Üsztürü was founded in 1992 by young Hungarian musicians while attending university in Kolozsvár [Cluj]. They were born in Transylvania and had close connections to the communities where Hungarian folk music was still a living tradition. They witnessed first hand how authentic, traditional folk music, played on acoustic instruments, has disappeared from village life, having been displaced by electronic instruments and Western pop music.
The members of the Üsztürü were fortunate to learn and play with the greatest masters of Transylvanian music. Some of them have passed away.
Many years of playing with these folk artists and studying, collecting their music makes the members of the Üsztürü special bearers of Transylvanian Hungarian music. They are dedicated to assuring the continued survival of a folk art form, which can rarely be found even in its indigenous surroundings. The Ensemble is also at home in performing all Hungarian folk musical dialects from the Austrian border to the Eastern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains.
The band includes István Moldovan – violin; Levente Major – violin; Jozsef Szász – bracsa; and Lörinc Szász – bass.
Discography:
Szárazfának Muzsikája – Transylvanian Village Music (Fonó Records, 1997)
Az Öregeké (Folk Európa, 2004)
USA 2007 – Transylvanian Village Music (2007)
Kalotaszegi Kontrasztok – Contrasts Of Kalotaszeg (2010)
Szászcsávasi Élményeink – Our Musical Impressions From The Village Of Szászcsávás (2016)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
