Tulipan


Tulipan was a Brisbane-based Hungarian fusion band who were active from 1993 to 2000.



Virag Antal, founder of the group, learned to play the traditional folk instruments hurdy-gurdy, zither and cimbalom or hammered dulcimer while at school in Hungary. She started the group in 1993 at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music among fellow students as a project. Before long the group started receiving requests to play at venues such as the indie-music nightclub The Zoo in Brisbane.
The band toured the east coast of Australia and performed at Australian music festivals including Livid, Big Day Out and WOMADelaide. They were regular special guests at Woodford Folk Festival.
Tulipan played traditional Hungarian melodies fused with other musical influences such as world music, jazz and pop, on folk instruments. Paul Petran, Music Deli presenter for ABC Radio National, said that Tulipan "sound like no other band in Australia at the moment".
Virag Antal left Tulipan in 1999.

Releases and awards

Tulipan released an EP "Red Moon" in 1996, and the full-length album "Manic Celeste" in 1997, which was then re-released by Festival Records in 1998. Manic Celeste was nominated for Best World Music album at the ARIA Music Awards of 1998. That year also saw Tulipan win second place at Kaustinen Folk Music Festival's Best World Music Band competition in Finland, as well as Triple J's Unearthing the World competition.

Members

The lineup included the following musicians: