laureate of, among others: 3rd prize plus an individual honourable mention in the Young Debut Jazz Bands competition (konkurs Mlodych i Debiutujacych Zespolow Jazzowych) "Jazz Juniors" in Cracow, Poland (1996), Grand Prix at the "Jazz nad Odra" Festival in Wroclaw (1996), 1st prize at Jazz Juniors (Cracow in 2002), and the Swinging Crow ("Swingujacy Kruk") prize in the competition at the traditional jazz festival Hot Jazz Spring in Czestochowa (2003);
Michal cooperates with such prominent Polish jazz musicians like J.Muniak, Z. Namyslowski, M.Sikala, A. Pieronczyk, M. Tokaj, L. Zyta;
Michal joined Hoboud in 2009.

Roman Slefarski - drums
Received musical education in different places in Poland - Olsztyn, Warsaw and Katowice; a versatile musician, playing such styles as punk (Kazik, Kuska Brothers), ska reggae (Trawnik), jazz (Jerzy Malek, Mateusz Smoczynski, Aga Zaryan and with many others) or Celtic and world music; at the beginning of 2007 joined the Polish band Shannon and took part in the recording session for the album 'Psychofolk';
since 2008 a musician in HOBOUD.

Instrumentation

Maria Ruminska: Electric Piano Keyboard - Roland HP1, Acoustic Meloton, Vocals
Marcin Ruminski:Mandolin, Vocals
Slawomir Przytula:Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Marcin Drabik:Acoustic Violin, Electric Violin, Nyckelharpa, Vocals
Agnieszka Symolon: Vocals
Michal Jaros: Double bass
Roman Slefarski: Drums

Discography

Debut album in process:
"Wskrzeszenie Hobouda" ("Hoboud's Revival")

The songs "Borozin", "Stojala dziywczyna", "Mninuty", "Lozania sia" were played in:
- Music World Radio (Upcoming & Unsigned Talents Show) - international eclectic internet radio based in Spain
- NEOFOLK STHLM- THS Radio - Sweden,
- PR2 Polish Radio,
- PR3 Polish Radio,
- Planeta fm Poland,
- UWM fm Poland,
- Radio Olsztyn Poland

Links

• OFFICIAL MySpace profile

Audio

• I WILL FIND A HUSBAND/LOZANIA SIA
  Listen   Download
• ESZCZE NIE BUL DZIAN
  Listen   Download
• NIESZCZAJSCIE
  Listen   Download
• STOJALA DZIYWCZYNA
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Lozania sia/I WILL FIND A HUSBAND

Video

Uozania sia

Photo Gallery

Press

• REVIEW OF THE ALBUM IN SWEDISH WEBZINE [+ Show ]
  

  This devoted Polish octet is trying their best, with claws and teeth, to preserve at least the tinie...This devoted Polish octet is trying their best, with claws and teeth, to preserve at least the tiniest bit of an almost entirely wiped out culture that once stood in bloom in the Warmia district, northern side of Poland, a place full of castles, history and folklore.
  And serious they are; there seems to be endless research behind each and every one of the (traditional) songs they've recorded here on their first album, and the material is completely sung in an old Warmian dialect that barely no tongue speaks any longer. The booklet is full of interesting reading; we don't only get the lyrics in Polish and English, we also get a proper introduction to the band, their purpose and their thoughts. It comes presented in a extremely nice digipak that folds out like a cross, and has some really nice pictures of the eight band members, hoboud creatures and overall, a very stylish design.
  
  I must also mention that before this album was born, the band did send me a copy of their demo for review purpose, but it arrived here in Sweden in two pieces, which made me quite sad, but I am now so glad to be able to present my review of this album instead!
  
  Well. HOBOUD... In the booklet you can learn that a hoboud was a devilish creature that frequently appeared in the tales around the Warmia district. Hobouds seems to have lots in common with golems, kobols and gnomes as well, but what makes them more interesting is, or was, how people summoned them in old days. I won't spoil the story, but recommends already a purchase of this album to find out!
  Also, the first track here is a very suspenseful and dramatic hoboud invocation song that resembles both MOON FAR AWAY and DIAMANDA GALAS with a mixture of heavenly and devilish vocals, field recordings, intense strings and monstrous growls. It explodes near the end, though, in a up-tempo traditional folk manner, but quite quickly fades to black again. Between all songs, we get some story telling or narration in Polish, by Edward, which is awfully nice to hear, even though I don't understand what he's talking about.
  
