The Hungarian Festival Presents Szikra Banda

Szikra plays traditional Hungarian dance music of the Csángó people from Gyimes, Romania. The energetic, ancient pulse of this music ignites the dancers’ fervor, and inspired the band name Szikra, which means “spark” in Hungarian. Csángó dances are lively and easy to follow, and include both line and couple dances, many with syncopated rhythms.

Emese leads Szikra on the woodwind instruments, furulya (short flute) and kaval (long flute); Chris plays doromb (mouth harp); Val plucks the koboz (lute); and Joseph provides percussion on dob (drum) and ütőgardon (hit cello). Szikra often plays with other musicians, adding to the richness of the music with additional woodwind and stringed instruments, such as hegedű (fiddle) and cimbalom (hammer dulcimer).

Since its formation in 2014, Szikra regularly performs at cultural events and Hungarian dance house parties (táncház-es) in Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., Michigan, New Jersey, and New York.

Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund. For information on events, go to MiddlesexCountyCulture.com.