As part of the Yettel Stage program, three acclaimed local artists from different genres were asked to recommend talent they would like to support in their musical career. This is a special initiative partly because Hungarian stars promote their protégés by performing together with the musicians they support at a concert, and also because they were requested to choose artists to mentor with whom they share a region or even a city.
So that’s how the three pairs came together. Majka selected one of the youngest and most distinctive members of the Hungarian soul and funk scene, Perrin, to take the audience back to the 80s with songs free of unnecessary mannerisms. Majka said: "I’m happy when something is full of talent, and the Yettel Stage initiative is exactly like that. It’s a serious responsibility, as playing to a full house is a great opportunity and motivation for a younger band. I’m happy to support good causes, and working together with Perrin could bring him significant visibility.” “In the music profession, it is very difficult for a beginner to break out without such support,” added Perrin commenting on the importance of performing together.
Nowadays, talent is useless without someone to give you the first push. That’s why it’s important for The Pontiac, a band playing bluesy tunes, that they have been embraced by Margaret Island. This support gives them an even bigger audience. “There are so many exciting Hungarian bands, it would be great if the audience could get to know more of them. The Pontiac plays American blues music in Hungarian which is not very common. I feel they have an audience, they just haven’t got enough visibility yet. With this project, they got to experience what it’s like to shoot a video clip, to prepare for a concert, and what it’s like to be pestered, interviewed, etc. all day, which is part of it all”, said Viki Lábas, singer of Margaret Island. "When we were shooting the video, for example, it was the first time for us to be told what to do and how to do it, and it felt really good to be so involved," say members of The Pontiac.
There were seven guys who, motivated by their love of music, decided to show that authentic folk music and pop music can indeed go hand in hand. This was how the band Kacaj was established, became increasingly popular and attracted Punnany Massif’s attention. “In the past 20 years we have come across countless things in the Hungarian music industry and we think it is almost our duty to help the lesser known but talented bands – either with our experience or by sharing the stage with them,” said the members of Punnany. “We chose Kacaj because they adapt authentic Hungarian folk music in a way that makes it sound modern and understandable for young people.” Kacaj also considers the Yettel Stage a valuable opportunity: “The Yettel Stage gives us a little glimpse of what it would be like to be really successful”.
"With the Yettel Stage music platform, we want to demonstrate the power of telecommunications by combining talent with fame and digitisation with the magic of personal encounter. This is also the aim of our new partnership with the Aquarium Club. It is an iconic cultural venue in Budapest, where, in addition to our high-quality mobile network, we – as a sponsor – help enhance the visitor experience with free wifi and mobile charging stations ", said Gergely Dolezsai, Yettel’s Brand and Marketing Communications Director.
The music platform aims to help talented musicians gain national exposure through digital tools and the experience of seasoned performers. This summer, the program was launched with a unique series of free concerts, and the three emerging bands received a video clip each as well as communication support. The clips already available for watching are all based on a journey with musicians travelling either metaphorically or actually. They show pictures of places dear to them: the rehearsal room in Pécs, the small-town world of concrete blocks or the Balaton landscape, the places from which the bands started.
The music platform will culminate on 8 October at the free Yettel Stage 5G Concert at Szabadság tér, where Majka, Margaret Island, Punnany Massif, Kacaj, Perrin and The Pontiac will perform. The concert will be streamed online via Yettel’s 5G network on Yettel’s Facebook page.
Please find the clips below:
Kacaj – Holdvilág (Moonlight): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=389JY7bNey8
The Pontiac – Csak a csend van (Only The Silence): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MsFVs-5aHU
Perrin – Álomnapló (Diary of Dreams): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMmM46-yJF4
Brief introduction of the mentees:
The Pontiac: The Pontiac’s songs combine blues-rock infused with an authentic American sensibility and the bittersweetness of domestic alternative music. Moving from blues basics to melodic rock, The Pontiac was established in 2017. That year they released their first EP titled “Morning Rain”. Their first album, “Are You Ready Now?”, debuted on 3 May 2019. In summer 2020, they released a 4-song record including three new songs captured without an audience due to the pandemic. Those songs were still American blues-rock songs in English but they were soon followed by their first Hungarian composition titled Csak Egyetlen Lámpa Ég (There is Only One Light On), a song with a bittersweet Hungarian vibe combined with the band’s unique style. The band released its second (and first Hungarian-language) album on 28 October 2021.
The band Kacaj is special in that it appeals to a wide audience and it covers a wide range of musical genres. From alternative rock to rap music, they are inspired by many different genres connected by Hungarian folk music. Their progressive pop songs are composed in jam sessions. Kacaj’s youthful momentum and rural energy guarantee an exhilarating concert experience.
Rooted in the cross-section of quality pop and underground, Perrin’s songs are inspired by the soul and funk music of the seventies and eighties in a progressive and experimental way. “Beach driving, emotional, clean, Cadillac aesthetics”, says Soma Palotai, aka Perrin, describing the sound of his music in his own words. Chunky beats and tighter 4/4s alternate to provide a setting for the warm tones of analogue synths and passionately performed English-language lyrics, all wrapped up in a light, modern instrumentation. It’s the kind of honest and emotional soul music that Stevie Wonder would play if he were young today.