Andrea Gerak on Last FM

You can now listen to Andrea Gerak on Last FM, the world's largest social music platform. Listen to Andrea's songs on different radio stations of the site (like World Music, Hungarian), get interactive, connect up with listeners of similar music taste as yours, create playlists, show your favorite songs to the world. You can even say hello to Andrea Gerak and she will personally answer to you!

Christmas concert photos - 1.

16th of December 2006, Stockholm, Arsta Folketshus

Andrea Gerak performing: Árva az a madár - Lonely Is The Bird













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2006: Year of New Beginnings

It's time to wash the last glitter particles out of my hair that are still there after the New Years dinner, and already from a distance, take a look back at the past year.

A lot happened, we can say that it was really a year of new beginnings in my career as well as privately.

So what is in the inventory?

New a cappella recordings:
Jaj, de sokat áztam-fáztam
Jaj, pártám (Weddings songs)
Songs from Domaháza

New world music singles:
Ne aludj el - Don't Fall Asleep (Dance)
Nincsen a világon (Minimal-Art remix)
Jaj, de sokat áztam-fáztam - Yay, I've been freezing

New albums:
Árva az a madár (Lonely Is The Bird)
Authentic Hungarian Village Music

Relaunch:
Madárka, madárka (Little Birdie). A rarity on iTunes!

Concerts: solo performances as well as with the band Barozda The greatest one was the Brugges Festival in November.

Excited, because my last performance as a dancer was in 2002, since then I was only singing on stage. It's sooo fantastic now to put on the dancing shoes again!

Media coverage:
Articles, news appeared in countless music magazines, news portals: in Hungarian, English, Spanish, Dutch, Russian. Diálogos3, Musicas del Mundo, FULL Services, Americas-Fr.com, Guebon.com, World Music Central, Tradivarium, Long Island Journal, Hungarian News, Musiq Queen, Jazz News, UK Musice Review, Artists Without Frontiers, My MusicCode, Asylum Law, Found Horizons, Drummer Cafe, CelebrityBlog.Net, So Musical, Sinhala Jukebox, Music Industry News, Dubai News, Beats, Hangzorro Nagyszinpada, Folder, Zene.hu, Diak TV, Hirstart, Hirmag, Hirfal, Kazincbarcika Net, MyMusic.hu, Zenesz Info, MP3 Magazin, Top40-Charts, Nieuwsblad, NOVOteka, Live Radio, Special Radio, Radio Renascenca, Tilos Radio - to name a few.

Interviews: TIPP Magazin and in KOZELET

To end the year off, the song Árva az a madár (Lonely Is The Bird) was featured in the Electrical Language podcast. The 11 songs of the anniversary edition was chosen by listeners, from the songs played during the year.

What will 2007 bring?

Let me just share the first projects will you: Cambridge is working on yet another single.

At the moment, I am recording a song for the upcoming album of Paul Kwitek

And as for my private life, it was the first year together with my husband in our new little home, my son became taller than I am, my parents are doing better than ever as far as I can remember, I could devote some time to my other passion, photography. See my photo blogs

That's in a nutshell, this year ahead us looks even greater!

Thanks to everyone for finding me, keeping contact online and offline, listening to my songs, visiting my blogs, leaving comments.

Wish you a fantastic year!

Andrea Gerak

Authentic Hungarian Village Music - CD release

The Transylvanian band BAROZDA (which means Furrow) was formed in 1976 in the town of Csikszereda (Miercurea-Ciuc), Romania. The band learned the traditional Hungarian folk music from its roots, taught and inspired by village musicians, travelling all over Transylvania.

At this time of late 70's, Barozda was in the frontline of those taking the original forms and traditions of the folk music to the city stages and founding dance houses where the music was brought to a wider and younger range of audience, setting the standard of the great Hungarian "tanchaz" movement in Transylvania.

In 1986 the political pressure became hard on the ethnic Hungarians and forced the band to leave its native fields behind. Members at time Imre Bokor, Jozsef Simo and Lajos Toro emigrated to Sweden.

