„Folk songs literally saved my life” says Peter Farkas composer and founder of Holdviola, who started his spiritual journey into the realm of Hungarian folk heritage as a means of overcoming a deep private life crisis. Teamed up with guitarist Lajos Gal as co-founder, Holdviola soon became one of Hungary’s most popular modern-folk groups, transforming some Hungarian folk tunes to nationwide hits.
Holdviola’s music is engaging and emotional, innovative and traditional at the same time, eclectically influenced by a range of sources from Béla Bartók to Pink Floyd, from pure folk music to psychedelic rock. Lush ambient pads, hypnotic grooves, stunning guitar riffs, an array of electronic sounds and instruments, even catchy dance tunes melded with traditional instruments such as fiddle, ney or overtone flute are all part of their style. Pivotal roles are given to their female singers as intimate and soulful female vocals are an indispensable feature of their sound.
“It’s one of the most succesful blends … of traditional music and electronic sounds and deserves to be a classic of “electric folk” as well.” according to Huffington Post’s folk music critic.
In 2011 Holdviola was given the Fonogram Hungarian Music Award the most prestigious national music award in Hungary and was nominated three times for “Best Hungarian world music album of the year”.
Holdviola has performed more than 300 shows throughout Hungary and the surrounding countries from clubs and theatres to open air venues of thousands of spectators. They toured the east coast of USA and performed as the first ever Hungarian band in Kazakhstan. They offer 4 different types of shows all spectacular, offering an unforgettable experience for the audience with the synergic effect of music, dance and visual arts.