  The following tracks aren't quite as atmospheric, but focuses on folk music instead. I feel quite at home with the sound of HOBOUD since Swedish and Polish folk music has always been the best of friends. I would, actually, mistake many of these melodies for Swedish songs if it weren't for the vocals. Bands like GARMARNA and HEDNINGARNA constantly circle in my head when listening to "Wkrzeszenie Hobouda". But, this is certainly not another undistinguished folk album. The other way around! HOBOUD's been working hard to get a unique sound with danceable violins, electric and acoustic guitars, nyckelharpa (key fiddle), mandolins, peculiar drum patterns and lots of lovely vocal harmonies, both male and female. Most of the songs lives through several drastic changes in tempo and pace before settling down, and it's all surprisingly tight, especially considering the bands young age and the fact that there are not less than eight members to keep track on, and probably eight more of less different wills. Impressive!
  The lyrics are thoroughgoing dark and sad, not seldom telling tales of abduction, unanswered love, murder and other tragedies, and even though I can't fully get their true meaning, the English translations educate, amuse and intrigue me.
  
  Can I recommend any good tracks for starters? I will try!
  "Lozania Sia" has a more rocky approach than most other tracks, with lovely twittering female vocals and is the first track, if we disregard the intro, that really captures me.
  Also, the following track is very nice and much calmer, reminding me once again of MOON FAR AWAY or maybe DEAD CAN DANCE. The slow violin in the middle is truly spellbinding.
  I could also mention the chaotic "Nieszczajscie" that shines with its lovely jazzy interludes and crazy vocals.
  But, to keep doing this track name dropping is useless. It's an album of a great and even quality and you should find your own favourite songs, I think. And if you are into traditional folk or folk-rock, you shouldn't hesitate to get this gem at all. It's a sparkling, charming one-of-a-kind folk music album from a bunch of awfully nice fellows that deserves all possible support they can get.
  
  Tracklist:
  
  Zaklinanie
  Mninuty
  Stojala
  Lozania Sia
  Burmnistrzowno
  Nieszczajscie
  Eszcze Nie Bul Dzian
  Borozin
  Zielono Lonka
  Lolstynska Pole
  Ksiot
  Lobczyszze Jasku
  
  

• Review of the album in MusicWorldRadio.com forum [+ Show ]
  

  Review of the album 'Wskrzeszenie Hobouda' in musicworldradio.com forum by Paul E. D. (DJ) source l...Review of the album 'Wskrzeszenie Hobouda' in musicworldradio.com forum by Paul E. D. (DJ)
  source link:
  http://musicworldradio.com/forums2/index.php?topic=419.0
  on: November 18, 2009, 07:45:34 PM
  
  
  The album centers around folklore, urban myths and campire stories surround the mischievous spirit, Hoboud( the band name).
  The album, Wskrzeszenie (hobouda), is a jounrey, kind of like the irish Clannad with the instruments played and what probably springs to mind when you do hear it
  Opening sounds like something from of Devil Mat Cry game, with images of a growling monster in the rain in a little village, one thing albums miss, great openings
  Great harmonies it introduces you to the sound and sets the tone.
  The sounds are traditional folk music, really taking you back in time, all in Polish and some naturation between songs.
  Guitars, violins, the sounds of folk, great vocals and great bassline on The Forester
  Even if you don't understand the language it is fun to listen to. You can switch the lights off and the opening really does put you in the mood, in a wooden tavern with flickering lights.
  Electric guitar flys into The Green Meadow. Nice break in the song with like a dirty harry type running bassline undercurrent.
  The album weaves through traditional folk and stories in the lyrics to more modern sounds though the bassline and electric instruments.
  The Little Wooden Church, opens with fine femal vocals and beautiful keyboard sound
  The green meadow (Zielono Lonka) the most most eclectic out of all the songs on the album.
  Listening to this album really puts you in a mood, yes its not in English speak, but with the music, it is like another instrument, in a sense you could say its an instrument folk album
  The lyric booklet has got the words on England and Polish.
  I compare this music to clannad because thats what it sounds like. With Clannad you have a family of musicans on the album, this is what this album sounds like.
  The tradition is in the booklet and does sound like something out of Resident Evil, terrorising a village, then just disappearing
  I heard the band music before i got sent the albnum and i knew what the music was like, but it is different when you hear it in the context of an album.
  I'm not a huge folk fan, but i like the Clannad type sound, more commerical and poppy than some traditional folk and this album is like that in a few ways
  One thing i like about the album, the nice digipack pack sleeve and lyric book, well made and very impreesive
  You can request songs from the album because the album will be played on the station
  
