Between April 11-13, Ritmo brings the best of global beats from Mali, South Africa, the Balkans, and France to the heart of Budapest. Seasoned world music aficionados will appreciate the meeting with one of the genre’s grand masters, Salif Keita, and there will be plenty of others to enjoy, including the psych rock-Anatolian mix of Gaye Su Akyol, the experimental nu-folk of Puuluup, and the bantu punk of BCUC.
The festival offers a select lineup sanctioned by Kexp and Womex, leaving ample room for discovery: Afro-chansons by Gérald Toto, Welsh triple-harp by Cerys Hafana, Jelena Popržan’s artsy viola stand-up and a virtuosic ethno-jazz standoff between Béla Ágoston and Teodosii Spassov, homegrown folk, psychedelic rock and ska-punk represent the range.
Akvárium Klub in the heart of the city hosts most gigs, but a free showcase event at ruin pub Szimpla Kert kicks off festivities. An outdoor stage on Erzsébet tér will tempt passersby on Saturday, while the films will be screened at cult hub Toldi. Professionals will be pampered at the Hungarian House of Music, lending its beguiling interior to smooth networking sessions.
Music on Film
Female singers, Roma music, and the boundless power of music are the themes of Ritmo’s film program this year. The figures and unforgettable voices of Věra Bílá, Ida Kelarova, Omara Portoundo, Mónika Lakatos and Elis Regina emerge against a background of rural Roma communities in Central Europe, the Afro-Cuban music scene or a studio in L.A. in the seventies. A unique live cinema session by Vincent Moon accompanies Dalinda’s folk a cappella concert, in Ritmo’s 2024 production. Ritmo films of past years: Again and Again by Ábel Regős and Veronika Szász, and Mordai by Gábor Reisz and Bálint Szimler will also be screened.
Connecting minds, paths, and genres is also one of the fortes of the festival. In Budapest, guests can meet the movers and shakers of the scene such as representatives of dozens of festivals such as Exit, Womex, Tallinn Music Week, or the best record labels. The festival will take a look at one of Hangvető’s major international projects Most, successfully pulling the Balkans and the rest of Europe closer via a personal network united by the love of music. Delegates can present their projects at the pitching sessions, talk shop at speed meetings, and connect at the world cafe – all hosted by the Hungarian House of Music.
Full lineup, conference schedule and tickets all available online at budapestritmo.hu.
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