Having become an appointed and popular group of musicians, Barozda was soon a frequent performer at Swedish festivals and nationally known folk music clubs. Western years also included invitations to Austria, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland, and featured appearances on Swedish national radio as well as TV shows.

On their first album, Andrea Gerak & Barozda give us songs that were also performed at the Brugges Festival


Most of the tracks on the CD are live recordings, so that the listener can have a close experience of attending a concert!

Anniversary Edition of Electrical Language Podcast

Gabor Kovacs, owner of the internationally reknown podcast, recorded his podcast "1 on 18 December 2005. For this anniversary edition, all the music is chosen by listeners. Track 2 is the beautiful Arva az a madar

Listen to the whole show

Hungarians made the audience shed tears

Concert review: Andrea Gerak & Barozda at Brugges Festival of World Music

Songs from Domahaza
"The Brugges Festival is a unique world music festival which remains faithful to its fixed principles, since years: discoveries and an ideal lustre climate create and present a beautiful mixture of well-known and unknown groups. The organizers are thus proud on the statement of the late Manos Hadjidakis: The Brugges festival are perhaps the smallest, but certainly the most beautiful festival of Europe. Which can be true also to the program of this year. The festival does not only offer double concerts on three evenings in a raw, but on Saturday and Sunday there are also more concerts to listen to. Definitely an eyecatcher amongst the concerts is the Hungarian Andrea Gerak who appears with the group Barozda one-off and for the first time in Flanders." - Folkroddels

After these expectations, this is how the audiance saw the performance of Andrea Gerak & Barozda:

"The whole concert was so beautiful that I had to cry even 4 times"

There were people coming from 400km distance, to listen to the Hungarian folk concert.

This review below appeared on the website of Hungarian community in Belgium

"Maybe it's not known to everyone of you that Brugges is my favorite city in Belgium. Although I've been there a thousand times, it always gives me something new, some surprise and I simply can't get bored of it. Now it wasn't any surprise, I played it safe. Last weekend Brugges became the capital of culture. Concerts, exhibitions everywhere.

I got the particular impulse to go to Brugges from Andrea Gerak. I met this lady through the internet and I knew that she was an expert interpreter of Hungarian folk songs from Transylvania, Moldava and Northern Hungary. When she wrote us that she would perform in Belgium, I planned a weekend trip to Brugges.

Based on the songs and photos on her website, I've written to you that Andrea is talented and nice. Well, I was a bit wrong here. I should have written that she is a God given talent and beautiful. She is always smiling and her voice fills the entire space. Such a true character as Sally Oldfield, Caren Carpenter, Enya or Márta Sebestyén.

The cultural centre called De Biekorf is just 2 minutes walk away from the main square of Brugges. At the beginning, the audience seemed indifferent, but right after the first song became attached to Andrea, and heartened her and the band - Hungarians from Transylvania - with enthusiastic applause. At the end of the concert, they hardly let them go.

Apropos: the band. The BAROZDA which is a band that was born exactly thirty years ago, by musicians in Transylvania who now live in Sweden, was worthy accompaniement for Andrea: József Simó (double-bass, founding member of Barozda) and his son, Csongor Simó (violin) are real professionals, as well as Lajos Toró (3-string viola, flute, jewish harp). They played excellent as accompaniement, just as well as by themselves. Great musicians gave a top notch concert. Away from home, it was nice to hear Hungarian folk songs live, and locals appreciating it very much made it even nicer.

You don't know what you missed..."

Thanks for all the applause, and the good job of leaders and volunteers of Brugges Festival!

We would be pleased to go back there next year.


In December, songs from the concert will be available on CD!

Text: Andy Pajala
Photos: Alex Toye

Madárka, madárka on iTunes

Gyere ki, te gyöngyvirág

A rarity in the huge international music store: a cappella Hungarian folk songs... After Marta Sebestyen, songs from Andrea Gerak on iTunes. Thanks to the cooperation between the artist and CD Baby, now there is no border for Little Birdie! You can listen to her songs from Slovakia, Transdanubia or Moldavia on your computer or wherever you go with your iPod: walk in the forest or in the park, by the lake or the sea, relaxing on the train or in your hotel room... you will have a mate, the Madárka, madárka

Download it from iTunes

Andrea Gerak & Barozda to perform at Brugges Festival of World Music

Falu nótája
Jaj, de sokat áztam-fáztam


Brugges Festival of World Music is for lovers of good quality world music, this statement can be taken as granted. The Stadsschouwburg and the Biekorf in Brugge will be the warm nests for ten great acts. The festival is focusing on acoustic performances and addresses public that gladly appreciates live music.