  Paul E.D
  
  www.myspace.com/hoboud
  To buy the album
  http://wsm.serpent.pl/sklep/albumik.php,alb_id,19608,Wskrzeszenie-Hobouda,Hoboud

• HOBOUD's PREMIERE SHOW - THE DIALECT OF WARMIA IS REVIVED [+ Show ]
  

  "HOBOUD's PREMIERE SHOW – THE WARMIAN DIALECT IS REVIVED" by Magda Brzezinska Last Satur..."HOBOUD's PREMIERE SHOW – THE WARMIAN DIALECT IS REVIVED"
  
  by Magda Brzezinska
  
  Last Saturday night the new band Hoboud gave their first ever performance. The show of newly arranged Warmian traditional songs was part of the Olsztyn Theater Festival
  
  Since January this year, when the band uploaded a couple of songs on their Myspace site, their profile has been visited over twelve thousand and the songs played almost nine thousand times. No wonder their announced world premiere show at the Olsztyn Theater Festival was sold out in no time. The organizers of the festival decided to arrange another performance. At the inaugural night of the event Hoboud gave two stagings.
  
  Before the premiere concert in the Olsztyn theatre music hall an air of tension could be felt. On the one hand, the audience expected a lot from Hoboud, on the other, the performers, although thoroughly professional, were to present for the first time onstage the material everyone hoped would come up to the high expectations.
  
  The originators of the project are Maria and Marcin Ruminski who also play and sing in Shannon, a Polish band playing celtic music. Through Hoboud they have decided to refer to the folklore of Warmia and present the region's traditional songs in new modern arrangements. (...) An important part of the project is Edward Cyfus, the Warmian vernacular storyteller, since Hoboud is meant to be more than just a folk band. Its aim is to revive the disappearing culture of Warmia in all aspects, restoring the music, the local dialect and bringing back the old legends and tales. The project is officially supported by Wolna Grupa Tworcza (The Free Artists Association). The media patronage has also been granted by the national newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza’s local issues.
  
  Edward Cyfus introduced each song with a tale in the Warmian dialect. The storyteller told about the mischievous animalspirit Hoboud which haunted the Warmian lands and where it could hide in our times. He also commentated with humour on current world events, what brought the local dialect back to life. It was no longer just a dead language of old stories but a means of modern communication.
  
  The tales were introductions to the songs. The performance absolutely came up to the expectations of those who had heard Hoboud's music in the Internet. The band's charisma was even stronger live. The energetic playing together with the beautiful singing of Maria Ruminska and Agnieszka Symolon carried the audience away to another world. The new songs presented for the first time turned out to be as interesting as the ones already known.
  
  After the concert the spectators emphasised the professionalism of the musicians and the beauty of the forgotten dialect of Warmia. They also mentioned that when Hoboud's album is ready they will definitely buy it.
  

• HOBOUD'S FIRST SUCCESS [+ Show ]
  

  "HOBOUD'S DEBUT DOUBLE SHOW AT THE THEATER FESTIVAL" Nobody has seen them live yet and they have ..."HOBOUD'S DEBUT DOUBLE SHOW AT THE THEATER FESTIVAL"
  
  Nobody has seen them live yet and they have already got their first success. So many people want to see Hoboud's first ever concert at the Olsztyn Theater Festival that a double show had to be organized. No other artists additional plays will be held, unfortunately.
  
  There are still two weeks until the Festival – it begins on 21st March – and some shows are already sold out. The biggest surprise is the fact that there are no more tickets left for the debut performance of the new band Hoboud who play music inspired by the local Warmian folklore but in modern and jazz arrangements.
  
  The project draws on the region’s disappearing culture and language. Its leaders and originators, Maria and Marcin Ruminski, are connected with a long-established Shannon, a Polish band playing Celtic music. On the basis of traditional Warmian songs, ten tracks in new arrangements have been composed with the new band Hoboud. (...) An important part of the project is Edward Cyfus who is a famous native propagator of the Warmian culture. He teaches the musicians how to properly use and pronounce the forgotten local dialect, and also tells Warmian stories and legends in the vernacular in between the songs.
  
