Blogcikkeinkben bepillantást adunk mindennapjainkba, eseményeinkbe és terveinkbe. Írásaink folyamatosan frissülnek, hogy közelebb hozzuk hozzád mindazt, amit képviselünk – a hagyományt, a közösséget, zenét, táncot és mindenek felett a kapcsolódás élményét.
This weekend will remain special and unforgettable in every way for Folktone Productions. On Friday, within the warm and welcoming walls of The Rosemary Organic Hungarian Restaurant in Chester, we debuted our very first collaboratively curated programme in partnership with Viola Dance Ensemble Brussels as well as Hunique Dance London. This was a true celebration that laid the groundwork for the success of many weeks and months ahead. Saturday marked the long-awaited Chester Hungarian Cultural Day, where we had the honour of performing not only for a wonderful audience but also for the Mayor of Chester, who graced us with her presence. Throughout the performance, we played music, danced, and sang – wholeheartedly, attentively, and in harmony with our audience. The band was led by Bence Vörösmarty, with vocals by Gabriella Fekete, violas by Tamás Ferencz, and double bass by Nándor Kiss. Our dancers – Borbála Máté, Ferenc Robinek (Viola Dance Ensemble Belgium) and Dóra Máté, Adrienn Galambos, and Szabolcs Tolnai (Hunique Dance London) brought the stage vividly to life. This event could not have happened without the heartfelt organisation of Hilda Szász – we are truly grateful for the opportunity and the inspiring example she sets through her dedication to community work. Our thanks also go to the team at The Rosemary Organic Hungarian Restaurant for their warm hospitality and open-hearted welcome. Finally a special shout-out to those who supported us behind the scenes: Attila Babenyecz, András Szabó, and András-Levente Nyilas – we owe you one. Celebrating together is a joy. Thank you, Chester!
Over the weekend, members of our Folktone team once again brought music, dance, and joy to the Coventry Hungarian School and Family Community (Comat). Led by Ádám Rőmer and Regina Nagy, our sessions featured live music, singing, and folk dance teaching for children and adults alike – all in a warm and welcoming environment that we were thrilled to return to. Our connection with Comat goes back many years, and it’s always a pleasure to be invited back. Each visit reaffirms our belief in the power of shared cultural experiences, and how Hungarian folk traditions can build strong communities – even far from home. Thank you to Comat for the invitation and to everyone who participated so openly and joyfully – we’re already looking forward to the next one!
The Römer Family and members of Folktone Productions recently took part in the final folk music weekend course of the season — the Metakurzus in Balatonboglár. Surrounded by passionate teachers, friendly faces, and the beautiful lakeside atmosphere, it was the perfect setting to share and deepen our love for traditional music. The weekend was a celebration of community and sound — full of laughter, connection, and, of course, music. With excellent colleagues, inspiring sessions, and a well-organised team, it was both effortless and joyful to teach and learn folk music together. We’d like to express our warmest thanks to everyone involved — especially to Tücsi Szalai, Havasréti Pál, Rácz Gyula, Zoltán Bobár, and Fekete Bori — for their energy, openness, and dedication. Until next time — köszönjük szépen! 🎻✨
The weekend surrounding the 20th of May brought not only a birthday celebration but a real community festival for Folktone Productions. One of our lead violinists and co-founder, Bence Vörösmarty, celebrated his birthday with a vibrant, three-stop weekend full of music, joy and connections. On 17th of May, we were invited by the senior group of the Szeged Dance Ensemble to a warm and cheerful house party on Katica Street. The next day, Bence performed in Mártély while Tomi played music in Szentes – and throughout the weekend, friendships blossomed, professional collaborations took root, and new community bonds were woven. The richness of events over the weekend was once again carried by instinctive cooperation and a shared passion for the arts. Our journey led us from Katica Street to the "Szúnyogos" meadow, and from a “holy” evening to Szentes – where we were welcomed at each stop with warmth, hospitality, dancing, music, and a truly fantastic birthday cake. Once again – and surely not for the last time – we wish Bence a very happy birthday! 🎉 As a gift, he had the opportunity to memorize 34 new choreographies’ music this month, along with 10 original pieces of his own – which we look forward to presenting in England very soon. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us – the power of music and community truly knows no bounds.
