TÉKA is a premier Hungarian folk ensemble with brilliant instrumentalists and a vocalists. Their mandate, to preserve Hungarian folk heritage in its authenticity is well demonstrated by their numerous recordings, and concert invitations all over the world.

As an educator and parent, however, I was most impressed to see their utmost respect not only towards Hungarian culture, but also their audience whether young or mature. Their patience and dedication in teaching Hungarians and foreigners alike created a conducive learning environment for all.

Their organizational skills in professionalism and flexibility ensured a smooth flow of song and dance instruction, free dance, and a variety of art and craft workshops, lead by an expert team of dance instructors and artisans.

It is with great pleasure that we see a continuation of TÉKA camps in an enhanced fashion in their new project. The respect of culture goes hand in hand with the respect of nature it grew out of, and its architectural relics.
A total immersion into the culture and the beauty of nature could further help not only Hungarian school age children and adults, but support our efforts in promoting Hungarian culture among ethnic Hungarians worldwide. Today, in the age of globalization it is of paramount importance for Hungarians all over the world to have a haven where our heritage is preserved in its genuine and authentic form so that we can all return to our roots and pass on to the next generation what our forefathers had left us.

Stefan Savanya - Calgary (Canada)

Teka Concert 98' in Spokane (USA).

The September 20th matinee concert of Hungarian village music and love songs was thoroughly enjoyed by nearly 100 people who attended this special event. Teka, an internationally renowned Hungarian band from Budapest, Hungary, stopped off in Spokane for a weekend of exhilarating music before heading to Lethbridge, Canada, for their next gig.

Teka played an assortment of authentic Hungarian village music. Their program featured a beautiful young vocalist who sang a number of romantic love songs. Introductory translations of the silly and humorous verses pleased an eager and attentive audience.
In addition to these sensuous love songs, the band demonstrated their vast talent in featuring individual performers on unique instruments like the lute, the three-stringed kontra, the hurdy-gurdy, the Hungarian bagpipe and the percussion cello.

Balazs Vizeli was brilliant in his mastery of the violin demonstrating skillful ornamentations, sforzandos, slides, and pizzicato accents while producing virtual cascades of notes. Beatrix Tarnoki charmed the audience with her singing while playing the lute. Pal Havasreti's energy playing the hurdy-gurdy was palpable; fortunately, the intermission provided an opportunity for audience members to take a closer look at the odd-shaped instrument that dates back to the 12th century. Havasreti also played the three-stringed base and the percussion cello (no, Lew, not both at the same time) with such sheer enjoyment that he seemed to personify happiness. The other band members joined in on the fun in their turn. Gyorgy Lanyi provided baseline rhythm with the kontra. Lanyi also played the Hungarian bagpipe in an exuberant dance tune with the entire group singing in their final number that brought the audience to their feet demanding an encore. Teka did not disappoint them. As a closing number, they played another gay dance tune, and left us wondering if they might return to Spokane again.

After the concert a few SFS members shared their impressions with me: Ed Figueroa said he never realized Hungarian music was so powerful, "It's great!"
Roger Muat liked the drones of the kontras and was fascinated by the wrist action required to drive the hurdy-gurdy.
Arvid Lundin said the acoustics were outstanding, that he liked Teka's personable presentation and especially Beatrix singing the love songs.
Margie Heller was impressed with the strange looking instruments and wondered how the hurdy-gurdy could produce those sounds it does. She thought the musicians were in good sync with one another and remarked that they were able to do a great job with very different styles of playing, like gypsy style vs. traditional Hungarian vs. village style music.
Rena Magi was entranced by the longing of the love songs. She also found the music much different from anything she had ever heard before and regretted that more people didn't venture out to the concert to stretch their range of musical experience. She said, "It's important to try new things, you might discover a taste for something you like very much," and added, "supporting diverse cultural events just makes a lot of sense."
Lew Strachman said he had never heard happier Hungarian music. He felt even the saddest lament uplifting. Also in attendance were guests from Elk, Richland, Pullman, Plummer, Lewiston/Clarkston, Sandpoint, and Salt Lake City.

It was by all accounts a memorable and successful event, and we are grateful to the Erdely Ensemble for sponsoring this concert and to the SFS for underwriting it. We sincerely hope that Teka will return to Spokane next year to once again move us to a space we might only have dreamed of on a day of bliss; as one man in the audience explained, for him "it was a feeling of heaven."

Ron Krueger