*. Koncz Zsuzsa .*

Album: ...Fordul a világ (1988)
Genre: Prog Folk (Pop/Rock)  /  Hungary

BIO: Szusza grew up in the town of Pély). At the start of the '60s, the Hungarian Television televised amateur contest called, 'Ki Mit Tud?' (What can you do?) She appeared with her high school classmate, Ágnes Gergely. After this appearance on TV, Zsuzsa Koncz was called by then amateur band Omega, followed by Illés and finally Metro with whom the following years she performed and joined with in her career pursuits. Eventually she recorded with Illés the single ‘Rohan az Idő’ which would become one of the first hits in Hungarian. In the following year (1967) she appeared in the Illés project called ‘Ezek a fiatalok’ (These Are the Youth). The movie was an attempt to make the general audience better acquainted with the youth culture of the time. Not also being a milestone in Hungarian rockmusic the project also gave Zsuzsa the opportunity to present herself to a broad audience. This enabled her to record her debut album released in 1968. In the lyrics she sung she often took a critical approach which would prove to form a difficulty as her career and popularity grew. In'73, the authorities had enough and for unexplained ‘political reasons’ ‘Jelbeszéd’ was banned. There was an official hearing to determine whether or not Zsuzsa Koncz as well as lyricist, János Bródy (former Illés and now working with his band Fonográf) may continue to freely express themselves. Eventually they could continue expanding Zsuzsa’s fame in the 1970s. She made several successful tours abroad, mainly in Central European countries as well as in West Germany (sometimes under the names Shusha Koncz and Jana Koncz in German-speaking countries), but also in France, the U.S., and Japan. With songs like 'A Kárpáthyék lánya', 'Ha én rózsa volnék', and 'Valahol egy lány' she became very popular with the Hungarian public. In 1977 she receives the Franz Liszt Prize for her work until then. The start of the 80's her relationship with songwriter János Bródy cools a little also when his band Fonográf is ceasing to exist. After this, her albums are no longer presenting individual orchestral ensembles (at first, they were produced in the rehearsal rooms of Illés, and Fonográf). Expanded are the responsibilities of the producers while the cast of the musicians list is made longer. She starts working with young producers amongst which Tibor Bornai (KFT) who later takes over the role of László Tolcsvay and until the end of the 90's. At the start of the '80s, new members join the cast among whom is Tibor Bornai (KFT) who later takes over the role of László Tolcsvay and until the end of the 90's, and directs the music (on both recordings and concerts as one of the composers of the performed titles). While their first joint work was ‘Újhold’, the real true success was with the 1988 album ‘Fordul a világ’ which received much critical acclaim and commercial success. In 1989 she releases an album based on poems of classical and contemporary poets. During the Nineties Koncz only releases two studio albums but appears every year for a concert series at the Budapest Sports Arena, thus securing her popularity. In the new millennium she releases two projects around poetry of which one is fully dedicated to József Attila to commemorate his birth date in 1905. In 2001 she becomes a French Legion Knight of Hungary. Which is doubled in 2008 by the highest cultural award in Hungary, the Kossuth Prize. (www.konczzsuzsa.hu)

RATING:  8.25 / 10   **MARVELLOUS**

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