Click here for episodes of Tanchaz Talk featuring music and stories.
Live from Chicago at the HUNGARIAN OPEN UNIVERSITY: Recorded live in Chicago after the 2nd annual “Magyar Szabadegyetem” (Hungarian Open or Free University), Kalman gives the highlights from this groundbreaking event, including recorded clips from presentations, concerts, and interviews. Highlighted participants include Anna DeCheke Qualls (Washington DC), Tomohiko Yamaguchi (Japan/Kansas), Drusza Band (Hungary/Kentucky), Sydney Jozsa and Trena Hoebee (Winnipeg), Janos Szabo and Szilveszter Sikentancz (Hungary). Released on December 18, 2023.
On the Road with GABOR DOBI and ATTILA KRASZNAI: Recorded in a Subaru during a wintery drive on Ontario’s highways, Gabor and Attila join Kalman on the road to discuss a wide array of topics. Gabor is one of the main figures in Canada’s Hungarian folk dance scene, and Attila is one of North America’s top Hungarian folk musicians. Interview highlights: the early days of Tanchaz in Hungary and Canada; the magic of Gyimes; tips for playing bass; working with Fitos Dezso; pioneering days of Hungarian folk music on the internet; and even some special call-in guests! Released on November 22, 2022.
Master Class: Nyaradmenti Primer with Soma Salamon (Doctor of Liberal Arts), Research Fellow at the Institute of Musicology in Budapest, Program Editor of traditional music genres in Budapest’s House of Music (Hungary) and one of Hungary’s most in-demand folk musicians and teachers. Master Class series episodes comprehensively explore the complex mysteries of Hungarian folk music. Recorded LIVE before an audience at the Csipke Camp 2022 in Michigan, examining the musical and dance intricacies of the Nyaradmente region of Transylvania. Released on July 7, 2022.
TANCHAZ AT 50 – “Best Of” Tanchaz Talk Interviews: Celebrate the 50th birthday of the Tanchaz movement by enjoying some of the best moments of Tanchaz Talk Interviews episodes together with never-before released Hungarian folk music. This episode replays some of the more memorable, inspirational, and insightful Tanchaz Talk Interviews clips with Steve Kotansky, Kalman Dreisziger, Peter Levai, Lili Fundak-Kaszai, Walt Mahovlich, Levente Szekely, Lajos “Lecso” Miklos, Colleen Bertsch, Levente Fazakas, Zsigmond “Zsigi” Vucic, Soma Salamon, Mark Marczyk, Zina Bozzay, Sylvie Paquette-Fritsch, Raif Hyseni, and Peter Arendas. Released on June 12, 2022.
ZINA BOZZAY bridges together Hungarian villages and people around the world as she researches, teaches, performs, and arranges traditional Hungarian folk songs. She was born in San Francisco and lives in Budapest, was educated at the prestigious Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and spearheads multiple international projects including offering classes and presentations with thousands of participants every year from dozens of countries on six continents, as well as working as a mentor to artists of the Hungarian Heritage House’s International Portfolio helping them make Hungarian folk music accessible to international audiences. Interview highlights: how Zina grew closer to Hungarian roots; the critical influence of mentors; how folk singing was integrated in everyday village life, and the therapeutic effect it might have in our own lives; tips on how to make folk music accessible to audiences worldwide; and a preview of Zina’s upcoming class series. Much more information available at www.zinabozzay.com. Released on January 9, 2022.
PETER LEVAI is a professor and department head at the Hungarian Dance Academy’s Master of Arts folkdance education program, a highly experienced and widely published researcher and instructor, and a former legendary folkdancer with the Hungarian State, Kodaly Chamber and Budapest Dance Ensembles. Interview highlights: the importance of living (and dancing!) authentically; observations from over 35 years of teaching in North America; the impactful early days of putting authentic village dancing on the stage; and the four foundational building blocks of all folkdance. Released on October 29, 2021.
Master Class: Life and Work of Béla Bartók with Soma Salamon, Lecturer at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and one of Hungary’s most in-demand folk musicians and teachers. Master Class series episodes comprehensively explore the complex mysteries of Hungarian folk music. Episode highlights: Bartók’s prolific research journeys; his brilliant methods of collecting, analyzing and categorizing folk music; Bartók’s fascinating conclusions regarding inter-ethnic music; how his world-famous compositions incorporated elements of his research; and his relationship with Zoltán Kodály. Released on September 13, 2021.
