Atilla Kaszap is a man with music in his mind, heart and soul and very much at his fingertips. Hungarian folk music, to be precise, in the form of an immense amount of passion and experience, a viola, three bands (including Goulasch Exotica) and the great, new, outdoor live music venue in Óbuda’s stunning Fő tér, next to the Zichy Castle, Kobuci Kert.
I met up with him under the shade of Kobuci Kert’s swaying tress, to chat about the new, family venture (he’s responsible for the music lineup at Kobuci), his musical roots, why folk music is so close to his heart, and why he sees the genre as misunderstood, changing in exciting ways and buzzing with parties and passion.
How would you describe Hungarian folk music?
Firstly, I’d say, it’s not what people expect. It’s not all about sticking to tradition – it’s about a very good party. It’s rock & roll, suitable for people aged 10-70. At a folk performance, people can get very involved with the musicians, by talking, drinking and dancing with them. The music brings people together. Its style is different from other parties, but in the end, it’s the same – in fact, I think it can be better. People don’t know this, though – we want to show people, here at Kobuci Kert.
How does it compare with other musical styles?
There’s a very big power within it, and very deep feelings. The tradition of instruments you use a bow for – things like the violin and viola – is very strong in Hungary, and Hungarian music has a stronger folk tradition than many countries. There are around 200,000 traditional Hungarian folk songs, for example; in Germany, there are around 10,000. Also, Hungarian people don’t only live in Hungary. They’re spread across Romania, Slovakia etc., which means that many cultures meet. I think this makes the music produced as a result a real cultural treasure – it’s got a very, very long history. It involves many, many instruments, many different types of songs, and many deep feelings.
I think if someone meets with the folk culture, at a táncház or whatever, it’s a much better way to spend your time than at a normal electro night, for example – it’s very good for your soul and has a very strong cultural basis. You’ll think over what you hear and it’ll enter your soul. I think folk music’s deep inside people in Hungary. You can go to a village in the middle of nowhere, start playing folk music and people are interested in it.
It’s only been open for around a month, so people may be unfamiliar with it. What’s Kobuci Kert all about?
I run it with my two brothers; I’m responsible for the lineup. 60 percent of the live music programme is based in or attached to Hungarian folk music; the rest alternates between jazz, blues, world, reggae and ska. All performances are free. We’ve got two and a half months left of the season, with live music every evening. After that, we’re looking into winter options… There are some big names on the bill, most of whom are friends of mine from the music industry here, so it all works out great… it also means there are some huge parties!
Which has been the biggest party of the season here, so far?
Besh o Drom, definitely! (ed. who are performing there again on August 18th, by the way)
Apart from the great music lineup, why else should we be heading to Kobuci Kert this summer?
Well, we’re different from other places because we use home-made syrups instead of multi-national brands in our drinks and cocktails. Things like bodza (elderflower) with wine, rum and fresh lime (this is called „mixcsür”); whisky with málna (raspberry) and Gin with bodza. We’ve also invented the Kobuci Sandwich, which is special bread topped with sour cream and garlic, fried kolbász (sausage), tomato and cucumber. That’s where the name of the place came from, too – from the two words Buci (the kind of bread) and kolbász.
You’re in more than one band yourself. Can you tell us a little about them?
I play the viola in three bands. Goulasch Exotica (as a band) is one year old. It used to function as a DJ set at the West Balkan club two years ago. After that, the DJ set was invited to parties, and eventually it was decided to form a band. We played at the Sziget Festival in our first year (2008).
Will you be at the festival this year?
No, I’ll be too busy with all the live music here!
Sorry, back to your bands…
My first band (which is still going) was Bivaly Zenekar. We play pure Hungarian folk, and have played at Gödör often. The second I joined was Folkerror (which is based in Debrecen). Again, this has its roots in Hungarian folk. Goulasch Exotica is something different again, but still with its roots in Hungarian folk music. You can find every style in it, though – jazz, funk, hip-hop, swing, dub, electro…
How did you become involved in folk music and the viola?
I’ve been playing the viola for about seven years; I’ve played music since the age of six. I started with classical piano and moved into folk music with the flute. The flute wasn’t enough for me, though – it’s not a difficult enough instrument. At the time, one of my older brothers started to play the violin, and a violin’s no use unless it’s played together with a viola. So, when I was around 16, I chose the viola – it was much more difficult than the flute. There was no folk tradition in our family before that. My brother and I were having music lessons from a guy in Pécel, near Budapest, and he taught folk music. We began on the flute and the zither, but we both felt like we nedeed more, and dreamed of playing on the violin and viola. After that, I studied music in Nyíregyháza, after high school, for five years, and have recently finished.
