Budapest Sun: Beáta Palya branches out

BEÁTA Palya, one of the freshest Hungarian folk singers with an inclination towards world-music, has released her first solo album. Ágról - ágra (From branch to branch), revitalizes Hungarian folk music with its combination of music from Bulgaria, Persia, Romania, Melanesia and gypsy culture.

The Budapest Sun (Volume XI, Issue 48, 2003/11/27)

The 17 tracks on Ágról - ágraare arrangements of folk melodies from different cultures - mostly Hungarian - interpreted by Palya's expressive voice and accompanied by traditional instruments. The lyrics are printed in Hungarian, English and French, which gives a unique opportunity for non-Hungarians to better understand the context of Magyar folk music.

"Like the title of the album, I feel like a bird gliding from branch to branch in different musical traditions, searching for myself and the way to communicate with the public," said 27-year-old Palya.

With the inclusion of three poems from Psyché by Sándor Weöres, set to music by Palya, the singer tries to tell us a little about herself. "Like the protagonist of Psyché, half gypsy, half noble, I have half gypsy origins, with a grandfather that played the contrabass in a gypsy band. Weöres had a very good eye to see the complexity of women, sweet and passionate at the same time."

Palya's vibrating voice, although debuting here with a solo album, comes from a background of 10 years singing varied styles of folk music in a large number of groups.

She started with the Moldavian music of the group Zurgó, when she moved from Bag to Budapest. After that first experience, she went through folk and jazz fusion with Laokoón Csoport, ballad and troubadour tradition with Sebô Ensemble, musical theater with Szôke "Bladder Circus" Szabolcs, Moldavian folk with Kárpátia, Jewish folk music with the Nemes Bruders Ensemble, Balkan melodies with Daraduna, an innovative fusion with classical organist László Fassang, and world-music with Folkestra.

Released last September in Budapest and later on in Paris, Palya's album could give new wings to Hungarian folk to fly further towards international scene, with its immediately lively and sensitive music.

The emerging Hungarian artist will represent her country in the international concert The World Meets Manos. And she will perform together with 11 other musicians from all around the world during the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

After her last performance on November 13 within the literary evening of The Bardroom, she is expected to be singing next on December 6 at 9pm at Fonó (XI District, Sztregova u . 3).

Ágról - ágra (From branch to branch)
Artist: Beáta Palya
Label: Orpheia

Marçal Vinyals