Customer Reviews

May I Kiss Your Hand: Hungarian & Gypsy Fiddle Music & Songs

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My husband bought this album on a whim a few months ago. Since then, it's rarely been out of our CD player, except when one of us sneaks it to work. It's a wonderful fusion of modern fiddle playing and Gypsy tunes, a combination of virtuoso jazz violin and music ethnography. Anti von Klewitz delivers an astonishing performance, singing in three different languages while she bows and plucks complicated rhythms and melodies on her violin. I can only imagine what a live performance must be like! The liner notes provide translations of the songs as well as brief comments on their origins. I was left panting for more and have since purchased other gypsy and fiddle albums, but they pale in comparison. I eagerly await Csokolom's next release, or I will have to make the trip to Europe to hear them live.

This trio of musicians produces the most hypnotic Gipsy fiddle music I've ever heard. The rhythms and language take you to an older time and an older place. The lead singer and lead violin player is a woman by the name of Anti von Klewitz. Her voice and melodic violin playing are standout and extraordinarily entrancing. She sings in Hungarian, Serbo-Croation and Rumanian. The trio is rounded out by a contra (chord) violin player, and a stand-up bass player. This is simply the best East-European style folk music I've ever heard.

just saw them in concert, bought the cd and have been playing it just about nonstop ever since. terrific energy, terrific variety. bravo to arhoolie for bringing this one out.

While this album is a nice collection of pieces and pleasant to listen to, I feel a lot of the songs have lost their original feel. If you want to hear the song "Mori Shej, Sabina" the way it's supposed to be sung - listen to Jozsef Balogh (of the band Kalyi Jag) sing it on the album "O Suno". If you want to hear the song "Szerelem" or "Cinege" listen to the versions by the Sebo Ensemble (called "Love, Love/Where Were You at Night Titmouse?") on their album. I feel the songs on Csokolom are mere imitations sung with bad accents, but if it will make non-Eastern Europeans appreciate the music of this region, more power to them.

its a good one, yeah good to move to
drive to, listen to
glad i finally got a good one

cc

With a title like Csokolom- Hungarian Fiddle music - at least half of the lyrics should have been in Hungarian but the music is still something I'd enjoy seeing live. Hope I find out about their next visit to NJ.

I am really disappointed. I suppose if I was just exploring music from other countries, I might find it acceptable. But with Hungarian ancestory and a "purist" when it comes to this music, I found the "hungarian" part was almost non-existent.