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History:
The Ghymes band -
consisting of Hungarians living in Slovakia - was founded
at the College of Education in Nitra in 1984, by musicians
with different preliminary musical experiences from classical
through rock and Renaissance music.
The years past have been like a
"musical purgatory" for them. Folk elements have gradually
clung together with their own individual musical ideas
and GHYMES MUSIC was born.
The rhythm of the music
has become tighter and sharper. In addition to traditional
instruments (violin, viola, dulcimer, bagpipe, contrabass,
lute, koboz, kalabash zither, Turkish pipe) the band has
started using saxophones and drums - and without having even
noticed it they have gotten included in the WORLD MUSIC
category.
"GHYMES MUSIC" is
rooted in Hungarian and Central-Eastern European folk
traditions. Their Ars Poetica is the universality of music.
Through their music they seek similarities and not differences
in people. And these similarities have always been found
whenever they appeared on stage - people of different cultures
in different parts of the world have welcomed them warm-heartedly
(Japan, Iraq, Jordan, Finland, USA, Canada).
They believe that the energy and "magic" of live music is both
the condition and cause of their success.
Ghymes composed music for
several theatrical productions and companies: - Outdoor Theater
of Komárom, Hungary, - Our Lives, 1995; National Theater of Budapest,
Hungary,-St. Peter's Umbrella, 1996; Tanztheater Wuppertal /Pina
Bausch/ 2000.
In the year of 2000 Ghymes
had the opportunity to attend two remarkable events: The
WORLD EXPO 2000 in Hanover (Day of Hungary) and the official
celebrations of the New Millennium in Hungary (St, Stephen's
day, Aug. 20th, 2000).
Smaragdváros (Emerald City) was produced by
EMI Records
and came out in Hungary in November 2000.
In March 2001, it was #11 on the World Music Charts Europe.
The same year saw the coming out of the band's lyrics writer,
Szarka Tamás's anthology of poems titled
VÁVÁVÁ
published by Szellemkép Publishing House.
The band was awarded the prizes
"For Hungarian Art" and "Don Quiote", which was originated by
Vámos Miklós, in 2001.
In 2002 the band was also awarded
the Hungarian Radio and Television Co's eMeRTon Prize in the category
of the Year's Hungarian band from beyond the frontier and the newly
published album titled
Üzenet (Message) coming out in 2001 again was Golden Giraffe
prize-winner awarded by MAHASZ in the category of the best homeland jazz/word music.
The same year saw the albums titled Rege (Legend), a Smaragdváros (Emerald City) and
A nagy mesealbum (The Big Fairy Tales) becoming platinum records, and
Bennünk van a kutyavér (Dog's Blood's Inside Us),
Tűzugrás (Firejump) becoming golden records.
The album Bennünk van a kutyavér (Dog's Blood's Inside Us), which was originally designed for children,
was declared teaching material by the Ministry Of Education in 1999.
The eighth album titled
Héjavarázs (Hawkspell) was
produced by EMI
and came out in November 2002.
The release titled Héjavarázs (Hawkspell) became a platinum record in three months, and it also won the
MAHASZ Golden Giraffe Award in 2003 in the category "the jazz/world music album of the year".
In March 2003 Di-Color Studio came
out with a book titled GHYMES about the band's 18-year long career.
"Ghymes is the only Hungarian band, which can authentically
create and implement new ideas on a folk basis without it becoming
Central-European Barnstorming."
László Matczkó, Hungarian Section, BBC London
"Let's give it 50 or a few times 50 minutes and let the music
of Ghymes stir up or even choke and tenderly rock you at the same time.
"Firejump" would purify our environmentally polluted souls."
Gömbölyös, KURÍR /The Courier Budapest, Hungary
"Ghymes is like a real pearl of the Hungarian musical culture,
it is modern, humane, and of the Hungarian diaspora."
Other Side PC Magazine Budapest, Hungary
"There are many years of hard work behind
Ghymes' new release Smaragdváros (Emerald City).
World Music is improving, getting more popular and recognized.
This album will always be looked at as a milestone, which manages
to further promote the band's previously earned popularity inside
and out of Hungary. Nourished on the roots, complying with the
demands of modern times, with a poetry satisfying the sharp-eared,
delightful voices make the performance perfect.
The relatively new presence of a synthesizer is absolutely
integrated in with the acoustic sound of the music. Whoever
listens to this CD will understand the reasons why the label
decided to promote the band, which is enjoying growing
recognition and resounding success on foreign stages as well.
The fact that at their last seasonal opening there were more than
a hundred people left outside with no hope of getting in might be
a good indicator of their popularity..."
Attila Danila
Releases:
Az ifjúság sólyommadár (Youth as Falcon) 1988 LP
Ghýmes 1991 LP, CD, MC
Üzenet (Message) 1993 CD, MC
Bennünk van a kutyavér (Dog's Blood's Inside Us) 1995 MC, 1997 CD, MC
Tűzugrás (Firejump) 1996 CD, MC
Rege (Legend)1998 CD, MC
Smaragdváros (Emerald City) 2000 CD, MC
Üzenet (Message - latest release) 2001 CD
A nagy mesealbum (The Big Album Of Fairy Tales) 2001 CD, MC
Bakaballada (Soldier's Ballad - with Hobo) 2002 CD, MC
Héjavarázs (Hawkspell) 2002 CD, MC
A nagy mesealbum II. (The Big Album Of Fairy Tales II.) 2003 CD, MC
Ghymes koncert (Ghymes Concert) 2003 CD, MC
Ghymes koncert (Ghymes Concert) 2003 DVD, VHS
Gyula Szarka: Alku (Deal) 2004 CD, MC
Tamás Szarka: Anonymus 2004 CD, MC
éGHYMESe (Sky Tale) 2004 CD, MC
Csak a világ végire... (Only To The Edge Of The World...) 2005 CD, MC
Üvegtigris 2 (Glass Tiger 2.) 2006 CD, MC
Messzerepülő (Farflyer) 2006 CD, MC
Gyula Szarka: Bor és a lányka (Wine and the Girl) 2007 CD
Mendika 2007 CD
Tamás Szarka: Anonymus hangoskönyv I. (Audio Book: Anonymus) 2008 CD
Álombálom (My Dream Ball) 2008 CD
A 25 év - Aréna (The 25 years - Aréna) 2009 DVD
Gyula Szarka: Toldi 2009 CD
Gold records:
Tűzugrás (Firejump)
Bennünk van a kutyavér (Dog's Blood's Inside Us)
A nagy mesealbum II. (The Big Album Of Fairy Tales II.)