Perfect timing, carefully chosen venues and excellent sound ensure that the Brugges Festival will be pure pleasure. There is of course also the menue: a surprising programme. Tango, Flamenco, Rembetika: tasty musical bites from all angles of Europe and the world are to be enjoyed. Exclusive concerts. With innovators such as the creation of Troissoeur with Aranis or Aurélia. Top notch artists such as Bratsch, June Tabor & Band and, the masters of the Tango: Cuarteto Cedron. Surprises with Andrea Gerak & Barozda, Myrddin or Flamenco danser Rafael de Carmen. In the tradition of Brugges Festival: a closing concert with a Greek feature: the Greek Babis Tsertos & Kompania.


The Barozda, accompaniment group of Andrea Gerak for this occasion, are three musicians who interpret traditional music from Hungary and Trasylvania. Exactly these months, the band is celebrating their 30th anniversary! Brugges Festival will be a great moment for them to party. They have played at appalling many festivals and are regularly on radio and TV. Andrea Gerak has been dancing and singing in several folklore groups in Hungary, in the Borsod, Avas, Csepel and Bartok dance ensembles. After starting a solo career and sailing often rough waters of life, now she anchored in Sweden, and eventually this multi-talent artist has been picked up by several journalists and the audience, defining her as second Martha Sebestyen. Andrea is active in different music styles and groups, meeting an increasing demand from musicians to use her voice for various projects from all over the planet, but for her first performance in Belgium, she will come with traditional Hungarian repertoire from Transylvania. To take along!


Brugges Festival, 10,11,12 November 2006

Programme
Friday 10/11/06
Stadsschouwburg
20.00 Aranis + Troissoeur (Flanders), Bratsch (France)

Saturday 11/11/06
The Biekorf
11.30 Myrddin (Flanders)
15.30 Aurélia (Walloon)
Stadsschouwburg
20.00 Cuarteto Cedron (Argentina), June Tabor & Band (UK)

Sunday 12/11/06
The Biekorf
11.30 Daithi Rua (Ireland),
15.30 Andrea Gerak & Barozda (Hungary)
Stadsschouwburg
20.00 Rafael de Carmen (Spain), Babis Tsertos & Kompania (Greece)

Tickets: TiNCK, In&Uit, or +32 (0)50 443060
Internet site: http://www.rembetika.org

From Borsod to World-wide Fame - KOZELET Intervew

Summer special edition of the weekly magazine KOZELET (Public Life) of Andrea Gerak's hometown proudly featured the artist on 2 full pages: read an excerpt from the bio of the singer and the full interview.




FROM BORSOD TO WORLD-WIDE FAME

The internationally more and more popular singer Andrea Gerak (born in Ozd and raised up in Kazincbarcika of Borsod county) has been compared to Enya and Sally Oldfield as well. Here in Hungary, she's been classified in the same stream as Marta Sebestyen, Katalin Szvorak, Iren Lovasz or Beata Palya. She lives now in Stockholm, Sweden, so we asked her via email.

- It's known about you that you spent your childhood in Kazincbarcika. What are your kindest memories from that time?

- In our house and around, there were many kids of almost the same age, so we would play together a lot. We would jump in the fresh grass piles, we would play hide and seek, make up stories and play them, and others. I was fortunate to grow up in a town where a child could move rather freely. In the summer, I went swimming almost every day, in the winter, ice skating or slegdeing. To all these, trainings and performances with the Borsod Folk Ensemble were added, from my age of ten.

- Do you visit Kazincbarcika, if yes, how often?

- At least once a year I try to go home to my parents, but I would love go a bit more often. Last time I was home at Easter.

