Band - Transsylvanians

Transsylvanians are a phenomena of today's roots-music scene. Based in Berlin, the four musicians create with their Hungarian Speed-Folk a mixture of rap, rock, Bartok, ska, punk and gypsyfolk. Their live appearances invariably turn into ecstatic dance orgies but Trannsylvanians can also seduce the audience with the ballads and love songs in their repertoire. The lust for life that characterizes their live shows. Through their constant touring they have become one of Germany's favourite live acts on the worldmusic scene.

The devilish violinist András Tiborcz, responsible for arranging and composing, whom the public love to carry on their hands, comes from Hungary and Hungarian is the language of the band’s songs. He sweeps the audience away with his energy-loaded, ferocious playing. The front-woman is Nagy Isabel. Her double-bass playing and voice meltdown into a deceptively gentle mood only to suddenly erupt with breath-taking energy. Add ambidextrous guitarist Hendrik Maass and powerhouse drummer Attila Czibi and you've got one hot goulash heavy on the paprika. This line-up evokes the stories of generations of Hungarian life as told in the traditional songs. The combination of their different musical backgrounds provides the creative tension of the band and produces exciting and vivid new music.

The name "Transsylvanians" is often with the Dracula myth and when that conjures up visions of a mysterious underworld where, in the night, bats go hunting and dark forces awake uncontrollable passions which drive people to madness, then this is not in the least inappropriate. Transsylvania, the musical source of the band, is a strip of land that belonged to Hungary until the First World War and is now part of Romania. Many people from different cultures live there: Hungarians, Romanians, Siebenbürgersachsens and Gypsies.

With many concerts in England, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, these musicians - from Hungary and Germany - show how music can connect people of different countries and generations.