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About the Band
The Életfa Hungarian Folk Band is from the New Jersey/New York area. The Ensemble treats its audiences to a high-energy, entertaining tour of Hungarys folk music, song and dance culture, guided throughout by engaging narrative and demonstrations. The groups members specialize in and present the authentic, archaic folklore from the villages of present-day Hungary, Transylvania, Romania, Slovakia and beyond, delivered in a style suitable for Western audiences. The members of Életfa are all driven by their love and respect for Hungarian folk music and dance, the importance in preserving Hungarian dance, music and culture in North America, and the dedication to performing and spreading the joy of music, song and dance.
Since its formation in 1987, Életfa has performed at venues such as Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, Epcot Center, Library of Congress, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Empire State Building, Clearwater Revival Festival, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Liberty State Park, Manhattans Town Hall, World Trade Center, Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference, Washington Press Club, American Museum of Natural History (Manhattan), and several New York clubs, including Satalla, Tonic, CB Gallery, and the Knitting Factory. Their concert performances are augmented by various band members dancing proficiency or guest dancers, demonstrating the beauty and energy of Hungarian folkdance.
Életfa played at Lincoln Center with the New York Philharmonic in a "Behind the Music" program featuring the music of Brahms, hosted by actor Alec Baldwin. Életfa has also performed as part of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's community-oriented program.
The band has appeared in cities throughout North America, including Austin, New Orleans, Sarasota, Toronto, San Francisco, Columbus, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Montreal, Houston, Washington, D.C., Miami, Boston, Calgary and Cleveland.
Életfa has performed several times at the Hungarian Consulate in New York and the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and has played at the Governors Mansions in New York (for Governor Pataki) and New Jersey (for Governor McGreevey).
The group has appeared with several well-known Hungarian artists, including Kálmán Balogh, János Csik, András Berecz, Dénes Hruz, Zsuráfszky Zoltán, and Ferenc Tobak. Életfa has accompanied top dance groups of the United States and Canada and has played for audiences at countless festivals, camps, workshops, and solo performances. The ensemble has played live on WFMU (91.1 FM) in New Jersey and has received considerable airplay on U.S. and Hungarian radio, including on WNYC (93.9 FM).
Életfas music was featured in a music video produced by Link TV, created by Steven Harper. The music video won an award at the NYU Film Festival and was featured at WOMEX 2005 during Link TVs presentation called Best Video Finds of 2005.
Életfa has been the house band for established Hungarian communities throughout the United States and Canada, such as New Brunswick and Passaic in New Jersey, Cleveland and Toledo in Ohio, and even Livingston Parish (Árpádhon) in Louisiana. The band also hosts regular Táncházes [folk dance gatherings] in the New York metropolitan area. The group works often with dancer Aron Szekely of New York.
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