Live review: Söndörgö at RNCM (2)

By Ellie Sherwood

Söndörgö’s performance at the RNCM last night marked the start of their tour of the UK. I was completely blown away by the passion and talent that emitted from all five musicians on stage, who kept us entertained by their virtuosic and superb playing right until the last note. Coming from a small Hungarian town near Budapest, Söndörgö create a refreshing and unique Balkan sound which is heavily inspired by Southern Slavic folk music. The band are motivated to preserve musical traditions of the Serbs and Croats as found in different settlements in Hungary, and through this renewal of folklore and heritage, they produce inimitable music that sounds both old and new; an echo of the past heard within the present.
The traditional Balkan instrument, the tambura, was played to its absolute maximum during last night’s gig. Similar to the mandolin, the tambura is a small and agile plucked instrument, and I have never seen or heard a dainty instrument be used in such a powerful and spritely way. Each member of Söndörgö played at least three different instruments during their performance such as the tambura, wooden whistle, guitar, double bass, trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, hand drum and accordion. It seemed every piece had a different set-up of instruments, and often a musician would swap instruments half way through a song. It was exciting to see such versatile musicians performing, and what was equally impressive was that Söndörgö’s unique sound did not once falter, despite all these exciting changes. They also enlivened us with singing a couple of traditional Hungarian tunes – whilst playing and swapping instruments, of course.
Perhaps the most impressive part of Söndörgö concert was the musicians’ ability to respond to the musical spontaneity of each other. They were obviously well-rehearsed and extremely tight, but there was very much still an element of surprise and impulsiveness that only comes from musicians who perform from their hearts every time. Söndörgö were playing for us, but they were also playing for themselves, and it was obvious that they were pushing the boundaries of their own music whilst on stage. Part of their ability to do that might come from the fact that four out of five of the musicians are related – three of them being brothers, and one being a cousin – but most of their talent is rooted in their skill of listening and watching each other whilst also listening to themselves. Their musicianship and talent provided the audience with an incredibly enjoyable and remarkable evening, and one also cannot forget Söndörgö’s use of stage lighting, which added an exclusive touch the their performance.
Thank you Söndörgö, and good luck with the rest of your tour!

Live at RNCM