Refer China: Inside the Chaos ： Meet Balkan Punk Rockers Bohemian Betyars

Musical madmen make their fourth trip to China

By Yinmai O'Connor

When we heard a Hungarian band called Bohemian Betyars was making their fourth trip to China, we became curious about how this slightly obscure group has managed to gain a fairly solid Chinese fanbase.

So we watched one of their videos—and immediately added 'Party with the members of Bohemian Betyars' to our bucket list.

The energy, madness, and innate showmanship they exude on stage are reason enough to head to Specters on October 19 to see them live, their last stop on a five-city tour.

It doesn't really matter what your taste in music is, because they don't really fit into any particular genre—they describe themselves as "speed-folk-freak-punk," but their music is as dynamic as their performances, with heartfelt, melodic moments leading into manic mosh pits.

Image by Matyas Buday

Formed in 2009, Bohemian Betyars' songs feature Hungarian, Balkan and Gypsy melodies mixed with ska, punk, and psychedelic elements.

Although they don't make the type of music that you find on the Billboard Hot 100, their vibrant, high-energy live performances have enthralled festival goers from Japan to the United States—even The New York Times has commented on how they "cranked up an unmistakably Eastern European flavor of rowdy mockery."

Fans of Gogol Bordello or System of a Down—and anyone who enjoys watching a group of incredibly talented musical madmen perform—won't want to miss Bohemian Betyars' upcoming shows in Chongqing, Chengdu, Beijing, Zhoushan, and Shanghai.

We spoke to Levente Szűcs (vocals and acoustic guitar) and Máté Palágyi (vocals and violin) about their music, wild nights, and adventures with Chinese cuisine.

Levente Szűcs. Image via Elte Media

Tell us about your first experience in China.

Levente Szűcs: Our first time in China, we played at Concrete & Grass Festival in Shanghai, and it was a very intense experience—we had never seen such a huge city before with so many people and tall buildings.

I felt so little and also overwhelmed by the fact that we were playing in a country that is so rich in history and culture.

Since then, we are always looking forward to coming back for new adventures—we have much to learn and experience in China.

How did the members of the Bohemian Betyars come together?

LS: We grew up in the same city, Miskolc, which is tiny compared to the size of many Chinese cities—only 150,000 residents—so it wasn't that hard to find the people around with common interests and taste in music to make a band.

We formed the band while we were still in high school; even though we were not from the same school, we knew each other from the streets.

So, when we had the idea to put together a group to make some folkish-punkish music, there was no question who the members would be.

And here we are! Still living our high school dream!

Máté Palágyi. Image via Recorder Blog

Is there a particular folk song that greatly influenced your music or has a special place in your heart?

Máté Palágyi: When I was a kid, during family reunions, everyone was singing next to the table—even when I was very little, I was always watching and listening.

One of my favorites is an old song from Transylvania called 'Édesanyám, Mért Szültél A Világra.'

Our bassist, Gábor Fehér, and I were folk dancers in the local ensemble. When we were listening to the traditional songs, we knew that it would be so great to put drums and electric guitar under them—our songs still represent the power of dance houses [troupes] in a modern sound.

How do you feel your music is received by the older generations of Hungarians?

LS: I think our music has a power that gets to the hearts of all generations. Everybody loves to dance and get loose if they have a reason to, and we give it to them—I think that's our special power.

MP: The 16 years that we have been playing music represent a great variety of songs—we've got songs about getting loose for teenagers, as well as songs about losing someone, or about the love of little things.

During our shows, we try to choose songs that fit that specific audience the best.

Image via Concerts 50

What are some of your strangest experiences in China?

LS: For me, it's the food—especially ordering food from a restaurant where everything on the menu is only in Chinese.

I just randomly point to something, and fate decides what I eat. Sometimes, I was lucky, and sometimes I was not—but it is still fun.

I still cannot decide if I like Sichuan pepper or not because of its mouth-numbing effect. It is definitely strange and not an everyday experience for my tastebuds.

Image via We Love Budapest

What is one of the craziest things you've done on tour?

MP: In China, it was an accident: I had bought some chili pepper BBQ on the street in Shanghai, and I will never forget that experience—it was so hot, I was crying for an hour.

I think the craziest thing that happened on tour was related to my role as our tour manager. Six years ago, we played before Little Big at a show in St Petersburg, Russia. We had a really great time with them drinking and dancing till the morning.

Then, we needed to fly home... I had bought the plane tickets from a small city in Finland because it was much cheaper, so we crossed the border on a local bus with no sleep at all and went to a small airport in Lappeenranta.

The problem was that it was closed for another five hours, and it was snowing outside. We were so tired that we went to a cinema to sleep during a Finnish film till we could get home safely.

Image via Telekom Spots

What are you most looking forward to about being back in China?

MP: I love Chinese food because it's so different from ours. What Levente mentioned before about the uncertainty of what we eat, that's what I love the most—playing Chinese spice roulette.

But of course, this will be our first time in Chongqing, which always excites our inner adventurers. Actually, this will be our fourth time in China, and I hope that after this tour, we can set foot back in this beautiful country every year.

There are many true and false stories about Chinese culture, and the best way to learn is to see it with your own eyes.

For those unfamiliar with your music, what songs would you recommend they listen to?

LS: Our songs cover many styles and emotions, so I would say check out 'Quatre Grapes' for the ultimate party vibes, 'Hamu' for the more psychedelic darker tunes, and 'Ellentétek Balladája' for the acoustic folkish balladist feelings.

MP: I would also recommend a song we wrote to our mothers, 'Ne sírj, anyám!'—Don't Cry Mother!

Our moms had a really bad feeling about us becoming musicians, so we dedicated this song to them to show them where we are now—16 years after we started the band in a high school basement, we're playing a tour in China!