éGHYMESe (Sky Tale)
Gyula Szarka: Bor és a lányka (Wine and the Girl)
Platinum records:
Rege (Legend)
Smaragdváros (Emerald City)
A nagy mesealbum (The Big Album Of Fairy Tales)
Héjavarázs (Hawkspell)
Bakaballada (Soldier's Ballad - with Hobo)
Csak a világ végire... (Only To The Edge Of The World...)
Messzerepülő (Farflyer)
Mendika
Álombálom (My Dream Ball)
Awards:
Nyitott Európáért-díj (Open Europe Award) 1999
Magyar Művészetért ("For the Hungarian Art" Award) 2001
Don Quijote-díj (Don Quijote Award) 2001
Arany Zsiráf (Golden Giraffe Award) 2002, 2003
eMeRTon-díj (eMeRTon Award) 2002
Artisjus-díj (Artisjus Award) (2005)
Fonogram-díj (Fonogram - Hungarian Music Award) (2005)
Bartók Béla-emlékdíj (Béla Bartók Award) (2006)
Pro Renovanda Cultura Hungariae - Kemény Zsigmond díj (Kemény Zsigmond Prize) (2008)
Magyar Örökség-díj (Hungarian Heritage Award) (2008)
Tours:
Austria 1987, 1996, 1999, 2000
Belgium 2000
Canada 1994
Czech Republic 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004
Estonia 1999, 2001
Finland 1993, 1995, 1999
France 1987 - 2003 every year
Greece 1988
Germany 1987, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
Holland 2000
Iraq 1988, 1994
Italy 1987, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2005
Japan 1993
Jordan 1988
Latvia 2004
Poland 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008
Portugal 1994, 1998
Romania 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Serbia and Montenegro 2004, 2007
Slovenia 1999, 2004
Spain 1989, 1994, 1998, 2003, 2004
Switzerland 1986, 1990
Ukraine 2009
United Kingdom 2004
USA 1994, 1996
Video clips:
Kis, karácsonyi ének (Christmas song) 1994
Mégis azonról (Once again about it) 1995
Soha (Never) 1995
Rege (Legend) 1998
Tánc a hóban (Dance in the Snow) 1998
Jézus ágyán (In Jesus's Bed) 1998
Új esztendő (New year) 1998
Szárnyaskezű szeretők (Lovers with Winged Hands) 2001
Altató (Lullaby) 2001
Egyszer egy királyfi (Once Upon a Time a Prince) 2001
Kézfogás (Handshake) 2007
Music for theatre performances:
Komáromi Szabadtéri Színház: Életeink
(Our Lives in the Open air Theatre Komárom) 1995
Budapesti Nemzeti Színház: Szent Péter esernyője
(Saint Peter's Umbrella in National Theatre Budapest) 1996
Experidance: Ezeregyév (Experidance: On thousand and OneYears) 1997
Tancztheater Wuppertal - Pina Bausch 2000
Pozsonyi nová scéna:
A cigánytábor az égbe megy (Nová Scéna in Bratislava: The Gipsy Camp's Going Into the Sky) 2001
Komáromi Jókai Színház: Vérnász (Blood Wedding in the Jókai Theatre Komárom) 2006
Soundtrack:
Üvegtigris 2 (Glass Tiger 2) 2006
Main TV performances:
Folk est: Ghymes I-II. (Folk Evening: Ghymes I-II.) - concert recording; Duna TV, 1993, 52'
Születésnap - 10 éves a Ghymes együttes I-II. (Birthday - The 10-Year-Old Ghymes I-II.) - concert in Bratislava; Duna TV, 1994, 53'
Muzsika-szó (Word Of Music) - conversation with music; Duna TV, 1998, 40'
Fehér éjszakák - A Vents d'Est a Francia Intézetben (White Nights - Vents d'Est in the French Institute) - report; Duna TV, 1999, 20'
Tánc a hóban (Dance In The Snow) - portrait; Duna TV, 2000, 35'
Ghymes (Ghymes) - concert recording in the Fonó Budai Zeneház, Budapest; Duna TV, 2000. October, 78'
Világzene (World Music) - report; Duna TV, 2001 April, 60'
Magyar kortárs zenei almanach - Ghymes (Almanac Of Hungarian Contemporary Music - Ghymes) - concert recording in Szentendre; A-Produkció, 2001, 98'
Ghymes (portrait; Duna TV, 2005, 29')
Rivalda (conversation with music; Duna TV, 2006, 75')
Ghymes koncert (concert recording in the Szikince-Ghymes festival; Duna TV, 2007, 68')
Benyovszky (International music and dance theatre in Szeged; Duna TV, 2008, 111')
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