Where can people catch some great Hungarian folk in the city?
At a táncház, definitely. These are where you can meet with authentic Hungarian folk music. The biggest opportunities are at táncház nights at Gödör and here (Kobuci Kert). They happen every second Thursday, alternating between venues.
What can people expect from a táncház?
At Gödör, there’s always a big crowd – around 2,000 people. Due to its location, these nights are where more people meet with this tradition – and they love it, which is great. The music’s played inside, but obviously people spread themselves outdoors, too. At Kobuci Kert, around 800 people have tended to come. It’s always such a huge party.
And what about Goulasch Exotica? For people who aren’t familiar with the band, how would you describe their sound?
Our lyrics are almost all based upon traditional Hungarian folk songs. It’s an error, I think, to attach us to a Balkan music tradition, as many people do – we’re rooted in Hungarian folk, although some of our earlier tracks may have been Balkan influenced. I’d say 60 percent of our tracks are based upon songs that already exist, and we do something new with them. The rest are completely new creations, written by the members of the band. As a result, we call our kind of sound New Folk – which is something that’s quite common in Hungary at the moment.
As the lyrics are mainly in Hungarian, we can’t all understand them. What kind of themes are they about, and does life in contemporary Budapest and Hungary feature?
They’re about love and feelings, commonly. Many people also criticize the band, and in some tracks we provide them with an answer – in a funny way, of course. There’s a lot of humor in this band; the sense of humor is one of the most important things in it. We’re also inspired by contemporary society in Hungary, yes. With New Folk we’re aiming to give an answer to the situations we see. The situations aren’t always good, but we can learn a lot from them. We do comment upon the situation in Hungary in our music, but with a sense of humor. That’s so important for us – when we meet a problem, we face it with humor.
And when you’re not playing your own music, what do you listen to?
As folk musicians, we have to listen to a lot of folk music every day. It’s the best way to learn from it. Nowadays, I don’t like loud music – I used to like rock and metal. Now, I like world music, jazz, acid jazz and reggae. I like drum and bass parties sometimes, too, they can be fun, but only if I want to clear my head – I feel like that kind of music’s wasting my time a little. Folk’s better for your mind and soul!
And what new Hungarian acts should people look out for, in your opinion?
I like Maszkura és a Tücsökraj, at the moment. They’re quite a new band. And Besh o Drom, of course, but they’re not new.
There seems to have been a recent surge of interest in Hungarian folk music. Why do you think that might be?
Yes, there definitely has been. There was a time when people thought it wasn’t trendy, that it was conservative and there were no parties involved. Now, though, with the help of bands who are playing folk in a modern way – acts like Napra, Csík Zenekar, FolkError, Zuboly, Kerekes Band and Goulasch Exotica – people have been shown that it’s very fun and exactly the opposite. Because of táncház nights at places like Gödör, lots of people have gone and had a great time, too, which has helped.
There always seems to be so much collaboration happening between musicians in Hungary. How much happens within the folk circuit?
A lot. Every folk musician can play with anyone else playing folk music. It’s a common language; if you speak it, you can play it together with anyone else who speaks the same language.
And what kind of collaborations do Goulasch Exotica get involved in?
Quite a few. We often work with Ferenczy György, who plays the harmonica and violin. He often comes with us. We’ve also worked with the singer Szalóki Ági, KRSA (from PASO) and 30Y’s Beck Zoli.
What do you think it is about Budapest that makes collaborations and cross overs between acts so common?
Well, Budapest’s a small place!
You’ve played throughout Europe. Where’s been the best gig so far?
Paris. Goulasch Exotica had won a prize in Hungary – the Zene Ünnepe (The celebration of Music), which meant we were invited to Paris to perform in front of the institute of Hungary. We travelled there with other acts who’d won the award, who all spoke the same musical language. We were all then mixed with a French crowd, which was really interesting.
And the best festival gig in Hungary so far this year?
Definitely EFOTT. We played on the Red Bull Music Clash Stage, where the idea was for two bands to fight for the audience. The competition was judged by the volume of the crowd. We played on two stages opposite each other; we played opposite the band Beatrice. We both played the same tracks in our own style, and the band with the loudest crowd won. And we won – which was great, as Beatrice are a 30-year-old, well-known act, and we’re only in our second year.
Catch Folkerror and Goulasch Exotica at the Vidámpark (Theme Park) at Városliget, August 8th, and Goulasch Exotica at Kobuci Kert, August 28th. See www.kobuci.hu for the full Kobuci Kert Summer lineup… we’ll be heading there for pit-stop warm-up drinks and tunes throughout the Sziget Festival in particular!
www.kobuci.hu
www.goulaschexotica.com
www.folkerror.hu
Amy Weston