SYLVIE PAQUETTE-FRITSCH is one of the beating hearts of the Quebec-Ontario Hungarian community and a singer, musician, dancer, and co-founder of the Gyanta Hungarian Folk Band, with a wide spectrum of professional experience ranging from farming to IT. Interview highlights: insights gained from traveling the world; tips on maintaining Hungarian identity in children when your spouse isn’t Hungarian; the power of self-help courses; the importance of the “Nők a Népzenében” Facebook page for girls and women; dealing and coping with severe tragedy; and announcing Gyanta’s Herd [Heard] Immunity Tour in September 2021. Released on August 17, 2021.
ZSIGMOND “ZSIGI” VUCIC was born in Switzerland and now lives in the Gyimes valley of Transylvania. He is a passionate collector, presenter and producer of Hungarian folk music as well as a successful project manager in the international business world. Interview highlights: Zsigi’s unusual journey from the Swiss Alps to Transylvania’s Carpathian Mountains; what’s it like living in the mystical Gyimes valley; the secret to the power of the music of Szaszcsavas; the origins of his widely-followed SvejciFarkas YouTube channel; and what a “project manager” really does. Released on April 5, 2021.
Master Class: Genesis of Hungarian Folk Music Research with Soma Salamon, Lecturer at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and one of Hungary’s most in-demand folk musicians and teachers. Master Class series episodes comprehensively explore the complex mysteries of Hungarian folk music. Episode highlights: peeling off the layers of ethnomusicology; early researchers in the 19th century; Béla Vikár’s first-ever phonograph recording of Hungarian folk music; and Béla Bartók’s remarkable encounter with a Székely handmaiden. Released on March 6, 2021.
LILI FUNDAK-KASZAI is one of Hungary’s most creative, enterprising, and highly acclaimed folk dancers and singers. She co-directs the prolific Angyalföldi Vadrozsa Ensemble, is a former winner of the Fölszállott a Páva nationally televised folk competition, and is a brilliant singer who has performed widely with the world music sensation Besh o droM and the internationally-known Zagyva Folk Band. Interview highlights: the secret recipe in growing and maintaining a large folkdance group in Hungary; how an unlikely phone call led to her joining Besh o droM; challenges to excelling in a generally male-dominated folkdance world; what winning the Fölszállott a Páva did for her career; and tips on how to draw inspiration for folkdance choreographies. Released on December 27, 2020.
RAIF HYSENI is one of the most well-known Albanian musicians in the world, a highly respected folk music teacher, and the accordionist, arranger and bandleader for his wife, the legendary singer Merita Halili. Interview highlights: how the plight of Albanians in Kosovo, Raif’s home, resembles that of the Hungarians in Transylvania; the cultural richness of Yugoslavia and Raif’s initial exposures to Hungarian folk music; an overview of the diverse Albanian folkloric regions and how best to learn folk music; the progression of folk music into more contemporary styles in the Balkans; the experience of living in New Jersey and sharing Albanian culture in America; and unveiling Raif’s groundbreaking new CD. Released on December 6, 2020.
PETER ARENDAS is a Doctor of Liberal Arts, a professor in the Folk Strings Program at Budapest’s Liszt Academy of Music, one of Hungary’s most in-demand kontra (viola) players, and has been a bedrock for Tanchaz-related programming for decades (including as musical director of the annual Táncháztalálkozó). Interview highlights: loving what you do, and doing what you love; managing fatherhood and family in the midst of chaos; how to best learn Tanchaz music (hint: it could be more about the musicians than the music); the birth and legacy of the Tükrös ensemble; how the future of Hungarian folk music might resemble its past; and how to make the perfect fröccs (spritzer). Released on November 13, 2020.
MATEUSZ ETYNKOWSKI lives in Zakopane (Poland), grew up in Toronto (Canada), and has been at the forefront of the Carpathian folk music and dance revival scene for decades. Interview highlights: delving into the music and dance of Carpathian Mountain regions, from Poland’s Podhale to Transylvania’s Gyimes; the good and bad of the “Polish Tanchaz” movement; the miracle of music and child development; adopting folklore as a lifestyle; and the lasting impact of influential mentors. Released on October 18, 2020.