- You started your artist career as a folk dancer. Which moments of your dancer career are you the most proud of?

- Maybe the most memorable was a folk dance festival in France, around 1989, where our group was the favorite of the audience, and the Mexicans. I am also proud of a Sweden tour where my photo was featured on the cover of the magazine about the international festival. Another great experience was Northern Italy where I spent 1 month with the Marczibanyi Band as a solo singer and dancer. We didn't only perform in the clubs by the original contract but in the local radio as well, and community leaders invited us to schools. Children enjoying Hungarian music and dances, filled sports halls.

- In the age of 30, you decided to choose singing as your profession. What motivated you in this choice?

- Two things. With my boyfriend of that time, I was talking about that it would be time for me to figure out what should I do in life. He, with a few good questions, helped me to realize that it was always my voice that has made the greatest impact on others. From that on, it wasn't a question for me any more what to do. The other moment was the "Understanding of Music" seminar by Duncan Lorien American composer and music eduactor, where I heard one or two data that made my decision stronger.

- Which music streams does your individual style consist of?

- I'll try to avoid well-sounding specific terms - I anyway don't like to use them. I don't even want to categorize my songs stricktly, because this is what I find one of the nicest and most exciting tasks: in which ways can one convey songs that were born in a small, hidden village, let's say 300 years ago, to the people of super modern XXIth century. My main source is Hungarian folk music, more closely vocal songs. I like to touch songs from other nations, and I play with coupling a Hungarian song with a Turkish or Irish one, for example. Besides performing folk songs in their usual ways, a cappella singing or with traditional instrumental accompaniment, I find it exciting when musicians get inspired by a song that I sing and they conjure up something completely new with piano, synthetisers, computer or instruments from the Middle-East. Today, this is how I work with Hungarian, Israeli, Spanish or Dominican musicians. Or, if I am captivated by a piece of music, then it might happen that I improvise some tunes to it.

- Did you or do you have masters, idols to whom you are thankful, in your singer career?

- First of all, maybe I would mention Marta Sebestyen. I've also learned from the other Hungarian folk singers - at least, from their records. And I took a few classes from Maria Maczko. After the above mentioned Duncan Lorien, it was a vocal seminar that gave me a big kick: held by Ric Poulin, head of Bristols Studios in Boston. Reading Tina Turner's autobiography impressed me deeply. Other then that, the greatest help are those musicians and music professionals who write music to my songs or support me with feedback. I must not forget about my family and my listeners, friends and fans in my homeland and all around the world: I can see it from their kind words, sparkling eyes that it's worth doing what I am doing.

- You are professionally using the possibilities given by the internet. In our country, it's not many artists that pay attention to this. The question is given: is it yourself who is taking care about your management, or is it somebody else?

- An independent artist has to engage in several professions, in addition to their own job: concert organizing, public and media relations, promotion, sales, career planning, finances, image, communication which includes such small things as having a workable phone line or padded envelopes for mailing the CDs. I can do some of these tasks better, - others not so good. I consult my husband, and he takes on a few of these tasks. And obviously, those musicians I work with promote our creations and gigs in their own circles. Besides that, it is me who keeps total control over my career and does the job.

- When can we see your next performance in Hungary?

- At the moment, I don't have anything planned there, but in case of interest, I would gladly go, of course to Kazincbarcika as well.

- Beside singing, how do you like to spend your leisure time?

- I can't really separate the two, for singing and everything that goes with it, is my life. For example, I can enjoy even doing the dishes while I'm practicing new songs... Or, it's a part of the "work" and it's "leisure activity" in the same time when I email with my friends or I go to a concert. I love everything that has to do with singing. Yet, when I feel it's a bit too much while doing a task, I simply do something else for a half an hour, one hour, then I get back to it and finish it. Else then singing? I always loved writing. Now I have several blogs on the net and sometimes even a poem or two would jump out of my head. I like to take photos, sometimes watching a good movie, talk with my son, discover the city and it's surroundings together with my husband, or I just go for a walk by myself, simply to look around. Swimming, sauna, gymnastics at home. I am interested in languages: after English, German and French, now I am tasting Swedish, but I dare to visit Russian or Spanish music sites as well. I tend to get involved in humanitarian activities, like anti-drug or human rights issues - I can be convinced to support these kind of things pretty easily. And my big love is still dancing."