They say it’s good form to sometimes express who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we’re headed—in numbers. That would probably require some sort of reflection, maybe a bout of boredom, or a comfy armchair. We don’t have any of those—but we do have a Google Calendar, and it tells us that the Folktone Duo made its debut in December 2013 in London at Dragon Hall. We officially became the Folktone Band in 2014. Over the past 10 years, we’ve averaged around fifty appearances a year across the UK, which brings us to roughly 500 performances to date. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we entertained our audience with online concerts and educational videos. Folktone has become a regular guest in over 20 cities across Britain, and the number of places we’ve visited is holding steady at 85… for now. Each number comes with a memory. A little girl, fluent in three languages, learning Hungarian folk violin in England. A Hungarian-Japanese-English trio and a bassist from Hódmezővásárhely playing Szék dances together. A Hungarian carnival in Belgium where someone dressed up as Ludas Matyi. A right-hand-drive car packed with folk instruments and musicians. The Oxford crowd dancing Moldavian steps inside St Peter’s Church. A Japanese pianist from the Bach to Baby series performing English lullabies with violin and viola accompaniment. The curiosity and applause that greeted our drum-gardon at the Royal Albert Hall. Guest performances in Germany. Györgyfalva folk camps. Rhymes performed in Welsh. Computázás in Ireland. An online concert in masks. The first second-generation Hungarian dance ensemble. Scottish-Hungarian collaborations. Workshops and workshop parties. Táncház hits. Musician and dancer friends living in Hungary, the US, Belgium, Switzerland—and who knows where else—appearing here in the UK. Old and new loves. Renewal and continuation. Each number is a story. Maybe that matters to someone. As for me, I’m done talking numbers.
I first met Nándor Kiss, the double bassist from Hódmezővásárhely, during my childhood as a folk dancer. He was a young adult, and I was a sensitive little kid. Nándi was funny, I was timid. He was always the center of attention, while I was that weird little boy whom only a few people seemed to understand—or even wanted to. But Nándi smiled, and made others smile too. He kept smiling even when the others were already slapping the table in laughter at his stories. His sense of humor, knowledge, polymath spirit, and love for the folk revival scene of the ’80s and ’90s make him a model figure among that generation. He can write his own biography later, but for now, let’s just say this: in the ’80s and ‘90s, there would have been hardly any folk music in Hódmezővásárhely if it weren’t for Ancsa Sófalvy, Sára Kosahuba, and Nándor Kiss. For years, they were the only functioning folk band in town. After them came the flood—no new generation followed, and until the folk music school was established, we were essentially folk music importers in a town otherwise full of untapped musical talent. Today, we’ve got Csürhe, Róna, Feri Gyöngyösi, camps, and more. It’d be great to get together for a folk music time-travel reunion. If you’re reading this, pass it on! As the Folktone Trio (Ádám Rőmer, Tamás Ferencz, and Nándor Kiss), we returned home in February 2023 at the invitation of Ferenc Gyöngyösi. We gave a concert at Penna Club, which serves as the concert and dance house venue for the Fonó Club of Hódmezővásárhely. And after that… came the dance house. 😄 It felt strange. Half an hour before the concert, the room started to fill up—just like it always used to. Normally, around that time we’d be tuning, rosining bows, sipping coffee, and getting mentally ready for the evening, to avoid tension and ensure a joyful vibe on stage. But this evening was completely different. Half an hour before the concert, our old friends, former ensemble leaders, musician and dancer companions, and family members started to arrive—accompanied by a local TV reporter and camera crew. We had no idea how to process what was happening. Where should we start? What should we think? Who should we turn to first? Who do we greet—or hug—first? It was an amazing experience. And terrifying. Both at the same time. “These people have known us since we were kids. Some of them even changed our diapers. There’s no bullshitting or business-smiling here. You need to be present—NOW!” screamed our brains. And while that was happening, we collectively forgot everything we’ve learned in the last decade about performing folk music. The concert… well, it showed. We messed up the gardon, stumbled through parts of our most well-rehearsed setlists, and mumbled our introductions like a troupe of nervous monkeys. Luckily, the dance house that followed brought relief. It was full almost until the end—with old and new friends, familiar faces, and family. We were especially happy to be joined by folk musicians from Hódmezővásárhely and Szeged: Alex Szabó and Vili Rácz on viola, Feri Gyöngyösi on cello, Enikő Magyar, Bence Vörösmarty (our meeting deserves its own book—I’ll let you know when it’s done), Fanni Miklós on violin, and Ibolya Eszteró on double bass. We had a fantastic time and are still deeply grateful to the people of Hódmezővásárhely for their warm welcome. 🙂