EVA & ANDRAS KOVESDY of Melbourne, Australia have been central leaders of the Australian-Hungarian community for decades. In this interview, we go deep into the Land Down Under and uncover the vibrant Hungarian folk life on the continent. Interview highlights: development of Hungarian performing groups in Australia; overview of the continent’s Hungarian communities, from dance and music groups to festivals and camps; jaw-dropping Transylvanian experiences; and the beauty, and challenges, of living in Australia. Released on September 18, 2020.
MARK MARCZYK is the violin-playing frontman of the world-famous Lemon Bucket Orkestra, one of the key creative figures in Toronto’s performing arts scene, and a pivotal builder and connector of folk music communities. Interview highlights: the journey from captaining the Canadian junior rugby team to ringleading a Juno-nominated band; his life-altering Tanchaz experience and key lessons learned at the Csipke camp; performing in Hungary and Transylvania; and what the future might, or might not, hold. Released on September 4, 2020. (Note there are some audio issues during the introduction but they are in general resolved once the interview gets going.)
LEVENTE FAZAKAS is widely regarded as Transylvania’s top Tanchaz violinist, and is the musical director of the Háromszék Dance Ensemble and popular Heveder band. Interview highlights: secrets to success in winning a prímás competition; the unique camaraderie between Transylvanian musicians; how to unleash the full potential of students; Prince Charles’ favorite Transylvanian men’s dance; and balancing family life as a full-time musician. Released on August 31, 2020.
WALT MAHOVLICH is a key figure in North America for the preservation and performance of music from the Carpathian Basin and South Slavic nations. Interview highlights: growing up in the Hungarian city of Cleveland; the functional role of “nota”; the Harmonia Band and how to craft an evocative and emotional experience for American audiences; and how being a full-time musician impacted Walt’s relationship with music. Released on August 24, 2020. COLLEEN BERTSCH has a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology with a focus on Transylvanian music, and is the lead violinist of Szaszka. Interview highlights: transitioning from the traditional classical to the village folk world; what it takes to be an ethnomusicologist; travel adventures in Transylvania on a Fulbright scholarship; and the time a group of musicians from Kalotaszeg came to her rescue. Released on August 21, 2020.
LAJOS MIKLOS (“Lecsó”) has been one of the driving forces in Vancouver’s Hungarian folk dance and music community since the 1980’s. Interview highlights: the typical upbringing of a folk dancer in the diaspora; the pattern of community rifts developing and resolving; the early struggles of creating a Tanchaz culture in Western Canada; and the game-changing impact of Transylvanian research trips. Released on August 18, 2020.
LEVENTE SZEKELY has ascended to the highest levels of his craft, both as a Hungarian diplomat (holding the rank of Ambassador) and a musician (as a violinist for the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble). Interview highlights: growing up in the oppressive Ceausescu regime; secret spies and the birth of the Transylvanian Tanchaz; tips for diplomatic success; and Nagysajo, home of the highest form of folk chamber music. Released on August 16, 2020.
STEVE KOTANSKY has been a prolific folk dance teacher, performer and researcher for five decades, and has probably taught more Hungarian dancing to non-Hungarians in the U.S. than anyone else. Interview highlights: what makes Hungarian dancing so special; insights from the masters; teaching from the ground-up rather than from the head-down; fortuitous missed train connections; and an inspirational pep-talk for all dancers. Released on August 14, 2020.
SOMA SALAMON is an ethnomusicologist, university lecturer, and folk musician in Hungary. Interview highlights: how the town of Tordas became the Hollywood of the Tanchaz movement; coming up as the son of Village Intelligencia and confronting the Balkan Family Model; teaching ethnomusicology and folk music at the Liszt Academy, Kodaly Institute, and beyond; and how North America is living the Golden Age of the folk revival movement. Released on August 9, 2020.
KALMAN DREISZIGER is a leading Hungarian folk dance expert, author, and organizer, as well as a now-retired creative director in the advertising industries of Toronto and Montreal. Interview highlights: the earth-shattering experience of witnessing his first Tanchaz; his involvement in the evolution of presenting folk dance on stage; brief overview of Hungarian folk dance history; and the advertising, commercialization, and future of folk music and dance. Released on August 6, 2020.