Klotets World Cultural Festival - pictures

KARLSSON & THUN


KLOTETS DANCE GROUP


CAPOEIRA SHOW





BAROZDA & ANDREA GERAK

Andrea singing & dancing on the stage...

...and amongst the audience: workshop of Hungarian folk dances


KALOUSCH

Klotets Världskulturfest - Klotets World Cultural Festival

Date: 12 Aug 2006
Place: Norrtalje (Sweden), Roslagsmuseet
Free entry till 20:00

Program from 14:00 to 23:00

Performances:
- 14:00 Kick-off at Stora torget with didgeridoos & percussions. Parade to Roslagsmuseet
- 15:00 SVARTA KATTENS VARIETE - fun show for young & old
- 15:45 Film "Bröd" (Bread)
- 17:45 MOHAMMED MARCHOUD poet from Marocco reads his own poems
- 18:00 KARLSSON & THUN: from Oriental to Klezmer, oud & clarinet
- 19:00 YOEL "CAMI" ISAAC hip hop artist. Brasilian Capoeira, a mixture of dance, acrobatics and self-defense. Klotet's Dance Group presents a new choreography
- 20:00 BAROZDA & ANDREA GERAK plays music from Transylvania, with different string instruments and voice. Short dance workshop after their concert.
- 21:30 KALOUSCH plays traditional Maroccain music, VICTORIA HAMESK sings Sami jojk, LARS GULLIKSSON plays saxophon

Exhibitions, films, workshops, cafe, food, henna tatoo. Christian - Muslim worship for peace and reconciliation

August special!

Madarka, madarka, the Little Birdie is flying all over the world - have her sing also for you and for your friends!

One CD costs $12, but if you buy more than one, it is $9. Simply buy 10! We know that it's in the middle of the summer and you need all your money for the holiday... So why don't you sell it to your friends for $12 and make some extra pocket money?

CD Review: Madárka, madárka

"Truly a solo record as Gerak takes front and center for a collection of Hungarian folk songs that feature just her voice. That’s it. Where does that leave the rest of the non-Hungarian speaking world in relation to this record? If you want to hear a pure voice in it’s highest state and just enjoy the ride, the lyricism in Gerak’s presentation will be enough to carry the day. A unique experience that many try to capture and fall short, this is the blue print for how to make such a difficult project look easy."
Midwest Record

CD Relaunch: Madárka, madárka (Little Birdie)

The Little Birdie is flying again!! With new feathers, it is taking off again to wing the air, across the world.









Madárka, madárka

Andrea Gerak's first album with haunting folk songs from various regions of the historical Hungary has been sold out and now is here again, in a new, pretty design.

What people say:

"When I listened to your songs, I got into such a good mood! Boy, this is what people need!" - Ákos Kunfalvy, poet
"I like to listen to your songs VERY much" - Anders Miolin guitar virtuoso
"I am totally convinced about your professionalism." - Sándor Fekete-Kiss composer

The first edition of the album was cherished by the general listener who came back to buy one or two more other copies, as well as by artists seeking for inspiration.

Sándor Fekete-Kiss fell in love with the opening track and asked Andrea to perform the song for the 2003 Symmetry Festival Budapest closing concert. There was born the 17-minute piece Madárka, madárka (Little Birdie) which closes Andrea's New Age album Árva az a madár (Lonely Is The Bird) applying the composer's unique technique, a new meditative concert form.

Effi Shoshani Israeli composer used the a cappella Madárka, madárka CD as raw material for two songs. Track #4 gave the base for Gyöngyvirág (Lily Of The Valley) and track #13 can be heard as lead vocal in Andrea's probably most famous one: the title song of Árva az a madár (Lonely Is The Bird)

Available from the 20th of June.

