Bachtale Apsa

The name Bachtale Apsa - meaning "Tears of Joy" - captures the range of moods and emotions that Romani music has evoked since time immemorial. The band draws from the music of Balkan, Hungarian, Spanish, and Slovak Roma, featuring classic czardas alongside traditional Romani songs and original compositions by Mário Bihari and Peter Horváth. Romani melodies blend with rumba, tango, flamenco, swing, and other styles.

The ensemble is anchored by the accordion of blind Romani musician Mário Bihari. He is accompanied by guitarist and vocalist Peter Horváth, violinist Adam Pospíšil - one of the few non-Romani musicians performing with Romani bands - and trumpeter Nicholas Roy Arthefer, a Boston native now based in Prague. The rhythm section features percussionist and drummer Radek Sivák and bassist Michal Sivák.

Bachtale Apsa has performed in various line-ups since 2010, giving hundreds of concerts at home and abroad - as far afield as India and Algeria.