Fool Moon (band)

This article is about the band. For the book by Jim Butcher, see Fool Moon (novel).

Fool Moon
Fool Moon in 2010
Background information
Origin	Szeged, Hungary
Genres	A cappella, Vocal Pop
Years active	2001 – present
Labels	Warner-Magneoton, MDB Records, Schubert Music Publishing
Website	www.foolmoon.hu
Members	Tamás Mészáros Gábor Molnár Gergő Rácz Barnabás Wodala Miklós Németh
Past members	Máté Deák András Deák Ignác Czutor

Fool Moon vocal band was formed in the city of Szeged in September 2001, and has been the advocate of pop-a cappella music – performing pop songs without instruments – in Hungary ever since.

The group released its debut album titled Stars (Warner-Magneoton, 2003) featuring their own five part a’cappella arrangements of Hungarian pop hits. Apart from Hungarian songs, the repertoire of Fool Moon includes songs in French, Italian and a good number of pieces in English: a’cappella versions of songs from artists like Sting, Eric Clapton and Paul Simon. Moreover, on their album Acappelland (MDB Records, 2008), there’s even a song in Bantu.

In 2008, their joint project with Kriszta Kovács titled “Arany-óra” was a powerful attempt to press the limits of performing Hungarian literature a cappella.

In 2012, Fool Moon returned to pop music releasing their album GeorgeMichaelJackson5, a collection of their personal favorites of songs from Michael Jackson and George Michael.

Also in 2012, Fool Moon composed their first original Hungarian pop-a cappella hit, in fact the first Hungarian a cappella pop song, titled “Kettesben jó”. The song was commissioned for a Hungarian youth film titled “Sherlock Holmes nevében” and was played during the film’s end credits in cinemas in Hungary and abroad.

In December 2012 they went on an advent tour with Takács Nikolas, and the album Music & Soul, which captured the songs performed in this tour, peaked Hungarian pop charts.

Collaboration

Throughout the 12 years since the band formed, Fool Moon has worked together with the most renowned Hungarian artists including Presser Gábor (“1 koncert”), Zséda (“Ünnep”), Szolnoki Péter (Bon-Bon album “Dupla élvezet”), Malek Andrea (“Retúr”), Szekeres Adrienn (“Olyan mint te”), Szirtes Edina “Mókus” and Kováts Kriszta (“Arany-óra”), Magna Cum Laude (“Magnatofon”) or Edvin Marton.

In addition, the band took part in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Belgrade in 2008 with the Hungarian contestant Csézy.

Performances

Fool Moon regularly sings at a number of international festivals, in which they have shared the stage with many stars of the international a cappella scene (Rock4, Acappella ExpreSSS, Vocal Sampling, Idea of North, Velvet Voices). Throughout the past 12 years Fool Moon has performed in 15 countries including Taiwan, Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.

Cultural Activities

With the aim of increasing the popularity of a cappella music, in 2005 Fool Moon launched the one and only a cappella event in Hungary, the Fool Moon International Acappella Festival in their home town of Szeged. Inviting vocalists and groups they have met during their performances throughout Europe and beyond, the band has continued to organize this unique festival each Autumn with ever increasing popularity and success.

Fool Moon has given over 250 lectures on the history of a cappella singing throughout Hungary, organized by the Hungarian Philharmonic Society for 6- to 18-year-old students.

International and Hungarian Awards

In 2005, the band received first prize in pop category at the Ward Swingle A Cappella Contest in Graz, one of the most prestigious European contests, which placed Fool Moon among the top a cappella groups in Europe. In 2006, at the 6th Taiwan International Acappella Contest the group earned another first place as well as two special prizes, and in 2010, at the Italian Solevoci International Acappella Contest, they were awarded the prize for best arrangement for their folk song medley titled “Szerelem, szerelem…”. Featured on their album Acappelland, this medley also received a nomination for CARA award in the category of folk/world music in a truly distinguished collection of competing songs from groups like King’s Singers, Neri per Caso or Take6. In 2013, the Fool Moon album in collaboration with Takács Nikolas titled Music & Soul received a Fonogram Prize nomination.

• 2003 - Ward Swingle Award 3. prize
• 2005 - Ward Swingle Award 1. prize
• 2006 - Taiwan International Acappella Award

• 1. prize
• Best Soloist (Ignac Czutor)
• Best Arrangement (Miklos Nemeth for "Love, love")

• 2008 - CARA nomination in Best Folk/World Song category (Love, love)
• 2010 - Best Arrangement (Love, love), Solevoci International Acappella Contest
• 2013 - Music & Soul CD Fonogram-prize nomination

Discography

2003 Csillagok... (Stars...)

1. Nem jön álom a szememre (TNT)
2. Páratlan páros (AD-Stúdió)
3. Megtalállak még (Császár Előd)
4. Keresem az utam (Ákos)
5. Egyedül (Bery-Váci Eszter)
6. Bossanova - Lusta Dick búcsúja (Macskafogó)
7. Vigyél el (Katona Klári)
8. Feketén a hófehér (McCartney-Wonder)
9. Szükségem van rád (V.I.P.)
10. Valami Amerika (Bon-Bon)
11. Nincs ősz, nincs tél (United)
12. Ajándék (trad. - Fool Moon)

2003 Vigyél el (Maxi)

1. Vigyél el (Radio Edit)
2. Vigyél el (Album version)
3. Vigyél el (Instrumental version)
4. Nem jön álom a szememre
5. Vigyél el (Karaoke version)

2005 Merry Christmas (SP)

1. Jingle Bells (Neri per Caso)
2. O Holy Night (*NSync)
3. Kis karácsony/Ó, gyönyörü szép (Fool Moon)
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Neri per Caso)
5. Caroll Of The Bells (Fool Moon)
6. Pásztorok, pásztorok... (Fool Moon)

