Hungarian Folk Music

Hungarian folk songs are very rich in themes and tunes. Hungarian people sang and sing about their joy, their sadness, if it rains, if it shines, if they are in love or out of love, in luck or out of luck.

Here are some of the songs and folk performances we find really characteristic of Hungarian folk music.

Fly Bird, Fly, a traditional Hungarian folk song performed by Muzsikas Band. The pictures in the video show one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, the Hungarian village of Holloko (a short trip from Budapest)

If you knew what I know (Ha te tudnad, amit en) Hungarian folk song from Kukullomente performed by Agnes Herczku and Nikola Parov

Little Bird Hungarian folk song performed by Bea Palya Hungarian folk singer

Black Bird traditional Hungarian folk song performed by Hungarian folk singers: Szilvia Bognar, Agi Szaloki (Szalóki Ágnes), Agnes Herczku

Love, Love – a sad Hungarian love long performed by Marta Sebestyen

The Szekler Anthem (Szekely himnusz) song performed in Hungarian by Borbala Hanga Kacso:

Ivanovics Tunde singing Hungarian songs

Csik Band (Csik Zenekar) peforming Hungarian folk songs from Vas county in western Hungary: old Wedding Czardas

Probably the most famous Hungarian folk song is Spring Wind Brings Waters (Tavaszi Szel Vizet Araszt. Here performed by Holdviola electro folk band:

Tavaszi Szel (Spring Wind) song is also featured on the Queen Budapest Concert Film performed by the amazing and unforgettable Freddy Mercury:

The most well known Hungarian Jewish folk song we currently know about: The Rooster is Crowing performed by Bea Palya with the Szefard Trio (also by Marta Sebestyen and Muzsikas here)

Cold Winds Blow performed by Marta Sebestyen and Muzsikas Band: a male dance music where slow and fast rhythms interlace, and the genre is called “rare and dense” (Ritka – Suru). The music was collected by Zoltán Kallos in 1969 in Ordongosfuzes in the Transylvanian region called Mezoseg (Mezőség) where Hungarian families live, Mezoseg is near the city of Cluj (today Romania). The lyrics are from Márta Sebestyén & Muzsikás.

Hungarian Folk Music Inspiring Contemporary Music and Vice Versa

Needless to say, traditional Hungarian music inspires contemporary genres, artists and there are many popular hits, which are well worth listening to.

Csik Folk Band (Csík Zenekar) performing a Hungarian indie rock slow love song from Quimby

Dance in the Snow by Ghymes Band playing world music takings its roots and motifs from Hungarian folk music

Lajko Felix, Magdolna Ruzsa: And They Say (Meg azt mondjak)

Star or Willow by Kispal es a Borz and Csik Band

Take One Way, I will Take the Other by Zuboly Beatbox singer performing a popular Hungarian folk song in beatbox style

Woods, Woods, Round Woods in Marosszek performed by Holdviola in a pop song style

Csango Boogie performed by Kerekes Band playing ethno funk folk music

Poems of Hungarian poets sang in folk music style / world music tunes. For instance the poem Little Dew Drop (Harmatocska) by Attila Jozsef sung by Sebo Band (Sebő Eggyüttes)

Bobita poem written by Sandor Weores sang by Ferenc Sebo and his band

Please share your favourite Hungarian folk or folk inspired songs in the comment section.