Cimbaliband

The Fonogram Award-winning Cimbaliband blends the spirit of Eastern Europe with traditional folk music and modern musical styles loved by today’s audiences. The members of the band have a strong background in folk music, and in the “witches’ kitchen” of Cimbaliband, authentic sounds rooted in tradition are transformed into exciting musical creations.

At the heart of their unique sound is the cimbalom, a traditional Hungarian string instrument, enriched with elements of jazz, Latin music, and Balkan rhythms. It is no coincidence that music critics often refer to Balázs Unger, the Gödöllő-born frontman of the band, as the “Chuck Berry of the cimbalom”. With his fast and inventive riffs, he leads the band from behind the true Hungarian acoustic “mixing console”.

Combining all these elements, Cimbaliband creates a unique style: authentic Eastern European cimbalom rock’n’roll. The band masterfully blends traditional folk music collected from various regions with their own life-affirming compositions, proving that authentic folk music can also be contemporary and trendy.

As the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet wrote, the members of the band “have proven that authentic folk music can also be fashionable.”

Members of Cimbaliband:

Balázs Unger – cimbalom, vocals
Kornél Varga – guitar, backing vocals
Kinga Major – violin
Domonkos Berkó – saxophone, clarinet
Gergely Tóth – double bass, viola
Bercel Zombor – drums, backing vocals