Meszecsinka (pronounced “Mesetchinka”) is one of the leading Hungarian world music bands. The group combines folk music traditions from Hungary and Bulgaria with throat singing, Bulgarian-style vocal techniques, transfixing psychedelic atmospheres, flamenco, Middle Eastern sounds, progressive rock, and other influences.
The ensemble was formed in 2009 by singer and flutist Annamari Oláh, who sings in multiple languages, and multi-instrumentalist Emil Biljarszki.
The breakthrough for the band was the album “Awake in a dream” (2016), supported by Armenian-Russian guitarist and producer Karen Arutyunyan. It was regarded as one of the best world music albums of the year by Hungarian press. Moreover, the album won the Fonogram Music Award (the top Hungarian music award) for the best world music album of the year.
In 2017 Meszecsinka performed at the influential APAP (Association of the Performing Arts Presenters) conference and showcase with great success in New York City.
In 2018, the group played at top world music festivals, including Sziget Festival and FMM Sines in Portugal.
An album titled “Stand into the deep” was released in 2019 by Narrator Records (Hungary). The album featured Inuit throat singing, Siberian singing techniques, mobile phone recordings, and trance moods that resemble ancient rituals.
In 2019 Meszecsinka celebrated its 10th birthday with tours in Russia, Kazakhstan, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania. In 2020, despite the Corona Virus pandemic, they visited new countries, including Lithuania and Slovenia.
The lineup in 2022 included Annamária Oláh on vocals, flutes; Emil Biljarszki on keyboards, guitar; Szabolcs Takács on bass; and Dávid Krolikowski on percussion.
(headline image: Meszecsinka – Photo by Wurk Ikona)
Discography:
Meszecsinka (NarRator Records, 2012)
Live 2013 (2013)
Kinyílok (NarRator Records, 2014)
Álomban Ébren – Awake In A Dream (NarRator Records, 2016)
Állj Bele A Mélybe – Stand Into The Deep (Budapest Vinyl/CPL-Music, 2019)
Arnyek – Shadow (CPL-Music, 2022)
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.