The live version of “Shej sukár” at Fonó Budai Zeneház in Budapest shows BashElán on home ground, playing the Roma dance song that also closes their second album Titkon. Led by accordionist Zsombor Herédi, this young Hungarian ensemble grew out of a group of folk musicians who had already spent years playing together, and they treat this Transylvanian Roma material meant for dancing.

The line-up is fully acoustic: Herédi on harmonika, Bence Babcsán on saxophone and clarinet, Bálint Könczei on brácsa and tapan, Dávid Lakatos on double bass, Tádé Csapodi on hegedű, Áron Horváth on cimbalom and guitar, and Anita Vrencsán on vocals. In the Fonó performance of “Shej sukár”, double bass and tapan carry the beat, Vrencsán sings the lead lines, and saxophone, violin and cimbalom come in after her with short phrases.

BashElán are now part of the táncház circuit across the Carpathian Basin, with dance house nights, club dates and summer festivals, and have shared bills with Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra, Parno Graszt and the Fitos Dezső Ensemble. Their set runs through Hungarian folk, Balkan rhythms and Transylvanian Roma songs, arranged by Herédi from traditional sources.

Titkon was recorded at Barázda Stúdió with sound engineer Ákos Dióssy and producer László Horváth, built from Hungarian folk, Balkan and Transylvanian Roma dance pieces. In 2025 Fonó Budai Zeneház gave BashElán its Fonó Felfedezettje (Discovery) award.

You can follow the ensemble and listen to its music HERE