Szintézis
Sámándobkör: the meaning of the name is „Synthesis Shaman Drum
Circle”. Tamas Paulinyi, founder and leader of the Synthesis Free
University in Budapest, started their shaman drum circle together
with the school and its evoking public society in 1997. As a journalist,
writer, poet and scientific parapsychological researcher, of course,
he was already interested in the international culture complex
and local phenomena of neoshamanism in the preceding years, and
since several initiatives of this kind had appeared on the scene
as pioneers of the genre not much earlier, he neither wanted to
stay out of the progress of events… So thus the Synthesis Shaman
Drum Circle was relatively quickly born among the first comers
of the (typically home-made, do-it-yourself-like) drum-circle
movement that had been started before by Istvan Somogyi and Zoltan
Solyomfi-Nagy during the ’90s in a building-from-below way in
Hungary, trying to revive our ancient shamanistic traditions again,
too. These circles usually are open clubs or loosely-organized
friendly societies who come together with the intention of collectively
experiencing their possibilities: they themselves make their instruments
(which are as simple as possible), following the basic types and
examples of the Siberian or Native American (or even the old-world
Hungarian) drums for this, like other folk instruments, too. Cultivating
our inner connection to Earth and Nature through this all, and
meaning to reawaken the common wisdom behind the traditions in
us – to see an elementary communal experience. This drum group
of the Synthesis Society accompanies the school from the beginning
as a sort of open club where anyone can take a part in the common
improvisation or the singing of the songs. In the course of the
years, a little regular membership has also formed, acting like
a band – entering on stage. Our repertoire mainly consists of
our own compositions (but there are some traditional themes and
songs from other similar groups among them, too).
Inter
alia Botond Szathmari historian of religion made a short, but
well done, light study about the global phenomenon of neoshamanism
(and within, the typical character of „metropolitan shaman”),
which is accessible on the internet at several locations (entitled
Shamans at the Dawn of the 21st Century). You should
read the original work; which I would underline here, that he
mentions those two books apostrophed as standard works that the
most probably helped this international inflammation on: Mircea
Eliade: Shamanism. Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy (1951)
and Carlos Castaneda: The Teachings of Don Juan (1968).
Likewise he briefly deals with the activity of the two new-world
anthropologist and etnographer: Michael Harner and his disciple
Jonathan Horwitz (whose name is erroneously listed unfortunately
as „Horowitz” in many places, so at Botond, too) gradually grown
into a sort of „original-guru”. The former of the two was he who
had been to Budapest in 1986 (for the invitation of Mihaly Hoppal),
then the latter in 1991, and held some trainings of the theme.
Predominantly this was such one primary source that „started up”
or made fruitful several key-figures (among others: Istvan Somogyi,
Zoltan Solyomfi-Nagy, Attila Grandpierre, Andras Laar, Laszlo
Mireisz and Tamas Paulinyi… etc.); as well as dispersed throughout
the first sparks on this ceremony-thirsty Hungarian fallow… (Albeit
it was pretty much preceded by the indian camps regularly kept
by Tamas Cseh at Bakonybel from 1961.) These irreversible initiatives
later worked onward and spreaded in a very viable way, and by
now there already are some whole dozens of lesser or greater drum
circles and shaman clubs, creative self-teaching and dancing circles,
and traditionalist, neopagan, neoshaman societies blossoming and
growing picturesquely, vividly and richly all over the country.
Maybe the two most beautiful features of that are: naturalness,
and unaffected, homely simplicity. The latter means that the manner
is open for anyone: the required tools can be made at any household
domestically, and their usage neither demands any preliminary
studies or practical skills for.
When the first year of the Synthesis Free University organized
by Paulinyi in 1997 began, it already included its own shaman
drum circle, which has been working since then, together with
the school, with undiminished energy. It is a kind of open club
reassembling every two months, where any visitors are welcomed
who arrive equipped with any kind of usable instrument (that may
even be his/her own voice, too…), and/or are interested in or
at least feel any affinity for the atmosphere of neoshamanism.
(See: Synthesis Free University at the contacts.)
Once
and again handfully we are lingering or vegetating at the hall,
while at other times – to surprise – the number swells to several
dozens. The actual social composition always changes in the same
incalculable way. There occur some regular members still as tribesmanship,
and there are many kind guests returning occasionally. (Although
the shaping atmosphere does not firstly depend on the quantity
of present company… of course.) Besides, we have even got a place
called Cserkut, that forest-lodge lying a few miles away from
Cserhatszentivan at the back of beyond, which could rate as a
real sanctuary and a cult-place in the eyes of the very most of
other congenial-spirit companies in our country, too. That hermitage
of a has-been watermill
these days, rebuilt to an oven-heated little peasant house right
at the meeting-point of several streams and brooks in the depths
of the oaken wood in a picturesque valley, isolated in a cool
and quiet, smoky solitude, with the fire, the former general headquarters
of Istvan Somogyi and the Arvisura Theatre, that nowadays gives
shelter to and accommodates those withdrawing and self-sequestering
ones searching for immersion day by day. Tamas usually writes
his novels over there, too, even outstanding entire frosty winter
months all alone; or our small group spends a few days every summer
there.