  Hoboud has received the patronage of the national Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper’s local insert issues. The project has also gained official support of the artistic association Wolna Grupa Tworcza (Free Artists Group). – We come across a huge interest from people not only in the region of Warmia but in the whole Poland – says Marcin Ruminski. – People who used to live here long decades ago contact us and say they remember the songs we play, e.g. because their mom would sing them as lullabies when they were children. Warmian autochthons living now in Germany praise us especially for our interest in the old disappearing dialect that we are bringing back by learning it and use in all our lyrics for the wide public.
  
  The Olsztyn Theater of Stefan Jaracz reacted immediately to the surprisingly big interest in Hoboud’s concert. – I am pleased to announce that there will be 2 concerts by Hoboud on the inaugural night of the festival – says Andrzej Fabisiak, the director of the Olsztyn Theater Festival. – On Saturday 21, March, straight after Hoboud’s first concert, the band will give their second performance at 10 p.m. (...)

• Hoboud and the Girl [+ Show ]
  

  Maria and Marcin Ruminski from Olsztyn, Warmia, gave me a flying visit today and handed a CD with 2 ...Maria and Marcin Ruminski from Olsztyn, Warmia, gave me a flying visit today and handed a CD with 2 tracks by Hoboud. What is Hoboud? I don‘t know much. I had to look it up in the Net, and then listen to the CD. Now I am sure of one thing – this is going to be the hit of the year in the category that I have no definition for. A rarity.
  
  First, a few words about the hoboud, a Warmian equivalent of kobold. It is an ugly, mischievous and sometimes witty sprite, gnome or dwarf. In the past, German miners believed that kobolds stole silver. Hobouds, like trolls, are resistant to magic. They never break their vows and supposedly are the best at treasure-hunting. The hoboud was chosen as a musical theme for a new project by the leaders of Shannon, the celtic band from Poland. They changed the line-up to make up a new band and together with the new musicians recorded a demo about the Warmian gnome.
  
  The group have chosen an unconventional way of presenting their music. It starts with the sounds of a bonfire and the wind in the forest at the background. We can hear the narration by Edward Cyfus, a regional story-teller. The credible tale of the Warmian hoboud is in the local dialect. The narration ends and the music emerges with gasps and footsteps and we can anticipate something to happen. It is easy to imagine the whole scene just listening to the music. It grows and a female voice appears, simple and clear as a stream, natural and unpolluted. Then again Edward Cyfus continues his story, a horse neighs and... off they go! The music carries away!
  
  In my opinion the music about the hoboud deserves attention. It combines elements that address different generations, people of all ages (it will arouse interest of both the young and the adults). Its great value lies in giving prominence to tradition, aesthetic display of the cultural roots and artistic reinvention of the subject into a plot full of easily imaginable scenes. The music could be compared to a painting, and the musicians know exactly what they are painting, with sounds and words. The story they present is so convincing that now the hoboud is revived with every snap of a twig, in the dark recesses of the night and the evening walk among the trees.
  
  Marcin and Maria Ruminski have gathered versatile musicians for the band, proficient in a couple of musical genres, with interest in folk music.
  
  The demo material promoting their soon-to-be released CD includes: „Stojala Dziywczyna“ and „Borozin“.
  
  I am impressed with the songs they recorded.
  

Setlist

Hoboud's repertoire includes traditional songs which were sung in numerous melodic versions and dialectal variants across the whole of the Warmia region, often Masuria and occasionally even Masovia or Kurpie.
The source materials that we used, which include texts and melodies notations written down between the 19th and 20th century, had many dialectal mistakes (interpolations from other dialects of Silesia and Lesser Poland) and music notational ambiguities. Thanks to consultations with an autochthon and native speaker of Warmian dialect (Edward Cyfus) we managed to recreate the original lyrics. We added new arrangements to the existing melodies.

The choice of the compositions enables a devision into a couple of thematic categories: love songs, moral songs and those connected with old folk beliefs.

Our set list:
1.Zaklinanie
2.Borozin
3.Stojala dziywczyna
4.Mninuty
5.Nieszczajscie w mniasteczku
6.Lozania sia
7.Pole Loral
8.Burmnistrzowno
9.Lolstynka Pole
10.Kalina
11.Ksiot
12.A boczyzsze Jasku

duration ca. 70 mins

Basic Requirements

Calendar