From Mouth To Mouth

Folk songs are transmitted from mouth to mouth, and while each follows its own course they change shape, become clearer and grow more beautiful on the lips of generations of singers.
The three female vocalists featured here also acquired many of the tricks of their trade in this way, often learning from one another as well - they received and passed on various techniques and treasures from mouth to mouth. Their initial respect towards one another's work at first developed into friendship, then a professional "alliance" as they increasingly performed together at different concerts and collaborated on various projects. For example, at the invitation of Zoltan Krulik from Makam and also Nikola Parov they first sang in duos and later in trios, for a while even appearing as a quartet - a quartet since Bea Palya can be regarded as a partner in their association as well, indeed, she was also present at the birth of this venture.
Fired with enthusiasm by the successes of their collaborations they decided to independently initiate a common production. A performance in which their individual female characters and their personal musical experiences embellish and complement each other, the three characteristic vocals supporting each other in giving voice to some of our region's treasure of folk songs.

Perhaps the greatest musical surprises of recent years have been those musical experiments which approach the most beautiful songs of the treasure of Hungarian folk music in an unexpected way, that is, not with the accompaniments of authentic folk music, but rather within quite different musical environment. As a result, many musical phenomena have been accepted which might earlier have seemed inconceivable. Now we know that folk songs can be accompanied just as wonderfully by a stylishly composed jazz arrangement, in a similar way to world music, which gains inspiration from the instrumental traditions of other peoples and places emphasis on their spiritual affinity. The new album 'From Mouth to Mouth' (FolkEuropa) is sure to attract attention both in Hungary and further afield and bring yet more success to all those involved in the project.

Szilvia BOGNAR
She was 'simply' led towards her singing career by a series of encounters, significant events and experiences. She started singing as a member of Vasi Nepdalstudio, then with Boglya Ensemble. She was still young when she began singing with the newly formed Anima Sound System, while at the same time she toured through the country as a member of Vandor Vokal (Wandering Vocal) performing polyphonic songs of different ethnicities. The four years spent working together with Makam propagating the amalgam of different musical styles and folk music also opened exciting musical perspectives for her.
Today she presents herself as a soloist in the folk music world of her homeland, and she is a guest singer with the Hungarian Folk Ensemble and with different folk bands. She often receives invitations from the eminent representatives of the genre of sung verses, such as Sebo Band. Being interested in old music styles, she has also worked together with lute artist Istvan Konya. As well as her performances with her own world music formation we can also hear her as the soloist of Etnofon Musical Association.
During the recording of the album "Hungarian Folk Poetry" she was invited to sing together with Marta Sebestyen, who, as her 'musical mother', also contributed to Szilvia’s solo album "Song preserves the Heartbeat of Time" in 2006. Among her performances abroad the most significant is her collaboration with the Flemish band Kadril. She won the title of "Young Master of Folk Arts" when just18, the Performers' Prize of Artisjus in 2004, and the eMeRTon Prize from Hungarian Radio in the category 'Folk Singer of the Year'.

Agnes HERCZKU
"Throughout ten years of amateur jazz ballet, one year of folk dance and two years of modern dance studies I could only toy with the idea that one day I would become a professional dancer... The further I advanced in my studies, the further I seemed to get away from the stage. So it took me by surprise when I was accepted by the Honved Dance Ensemble. Besides dancing, singing mostly played a role of secondary importance in my life."
In the dance group Agnes Herczku could increasingly test herself as a folk singer, and before long the music band of Honved Ensemble (later Fono Folk Band) invited her to perform vocals on their album, and since then she has continuously been invited to contribute to more and more albums. The scales finally tipped in favour of singing in 2003 when Laszlo Kelemen invited her to join the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, where she remains as vocal soloist. Apart from singing authentic folk music she has also worked with musicians from different musical genres (world music, pop, jazz), such as Pal Vasvari, Nikola Parov, Tibor Bornai, Mihaly Borbely, Herbie Mann, Dj Palotai and Gabor Juhasz. As well as p