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 Ferenc
Tobak (1, 7, 14), Player and maker of the Hungarian “Duda” - Ferenc was
born in Kecskemét, Hungary, into a family where music, simply put, is a
part of life. His
involvement became more serious when he began playing and researching
the Hungarian "Duda" in the late 1970's.
He has since become an accomplished professional musician and is
recognized in Europe and the United States as one of Hungary's leading
revivalist artists of traditional music. He has recorded with the finest
musicians of Hungary, including Vasmalom and Márta Sebestyén with
Muzsikás. Ferenc is a
published author, as well as Hungary's most respected maker of bagpipes
and has won recognition and numerous awards for his excellence in
instrument making. Ferenc has a deep consciousness of the importance of
tradition and is driven to pass on what he can to others, particularly
to his children. He teaches
not just the music, but also the awareness that his culture is special
and important. His children
are all proud of their dual cultural heritage and his family is pleased
to participate with him on “Drone Magic”.
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 Peter
Heelan (2, 10, 13), Irish “Uilleann” Pipes
- Peter, from Dublin, Ireland, first got interested in the “Uilleann”
pipes when he heard a Leo Rowsome album his father had at home.
Rowsome's son made Peter a set of "practice pipes" and
Peter took a few lessons with him at the Dublin Municipal School of
Music. He purchased a full
set of Uilleann Pipes from Tom White in 1979, and set out to learn the
pipes in earnest. About
that time, Peter came to the United States where he has continued to
learn this complicated instrument.
His music is mostly the traditional dance music of Ireland, much
of which is very old. Peter
resides in Oakland and regularly plays music with his wife, Sabra Daly
and their friends.
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 Georgi
Kabaivanov (5, 12), Bulgarian “Gajda”
- Georgi was born in Haskovo, Bulgaria, and was literally
raised with music. His father makes bagpipes and other woodwind
instruments, his brother plays a kaval (Bulgarian folk flute), and most
of their friends are musicians. Georgi plays primarily on the Thracian
"Kaba Gajda", made by his father. Georgi came to the United
States in 1996 and has since lived in the San Francisco Bay Area.
"Music for me is a hobby - the kind I can't live without". He
is currently a student at SFSU.
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 Lynne
Miller (6, 11), Scottish “Highland” Pipes -
Lynne, a native of Scotland, is an excellent player of the “Highland”
pipes. He is very
knowledgeable of the music and traditions of his heritage and the place
occupied by the bagpipe. He remembers that when he was a small child, a
well-known piper came to his house to stay for a while. He says he knew
from then on that he would play the bagpipes, although it took him a
number of years before he actually started on the instrument. Now a
teacher at Skyline College in San Mateo, Lynne is also the owner of the
popular "House of Bagpipes" in San Francisco, CA.
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Conall
O'Raghallaigh (4, 8), Irish “Uilleann” pipes - Conall is a native of Dublin, Ireland, and moved to the United States when he was 26; at about the same time he started playing
the “Uilleann” pipes and has been active in the community of Irish musicians for many years. He now lives in San Francisco and performs regularly with his band.
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 Mark
Walstrom (3, 9), Swedish “Säckpipa” - Mark has been playing the “Säckpipa” for about 20 years.
Born in Wisconsin of Swedish ancestry, he fondly remembers his
grandfather singing Swedish songs, and music has always been an
important part of his life. Mark also plays traditional Scandinavian
music, as well as a variety of folk music from other countries. He is a
bagpipe historian, published author, and founding member of the Sean
Reid Society, promoting the history and music of the Irish Union pipes. Mark currently resides with his family in Kensington, CA and
performs occasionally with one of his daughters.
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Accompanying
Musicians
Éva
Molnár: Vocal/1 • Mary W Tobak: Vocal/7, Friction Drum/14 • Susan
Waterfall: Church Organ/7
Sabra
Daly: Concertina/2, 10 • Erin Shrader: Fiddle/2 • Feró Tobak IV:
Hurdy Gurdy/1, Narrator/14
Mária
Tobak: Vocal/7, Yelling/14 • ZoltánTobak: Drum, Yelling/14 • Antal
Legedi: Shepherd’s Horn/ 14
The
Koleda (12): Ivan Kabaivanov, Markus Moskoff, Hector Bezanis, Tzvetan
Mitev, Atanas Pavlov
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