Ukandanz I Hakumba

The French-Ethiopian group Ukandanz and the Hungarian – but international in terms of its membership – Hakumba are two highly compatible bands, even if their musical foundations are slightly different. On a single evening, performing back to back, they are guaranteed to get everyone hyped up with their magnetic stage presence. The show is also connected to the House of Music Hungary’s temporary exhibition LISTEN. - A Musical Journey Around the World. As a prelude, and also during the intermission between the sets and after the concerts, the hosts of the radio café Conga Heaven, Bongo Hell! programme, Cyborg Templar and Tibsã, will be spinning records in the foyer of the building, with tracks showcasing music from a wide variety of ethnic groups around the world, from roots to today’s hybrid dance music.

Ukandanz
The multinational members of the French-Ethiopian quintet Ukandanz, founded in Lyon in 2006, define their sound as “Ethiopian crunch music”, which can be described as a unique blend of ethno-jazz/noise rock marked by intensely explosive energy and melodies inspired by Ethiopian traditional music and pop influences. Frontman Asneke Guebreyes’s considerable vocal power and a very vibrant ensemble sound are often combined with danceable – sometimes dissonant, but always rhythmic – elements in their songs. Tenor saxophonist Lionel Martin provides the jazz ingredients, while Damien Cluzel brings his own style with his guitar and bass. Keyboardist Fred Escoffier and drummer Jean Joly further reinforce the funk influences. Four albums after coming out with Yetchalal, their 2012 debut release, the group will now visit the House of Music Hungary.

Hakumba
A musical collective with its roots in the town of Szentes, Hakumba has been based in Budapest since 2022. Their music, performed with guitars, keyboards, vocals, percussion, and a four-piece horn section, fuses jazz with world music. After years of focusing exclusively on live music, delivering their message at numerous clubs and festivals both in Budapest and elsewhere in Hungary, they recorded their first album, (Véletlen volt, nem direkt (‘It was by accident, not deliberate’) in December 2022, which was followed by two singles and an EP in 2023.