Concert, Show & Táncház – When Folk Meets Pop-Rock
On May 13, 2023, we were fortunate to be part of a truly special day, when we organized the “Concert, Show & Táncház” event together with the Eszterlánc Hungarian Folk Ensemble in Portola Valley, California, at the stage of Woodside Priory School.
The aim of the event was to showcase the rich diversity of Hungarian musical and cultural heritage. We believe that Hungarian identity lives on not only through folk music and dance but also through modern pop and rock music. For Crossroads Band, it was particularly important to give space to Hungarian pop culture on this night — building a bridge between the traditional and the contemporary musical worlds.
The evening’s program opened with the authentic folk music of the Kaptza Band, who came from Hungary and spent a year in the U.S. through a study scholarship. The dancers of Eszterlánc, led by KCsP scholar Ilka Dajka, impressed the audience with a variety of choreographies in traditional costumes.
In the second half of the show, we — Crossroads Band — took the stage, bringing Hungarian pop-rock classics, contemporary pop songs, poetry adaptations, and folk song arrangements to the audience. As always, we aimed for musical diversity, so our set included songs like Valami Amerika, Kertész leszek, and Indulj el egy úton.
Later in the evening, the theater transformed into a lively dance house, where young and old danced together late into the night. The Kaptza Band kept the energy high, while participants enjoyed delicious Hungarian food (gulyás, sausages, pastries) and drinks. The scout leaders helped with the food preparation, while the scout parents assisted with the serving. It was fantastic to see the unity and the smooth cooperation between the scout troop and Eszterlánc.
The entire event was a perfect example of how traditional and modern values not only coexist but also complement and strengthen each other. We are truly happy to have been part of this special cultural encounter and hope there will be many more to come!
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