Values and Worldview in Hungarian Folk Songs

Type of Abstract (select): Individual Presentation

Abstract (max. 250 words):
This presentation is an immersion into the poetry of the people. Collectively crafted and shared across generations, these rich and evocative song texts provide insight into older ways of thinking and the values and behaviors of those who sang them. Drawing on hundreds of traditional village folk songs as well as interviews with culture bearers in dozens of villages across the Carpathian Basin, the interpretations of the texts are informed by long-term relationships and lived experiences. These songs may reflect the value systems that generations of Hungarian immigrants brought with them to the United States, or may conversely help explain why others chose to stay in Hungary, or have recently repatriated from the United States to the “motherland.” The range of topics — including courtship and partner selection, love and loyalty, the natural and emotional worlds, wealth and poverty, and stages of life — cover the full spectrum of the human experience.


Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Zina Bozzay is an active performer, researcher, arranger, and teacher of traditional Hungarian village folk songs. Raised in San Francisco and trained by master folk singers in Hungary, she collects songs from the last living village singers. Deeply committed to the diaspora and cross-cultural work, Zina founded the Hungarian Folk Singing Circle in 2010, through which she has taught thousands of people from over 50 countries. In Budapest, she teaches at the Óbuda Folk Music School, Hungarian Heritage House, ELTE, Fulbright Scholars, and the Liszt Academy of Music, as well as in her popular international online classes. She is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory and holds a Masters degree in Music. www.zinabozzay.com