Besh o droM are an incredibly creative Hungarian folk ensemble that blend the traditions with the current day, their staple being the kind of breakneck gypsy music that makes the Balkans proud, albeit with turntables, electric guitar or whatever else they can get their mitts on. They’ll steal from anywhere, their music this incredible fusion of Transylvanian, Jewish, Afghan, Bulgarian and Balkan traditions mashed into rock, jazz and folk. Yet it’s not a garish mishmash, these folks are master musicians, the tunes well composed and highly considered. Cultures and genres are simply putty in their hands. Their name means ride the road, something that they’ve been doing for the past ten years, with a non stop touring regime. Bob Baker Fish spoke with founding member Gergely Barcza.
Bob: How did the band begin? What were you originally trying to do?
Gergely: Adam and me played together since mid 90s, then I spent 4 years in Israel studying and playing middle-eastern music, visiting back to Budapest many times. These years we formed a trio of two saxophones and percussion. We played music very similar to Besh o droM`s repertoire. I moved back to Budapest and we formed a bigger group, we added guitar, bass, cimbalom (hungarian hammer dulcimer), vocals, accordion and violin and more percussion. Our aim was to make a repertoire with simple but fast, strong and groovy rhythms with traditional melodies and songs from the balkan and east-europe which make people dance and make us and them feel all right. The idea was excellent, the same year Besh o droM became successful in Hungary, and started touring in Europe next summer. We keep on playing all over the world for 10 years already.
Bob: Has this changed over time?
Gergely: The basic idea is the same, the way we reach it differs. Our line up is very different comparing how we started. We have drum set now, much stronger vocals, electric guitar. On the other hand we have almost the same horn section, and the traditional cimbalom-accordion section with derbuka that we had in the beginning. I think this line up allows to express the same things we want to say in much stronger way and in much wider scales.
Bob: I feel like there’s a real link with traditional music and new approaches/ technology in your music. What interests you in mixing the two?
Gergely: There are many musicians who preserve the way of playing traditional music. This is a very important mission but we enjoy living traditions much more. Violin, clarinet, saxophone, accordion and other western instrument were introduced to traditional folk music not long ago. Why not to play traditional melodies and rhythms on instruments of rock music, turntable or EWI (electric wind instrument) while keeping the most important tradition of this music: expressing the joy of life.
Bob: There is a real fusion of styles from many countries and traditions in your music? How has this come about?
Gergely: The most interesting point of composing Besh o droM`s music to put melodies, rhythms and songs of different nations of the neighborhood together. We try to create a “virtual folk music” of East-Europe the Balkan and the Middle-East while adding our own ideas as well.
Bob: You play so fast! Do you ever feel like it will get so fast that its out of control? Or that you will fall over? Why do you like to play music that is so fast? Do you drink too much coffee?
Gergely: Gypsy rooted dance music is usually fast. We enjoy it this way, the speed of the music gives us and the audience energy to play and dance faster and faster.
Bob: Your music makes me want to drink. Is this normal?
Gergely: This music expresses the joy of life. It always makes people dance and sometimes might make them drink too.
Bob: How does the band go about writing new music?
Gergely: We work on the repertoire of our 5th album, several pieces from this album will be played in the shows of Australian tour.
Bob: What has been your best live experience?
Gergely: I loved to play in Mexico, it`s unbelievable how people there feel the music. I enjoyed our show in Kosovo very much, many of our pieces are rooted from the surroundings, and the local audience was very happy with our “strange interpretation” of their music.
Bob: Do you feel a responsibility when playing overseas and around the world to represent Hungarian culture? What do you think your music says about you?
Gergely: Though there are many Hungarian songs and melodies among the pieces we play, we don`t directly represent Hungarian culture. With our own music we can show the existing or imaginary interactions of the cultures between Hungary and the neighboring nations and people. The homeland of this “virtual folk music” is East-Europe.
Bob: What can Australian audiences expect?
Gergely: Beautiful songs, fast, spinning melodies and rhythms, perfect for dancing and feel all right.
Besh o droM are playing Karavan, the first annual Gyspy music festival at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne on the 27th of Feb and Womadelaide between the 5th and the 8th of March in Adelaide.
Bob Baker Fish
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