2006 5election (published only in Taiwan)

1. Call Me Al (Paul Simon)
2. You're My Best Friend (Queen)
3. Change The World (Eric Clapton-Babyface)
4. Fragile (Sting)
5. Blackbird (The Beatles)
6. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets (Sting)
7. Gimme Hope Joanna (Eddy Grant)
8. Vigyél el (Presser Gábor)
9. Le Ragazze - live version (Neri per Caso)

2008 Arany-óra (Kovács Kriszta & Fool Moon)

Music by Szirtes Edina "Mókus" Poems by Arany János

1. Mátyás anyja
2. Vörös Rébék
3. Árva fiú
4. Hídavatás
5. Éjféli párbaj
6. Zách Klára
7. Tetemre hívás
8. Népdal
9. A walesi bárdok
10. Ágnes asszony

2008 Acappelland (LP, published by MDB Records)

1. Alane (Michael Sanchez/Wes Madiko)
2. Gimme Hope Jo'anna (Eddy Grant)
3. Got My Mind Set On You (Rudy Clark/George Harrison)
4. Fragile (Sting)
5. Change The World (Eric Clapton/Babyface)
6. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets (Sting/Dominic Miller)
7. You Can Call Me Al (Paul Simon)
8. You're My Best Friend (John Deacon)
9. Blackbird (Paul McCartney)
10. Jesus He Knows Me (Genesis)
11. Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jr.)
12. Szerelem, szerelem... [Love, love...] (Traditional/Miklós Németh)

2010 10 years (published only in Taiwan)

1. Gone Too Soon (Larry Grossman/Buz Kohan)
2. I want you back/ABC (The Corporation/The Jackson 5)
3. Got My Mind Set On You (Rudy Clark/George Harrison)
4. Edge Of Heaven (George Michael/Wham!)
5. Szerelem, szerelem... [Love, love...] (Traditional/Miklós Németh)
6. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets (Sting/Dominic Miller)
7. Alane (Michael Sanchez/Wes Madiko)
8. The Way You Make Me Feel (Michael Jackson)
9. Ghostbusters (Ray Parker Jr.)
10. I'm Your Man (George Michael/Wham!)
11. Jesus He Knows Me (Genesis)
12. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (George Michael/Wham!)

2012 GeorgeMichaelJackson5 (LP, MDB Records)

1. Blame It On The Boogie (The Jackson 5 - Mick Jackson/The Jacksons)
2. Edge Of Heaven (Wham! - George Michael)
3. Freedom (Wham! - George Michael)
4. As (Stevie Wonder)
5. Rock With You (Rod Temperton)
6. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (George Michael/Wham!)
7. Freedom! '90 (George Michael)
8. The Way You Make Me Feel (Michael Jackson)
9. ABC/I Want You Back (The Corporation)
10. I'm Your Man (George Michael/Wham!)
11. Gone Too Soon (Larry Grossman/Buz Kohan)

2012 Music & Soul (Takács Nikolas & Fool Moon)

1. Jingle Bells (James Lord Pierpont, arr.: Neri per Caso)
2. Change The World (Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, arr.: Miklos Nemeth)
3. A boldogság te vagy (Szabó Zé, Gém Zoltán, arr.: Miklos Nemeth)
4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Ralph Blane, Hugh Martin)
5. Oh Happy Day (Edward Francis Rimbault, Philipp Doddridge, arr.: Edwin Hawkins, arr.: Miklos Nemeth)
6. Mindenen át (Gergo Szakacs)
7. Gone Too Soon (Larry Grossman, Buz Kohan, arr.: Gabor Molnar)
8. The Light Of My Dream (Norbert Kardos, Nikolas Takacs/Viktor Simon)
9. A zene kísér majd az úton (Nikolas Takacs, Norbert Kardos/Marton Lombos, arr.: Miklos Nemeth)
10. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen, arr.: Miklos Nemeth)

2014 Kettesben jó (LP, Schubert Music Publishing)

1. Kettesben jó (Molnár Gábor – Rácz Gergő/Szente Vajk)
2. Back 2 Right (Molnár Gábor/Kasai Jnofinn)
3. Multimilliomos jazzdobos feat. Puskás Peti (Novai Gábor/Fenyő Miklós)
4. Elizabet feat. Laár András (Laár András)
5. A csúnya fiúknak is van szíve feat. The Fake Pressers (Presser Gábor/Sztevanovity Dusán)
6. It Can't Be Over (Bella Máté – Rácz Gergő/Galambos Attila – Szente Vajk)
7. Hello.tourist! feat. Acappella Fellows (Hegyi György – Hajós András – Faltay Csaba – Fekete-Kovács Kornél – Verasztó Gyula)
8. Hopelessly Devoted To You feat. Hien (John Farrar)
9. Mikor feat. Czutor Zoltán (Czutor Zoltán)
10. Népdal feat. Kováts Kriszta (Szirtes Edina “Mókus”/Arany János)
11. Ébredés feat. Kovács Nóri (Trad./Kovács Nóri – Németh Miklós)
12. Köszönöm, hogy vagy nekem feat. Szolnoki Péter (Szolnoki Péter – Török Tamás/Duba Gábor)
13. Olyan, mint te feat. Szekeres Adrien (Kiss Gábor/Szabó Ágnes)
14. Várj, míg felkel majd a nap feat. Malek Andrea (Demjén Ferenc – Lerch István)
15. Ha eljönnek az angyalok feat. Szirtes Edina “Mókus” (Presser Gábor/Sztevanovity Dusán)

See also

• Hungarian pop

References

• Official website