HMF 2019 to feature Borsa band from Romania

Borsa Band from Romania will be performing at the forthcoming Hornbill Music Festival as part of the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland.

Task Force for Music & Arts (TaFMA) advisor Theja Meru said that Borsa band’s visit to Nagaland is being made possible by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Meru thanked Akhilesh Mishra, director general ICCR for his enthusiastic and all support to make this happen.

TaFMA also informed that Borsa band will perform at the main arena Kisama on December 4 at 4:30 PM and at Kohima Night Bazaar on the evening of December 5.

Borsa Band plays folk music from Moldva. Moldva is a region in Romania populated by many nations. 

A Hungarian speaking population called Csango have lived here since the Middle Ages. Moldva is the cultural border between Central Europe and the Balkan.

The tunes of Moldva simultaneously reflect the ethnical diversity. The Moldvaian dances also rooted in the renaissance and been danced in circles, lines and pairs.

In Hungary, the “Dance house-movement” unfolded in the seventies, the folklore treasure collected by the folk music- and folkdance-researchers has been revived. The dance houses - where the dances and tunes of the Hungarian populated lands were played - have been visited by more and more people.

Visiting the contemporary native musicians and collect the old records allowed them present day to know and live our traditions in the most authentic way.

As Ferenc Sebo folklore musician said: “The tradition mustn’t be cured, because it isn’t ill, mustn’t be guarded, because it isn’t a prisoner. Our traditions could be remained only if we live them.”

This idea has found many followers and at the present day - besides the other Hungarian music dialects - the Moldvaian dance and music is popular in the whole country.

The Borsa Band was founded by a group of friends in 2011. A violin, flutes, koboz (an East European type of luth) and singing these are the instruments of their music. On the original recordings, their setup is not typical, because mostly only one tune-instrument played together with the backup-instrument.

Last year, beside its monthly dance houses, the band performed on several stages for example the national Ars Sacra music festival in Budapest. In 2019, they have been to Poland several times to hold workshops in cultural events.

Borsa band consists; musicians-Noémi Réfi –violin, Katica Manninger – singing, Péter Tóth- flutes and Olivér Tóth – koboz. Dancers: Flóra Csente, Gabriella Erdei, Márk Bence Dunai and Gergo Porvai.

(MExN)