An accordion–voice duo dedicated to authentic Balkan and Greek café music

BudaPesme is a Budapest-based acoustic vocal–accordion duo formed by vocalist Veronika Varga and accordionist Benedek Réti, brought together by their shared passion for the diverse authentic and artistic musical traditions of the Balkans. They perform songs of Macedonian, Serbian, Bosnian and Greek origin.

BudaPesme aims to preserve—and at the same time personalize—the remarkably honest, open-hearted, intimate, and emotional atmosphere of both well-known and rarely heard Balkan songs, along with the region’s multicolored athmosphere. Their energetic performance adapts well to different environments: they capture the attention either in cozy cafés and lively restaurants, or across concert hall stages and vibrant summer festivals.

The name refers to the duo’s home city, Budapest, combined with the Serbian word pesme (songs), emphasizing the origins of their musical repertoire.

Their performances move effortlessly between melancholy and celebration: from deeply nostalgic, emotionally charged songs to the carefree atmosphere of Mediterranean summer evenings, and finally to the fiery, irresistible energy that invites audiences to sing, dance, and lose themselves in the music. Listeners are taken on a journey through time and across cultures, encountering early twentieth-century Greek rebetiko, Bosnian sevdalinka, Serbian and Macedonian folk songs, as well as iconic Yugoslav popular songs from the second half of the twentieth century.

Alongside these traditions, Veronika and Benedek bring their own musical voice, shaped by more than a decade of performing together. Their artistic partnership has grown through the Hungarian South Slavic ensemble Babra, as well as numerous collaborations within the Hungarian folk music scene.

Each of their concerts are enriched with stories, historical context, and personal experiences from the musicians' own journeys through the Balkans and Greece. Their performances invite audiences not only to listen, but to become part of the shared musical experience.