One of the most popular historic bands of the Hungarian underground pop scene featuring four incrazed comedians with their merciless fun who will be celebrating their 29th anniversary on this night.
The Kft Band was formed in 1981 by four musicians, former schoolmates who had teamed up earlier (András Laár, Tibor Bornai, Miklós Lengyel II, András Márton), and unexpected good fortune. In the year of their formation the band immediately won two awards in Hungary's largest musical event, the Hungarian Television's Dance and Pop Song Festival. Their hit tune, "Bábu vagy" / ("You're a Puppet"), performed in costume, with painted faces and puppet-like choreography and what was then unfamiliar sound, made them known throughout the country in one fell swoop. In the four months following their television debut, the band performed over two hundred concerts by invitation around the country.
Kft demonstrated its attraction toward theatrical props in scenes of the absurd along with poetry, which they incorporated into their concerts - and which remains their hallmark. They also presented a play set to music, first performed at the center for movement [alternative] theater in Hungary, the Szkéné Theater.
With their original sound and world of lyrics the band established a distinctive Hungarian "New-Wave" in music, of which they were considered the prime example. Kft released eight albums, was asked by other popular performers to compose songs or lyrics for them, and was invited for guest appearances. Their recognition is acknowledged to this day - in 2001 the profession chose Tibor Bornai as the year's best lyricist.
In addition to their fondness for theatrical elements, Kft also uses the latest technology on hand. During the middle of the 1980s the band developed a multi-media computer program to accompany one of their albums. At the dawn of the Internet age in Hungary, in 1996 (when there was only one person in the entire country involved in the official registration of domain names), they presented a huge concert at the Budapest Sports Arena before an audience of 15 thousand ["Bál az Interneten / ("A Ball on the Internet"), www.kft.hu/bal] at the time www.kft.hu was the first nationally advertised domain name in Hungary. The unusualness of the event is marked by the fact that the government's Minister of Communications accepted to be its primary patron. At the concert, in real time with the help of the Internet, a recognized Hungarian artist from Los Angeles, András Wahorn, "painted" a computer-design illustration projected on a giant screen, while Hazel O'Connor sang with the band synchronized from a studio in Dublin, Ireland. The production enlisted the participation of the telephone companies of three countries and numerous computer technology firms.
Kft performs in Hungarian and gives concerts in Hungary, although they have toured in neighboring countries with Hazel O'Connor (with whom they have come out with two songs jointly). The band has been to Cuba, several European cities, and performed once at the Los Angeles Street Scene Festival. Since the beginning of the 1990s Kft only performs at larger events, at times years pass between appearances. At the present time, the band is working on a new release.
Members of Kft also pursue individual activities, which are in a nutshell:
András Laár
Guitar and vocals
Founded the theater of the absurd in Hungary. The theatrical company that bears his name, which he founded and in which he performs, is still the most popular in the country in this discipline. He taught several years at the Buddhist College in Budapest, is a student of astrology, editor of a monthly magazine on esoteric disciplines called "Javaslap" [roughly,"Oraculor"], and plays ritual music with his chamber ensemble.
Tibor Bornai
Keyboards and vocals
Has produced his own compositions and has written for other artists, including the most popular Hungarian female vocalist. A volume of his humorous and philosophical prose was published in 2001.
Miklós Lengyel, II
Bass, bass guitar, vocals
Editor-in-chief, by invitation, of the leading monthly publication for professional musicians. He appears regularly in concerts as guest performer with several name artists.
András Márton
Percussion, vocals
Founder and Editor-in-chief of a periodical on history, with a style of its own, similar to a daily. His translations of lyrics by the Beatles have appeared in a bilingual edition. He was editor and screenwriter of the first multi-media CD-ROM for the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, Hungary and is the inventor of a computerized system for theatrical and television prompting.
22 March 2018
21
17 December 2015
11
18 December 2014
17
12 December 2012
9
