The GázsaBand goes back to 1993 when it was founded as the orchestra of the Budapest Dance Group by seasoned musicians who already had a long experience in playing Hungarian traditional folk music. The name comes from the nickname of its lead violonist (primás) Papp István „Gázsa”, who was one of the founders of the táncház („dance house”) movement in Transylvania in 1977. The band shows the traditional string orchestra format: violin, viola („kontra”), doublebass and cimbalom (hammer dulcimer), and plays a very rich repertoir of traditional music from Transylvania and Hungary. When needed, first of all during concerts, they are joined by well known singers.