Debrecen, Kölcsey Központ
12 April 2025, 7pm

Budapest, MOMKult
14 April 2025, 7pm

In 2025, two Debrecen-originated band will celebrate a milestone anniversary. Panta Rhei, which started in 1975, can look back on 50 years, Djabe, which debuted in 1995, on 30 years. Both bands have been outstanding and influential in Hungarian music life. András Szalay, leader of Panta Rhei, and Attila Égerházi, leader of Djabe, decided to celebrate their anniversaries with a joint concert.

Both bands invited guests to make the evening as colourful and exciting as possible.

Panta Rhei will have the vocal ensemble Rotunda as their guest, and Djabe will be joined by world-famous American guitarist Chieli Minucci, who will be coming straight from New York. He is known to the public as the leader of Special EFX.

Panta Rhei

In the spring of 1975, the University of Debrecen’s Auditorium hosted the debut concert of the Panta Rhei, which was formed at the university. The frenetic success of the two short Bartók arrangements, performed at the first ever concert with synthesizers and electronic effects of their own construction, immediately determined the future of the band. The original band’s career, which lasted until 1982, saw them become one of the favourite bands in Hungarian university clubs for their progressive rock compositions and classical covers. In the meantime, they were joined by Enikő Ács, who brought the World Music feel into Panta Rhei’s repertoire. One album and several singles from this period have survived, but the completed Bartók album could not be released due to the objections of the Bartók family. After the disbandment of the touring band in 1983, the founding members made an album under the name P.R. Computer, the first in Hungary to use microcomputers in the entire musical.
Re-formed in 2017, Panta Rhei’s aim was to introduce the band’s unique musical world to young people as well as to their old fans. This concert, on the 50th anniversary of Panta Rhei, will be the last time that Panta Rhei will perform its progressive compositions, the most beautiful classically inspired pieces from the P.R. Computer album, Enikő’s poetry songs, Bartók arrangements and the complete Peer Gynt Suite with the Rotunda Choir.

Panta Rhei will perform with the following line-up

Enikő Ács – vocals
András Kálmán – keyboards
Mátyás Milkovics – synthesizers
András Szalay – bass guitar, vocals
Dániel Szalay – drums
Szalay Sándor – guitar

special guest Rotunda Choir

Djabe

Djabe is Hungary’s premier jazz/world fusion band, playing unique music that blends jazz with various elements of Hungarian and world music. The band’s main composer is Tamás Barabás, who is one of the most virtuoso Hungarian bassists. Djabe means freedom in African Ashanti language. The founder, band leader and composer, guitarist Attila Égerházi, interprets this freedom primarily in terms of the free mixing of musical styles and instrumentation.
The drummer of the band is Péter Kaszás, internationally acclaimed, Artisjus award-winning and Grammy nominated drummer, who was the drummer of Al di Meola’s World Sinfonia for ten years. Besides playing drums and percussion, he is an excellent singer. Péter Kaszás’s unique voice has become one of the hallmarks of Djabe albums made after 2018.
Djabe’s trumpeter is multi-award-winning artist Áron Koós-Hutás, who has been a permanent member of the band since 2016 after several guest appearances.
Zoltán Bubenyák, the renowned pianist of the Hungarian jazz scene, who has worked with many outstanding international and Hungarian artists, can be heard on keyboards.
In May 2024, saxophonist Zoltán Zana joined the band, adding his EWI playing to Djabe’s world-class sound.

In its 30 years of existence, Djabe has won numerous national and international awards and recognition. Since 2002, Djabe has toured or performed in 44 countries in Europe, Asia and North America. Djabe is one of the most sought-after Hungarian jazz bands at international festivals.
Since 2007, he has also been performing regularly and releasing albums with former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. At the Garana festival in Romania, 13 000 people went wild to the music of Djabe and Steve.
In 2023 they started a sensational collaboration with the American guitarist Chieli Minucci of Special EFX. Chieli will guesting again at the April Djabe shows.

Djabe has officially released around 130 physical audio and video releases.
Djabe releases are known not only for their world-class musical content, but also for their top-quality sound. The band’s vinyl records are regularly used as test and reference discs at High-End and Hi-Fi shows around the world.

Tamás Barabás – bass guitar
Attila Égerházi – guitar, percussion
Koós-Hutás Áron – trumpet, flugelhorn
Péter Kaszás – drums, vocals
Zoltán Bubenyák – piano, keyboards
Zoltán Zana – saxophone, EWI

With

Chieli Minucci – guitar
László Szabó – sitar, guitar

Before the sows a luxurious LP/CD box will be released. This will include a triple LP and a CD from both bands.