Gimme the honky tonk blues

February 25, 2019 8:35 AM

From an early 90s Australian documentary about Hungary, here's some women in typical Hungarian national costume singing Honky Tonk Women. (Via)
posted by growabrain (8 comments total)

Well then, taking the cake fer strange, first thing in the morning. I can't tell which is the most strange, the guy's grunting chorus, or the women waving hankies with some studied hip sway, with layers of bright uniform, girls from the age of two, to the final years of life would have worn in every village and town.
posted by Oyéah at 9:25 AM on February 25, 2019

Well, that was different!
posted by kinnakeet at 9:37 AM on February 25, 2019

In English.

They are very cute. Also, nice reminder of what fun blort.meepzorp is. waves at q and madame.
posted by theora55 at 10:03 AM on February 25, 2019 [2 favorites]

I'm an American currently living in Hungary and dating a Hungarian and this makes me deeply uncomfortable and I'm not sure why.
posted by Skwirl at 10:56 AM on February 25, 2019 [2 favorites]

I feel like it belongs in the same category as this rendition of Happy Together. Just don't ask me what that category is.
posted by McCoy Pauley at 11:32 AM on February 25, 2019 [1 favorite]

Hunkie Tonk, surely.
posted by snuffleupagus at 12:41 PM on February 25, 2019

For Australians pondering what the hell this was from, the answer is Danube Interlude, shown on ATN 7 (now just Seven) as part of The World Around Us.
posted by zamboni at 3:38 PM on February 25, 2019

I am going to sound like the grumpy old man that I am but I detest this sort of "cross-over" music. Like when Dame Kiri Te Kanawa released a jazz album. No, just no. It is kinda insulting when one type of musician thinks it is OK just to "cross-over" into a completely different genre and make a "fun" video or album. It rarely, if ever works. Most musical traditions are steeped in a rich history that can not be emulated by a few hours practice without coming across as patronising and dismissive.

As anyone who knows Hungarian dance will tell you the costumes dances wear are from very particular regions of Hungary, and from Hungarian populations in surrounding countries. In this video the Hungarian group is dressed in the highly stylised kalocsai dress, i.e. the distinctive pattern of the Kalocsa region which has become synonymous with a Hungarian motif. It is not, and represents only a small part of the Hungarian tradition of dance and costume. A cowboy outfit represents only a part of the American tradition, as does kalocsai in the Hungarian tradition.

I know this video is just for fun and I am taking it far too seriously but it does border on cultural misappropriation. Anyway, there is a bunch of kids on my lawn that need a good shouting at.
posted by vac2003 at 12:37 AM on February 26, 2019