Since
the circle exists, it exists not only for itself, but shoulders
external performances, too. There are own songs and turns established
– with or without singing – that are playable and presentable
already on stage. In the beginning it consisted of mere improvisation,
which the text and structure were only subsequently added to.
That small band consisting of five people was forming out according
to this, who mostly take over these roles (Tamas Paulinyi, Katalin
Furjes, Tilda Takacs, Zsoka Szucs and Robert Olessak), though
occasionally this number might complete with others, too. (We
had already tried to hang a lot of names upon ourselves, but none
of them worked lastly, thus we remained Synthesis Shaman Drum
Circle further on for lack of a better…) We shared part in various
kinds of camps, sundances and firewalks, miscellaneous solstitial,
equinoctial feasts, nature-healing, esoteric fests; drummed together
with the above-mentioned Somogyi/Solyomfi’s companies, or a very
talented seeming successor of them, the Firebird Shaman Drum Circle
lead by Osku Feherhollo („White Raven”), the Javas Music by Laar/Mireisz,
another Laar-band Tuzforras („Fire Stream”), one or two times
with the VHK and KFT… (elder Hungarian punk, pop cult-bands).
Made some so-called Ritual Theatres, too. (Once drumming on our
half-made yet and still „unofficial” taiko drums, hm, upside down;
another time with eccentric poet Janos Sebeok.) Persian tribal
stomach dances, ancient Hungarian horse-back archers; folk music
and folk dance; electronic goa music; the international Rainbow
Tribe (by Boli Balatoni), Krishnans, Buddhists… etc. Sometimes
with the congenial Turunga Circle (didgeridoo players); Devalon
inviting; and of course our other bands (Kiyo-Kito, Stonehenge).
Beside this intensive and partnering life, however, in the course
of years, we more often act with own repertoire.
Not
more than an experience gaining process this is, happening inside,
in our inner world. Maybe succeeded in living through some one
or two elated – or transcendent – moments, the memory of which
we surely should not ever exchange against any other else. Yes,
and naturally there were such occasions, too, which finally degenerated
into any diverse kinds of alcohol-steamed, insane chaos, or unrestrained,
frenzied, feral, infantile storming. The innocent and harmless,
adsorbed, solemn, nature-loving, tradition-bound, full-of-pathos
philosophers’ circle; and the inhumanly beside-oneselves, swindler,
reveller and riotous rabble – yonder Human Being’s two evident
faces, which seem mutually exclusive or contradictory and inconsistent
only to the superficial outsider observer. But between the extremities
polarized, some eventual rainbow-scale of individual transitions
stretches over, arches ever, colorfully lived. (And the travelling
through nether, upper worlds either may not exist genuinely without
any opposite of each other and themselves…)
For
the sake of truth – and landing back to ground – nevertheless
of course it must be admitted, too, that this little, modest,
so-termed „urbanly countrified” worn-winged drum circle of ours,
well, is actually more reserved, close, stand-offish and self-contained,
gloomier and melancholic place than the others’; rather like a
rainy afternoon; and not so much an animating, elevating, ravishingly
ecstatic movement like e. g. there were any of the etherealized
seances of Istvan Somogyi at the castle of Buda, occasionally
even with as much as several hundred people together formerly…
We rather do it just for ourselves; rather club, than band; but
we do feel good within that, anyway.
After
all, we could label the whole thing as musical performace. However,
it is – at least, in any case – inexact. It is not definitely,
and also not always „musical”, since we can rather only speak
of singing and rhythm accompaniment; and it is not mainly meant
a „performance” (that is for a passive, receptive audience), but
rather is an open, common celebration or a feast, in which all
those present take an active part. That is also such an initiative,
intended to show an example.
Robert
Olessak (2010)
Stonehenge
07/07/2011
Stonehenge
Ancient Rhythm Formation
Kiyo-Kito
Taiko
07/07/2011
Kiyo-Kito
Taiko
Our
Bands brochure (2010)
07/07/2011
Our
Bands brochure (Kiyo-Kito, Synthesis and Stonehenge) (0.3
MB)