Price: 10.- EUR / 12.- USD + shipping

Release special: ORDER NOW and get a free MP3 song from the New Age album Árva az a madár (Lonely Is The Bird)

Midsummer Music in Eskilstuna, Sweden

Csardas from Szatmar

Hungarian folk music for Sweden's National Holiday: faces brightening up with smiles, heads moving to the rythm, feet tapping on the floor, round of applause, grateful thanks for the invigorating concert

Andrea Gerak's debut performance with one of the most recognized folk bands from Transylvania, Barozda at the Blue Hall of Sörmlands Musik & Teater, in Eskilstuna. The concert was a classy closing event of the National Holiday celebrations. Ars Musica is the region's most renowned choir, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Here you have some "paparazzi" pictures:


In the Green Room

Csardas from Szatmar

Barozda: Csongor Simo (violin), Lajos Toro (viola), Jozsef Simo (contrabass)

Ars Musica (conductors: Jarl Einar Johansson and Richard Berg, piano: Jan-Erik Törgnen)

Blue & yellow flowers for Sweden's National Day

In the headlines, along with the biggest names

The music portal MusiqQueen offers exclusive articles and contents on some of the best known and unknown women in music and entertainment business ranging from music producers, DJs, singers, songwriters, designers and more.

Andrea Gerak's new album Árva az a madár (Lonely Is The Bird) is featured on the main page, along with 4 other news from the biggest names: Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow, Shania Twain, Norah Jones, Madonna, Mariah Carey.

MusiqQueen

Podcasted on Electrical Language

Andrea's song opens the English podcast Következőnél kiszállunk

What does the title mean? You have to listen to find it out!

New song: Yay, I've Been Freezing

Yay, I've Been Freezing

A fresh, "poppy" song for the Spring

Andrea Gerak song in "Best of MySpace Music"!

Every Thursday evening the Podcast of MySpace features at least 10 new songs. The latest one is TecKnowTronnycaa Volume 1, a techno/electronica set with the best songs that could be found on MySpace in this genre.

Last song, the cherry on the cake is:

Don't Fall Asleep

Andrea Gerak - vocals
Cambridge - (Angel Oros) - synthetisers
NusratFateh (Jose Aurelio Ferrandez) - duduk, ney
Edgar - percussions

Medieval dance, based on a Hungarian folk song of Zoboralja, with drops of music from the Middle East and Northern Europe, wrapped in techno.

Listen here:



Here is a copy of just the link as well:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=46847823&blogID=115021396

Help us to spread it around, forward it to your friends!

Cheers,

Official Forum has opened!

The Andrea Gerak Official Forum has just opened!

Join:




Andrea Gerak

Album release: Arva az a madar - Lonely Is The Bird

Cover: Aleah

This wonderful sunshiny weekend, when birdies are happily chatting, you should be the first to know about the new digital album that just has been released:

Arva az a madar - Lonely Is The Bird

Andrea Gerak singing Hungarian folk songs with New Age music by Effi Shoshani (Israel), Angel Oros - Cambridge (Spain) and Sandor Fekete-Kiss (Hungary)

What people say about it:

"Traditional Hungarian music can be outstanding and this modern version (Arva az a madar - Lonely Is The Bird) from Andrea Gerak is no exception. Incredible vocal skill is matched by equally incredible musical arrangements! Beauty to be cherished!"

"I don't speak a word of Hungarian, but this (Ne aludj el - Don't Fall Asleep) is extremely lovely. I can imagine sunrise coming up over the forest with this song playing."

"This composition and performance (Madarka, madarka - Little Birdie) is quite unique. The music is traditional, yet progressive, complex yet beautifully simple. An awesome, nearly unbelievable voice, harmonizing with drifting, choir-like echoes"

Get 6 tracks (40 minutes) for only 5$!
Lyrics in Hungarian English

Special offer:
1. sign up to my email list and be part of AGBF (Andrea Gerak's Best Friends)
2. let me know when you've bought the album
3. receive 1 extra track for free!

Listen & buy it here:

Cheers,

Andrea Gerak

Hangszer es Zene - editorial on Andrea Gerak

Editorial article in the Hungarian magazine of quality music