These are the most popular English videos about Hungary – watch them HERE!
Over the last decade or so, YouTube conquered the world and became an integral part of the life of children and adults alike, all over the world. Videos made in a plethora of countries and languages can be found, amounting to thousands of hours of entertainment. Here, you can check out the 10 most popular videos in English, focusing on Hungary.
10. Freddie – Pioneer
In 10th place is Hungary’s Eurovision 2016 song, with 4.7 million views. The singer is Freddie (Gábor Alfréd Fehérvári) who was chosen by the Hungarian audience to compete in the European contest organised in Stockholm that year. He made it to the finale where he scored 108 points and came in 19th place. The lyrics were praised by Hungarian music experts, while a fun fact is that the song was the 1400th song performed in Eurovision history.
Britain’s Got More Talent – Hungarian thigh slappers
The trio appeared on the talent show in 2015. Previously,
they have won the title of ‘fastest dancers’ on the Smithsonian Festival in Washington, but they were apprehensive about appearing on the show at first, fearing that they would bring shame to Hungary.
Their fear appears to have been unnecessary – they mesmerised all four judges as well as the audience. The group revealed that the 3 of them together produce 3937 slaps in under two minutes. In fact, their record is 41 slaps in 1 second, making them faster than Michael Flately’s Irish step dancers – impressive!
8. Britain’s Got Talent – Attraction
Most people remember the breathtaking performances of Attraction, the Hungarian shadow theatre group that brought several judges to tears with their moving performances and the emotional stories they told. The group was formed in 2004, with 12 members, though only 8 appeared on the British talent show in 2013. They got a lot of support from the audience as well as the judges and ended up winning the competition – the first foreign act ever to win. They have been performing worldwide ever since.
7. Gloomy Sunday
This song is widely known as the ‘Hungarian Suicide Song’. It was composed in 1933 by pianist and composer Rezső Seress. The original title was The world is ending, however, László Jávor poet’s version entitled Gloomy Sunday became far more popular. In this version, the protagonist sings about wanting to commit suicide after his lover has died. Billie Holiday recorded his version back in 1941, making it well-known in the English-speaking world as well. There is an urban legend claiming that the song drove many people to commit suicide. Billie Holiday’s version was actually banned from the BBC which only ended in 2002.
6. Hungarian Rhapsody played by Valentina Lisitsa
Composer Ferenc Liszt composed a set of 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies, with the 2nd one being the most well-known. It often appears in popular culture, too, including Mickey Mouse back in 1929. More recently, it appeared on an episode of The Simpsons as well as in a 2013 Agatha Christie adaptation, The Labours of Hercules.
Valentina Lisitsa is a Ukrainian-American pianist. She is one of the most often watched pianists on YouTube. Impressively, she launched her career on social media, on her own, without any help from a record company or a promoter.
5. Hungarian Giant Wild Boar Hunting
The next one may be a bit surprising – it is a video documenting a hunting trip in the woods of North-West Hungary. The video was uploaded in 2012 and has close to 12 million views. Wild boars can actually be found in several places. They are the widest-ranging mammals in the world. In Hungary, the Carpathian boar is the most common.
4. The Song of the Butterfly
With over 13 million views, this next one is a 17-minute-long video about a musical adventure by Istvan Sky Kék Ég, Estas Tonne, Pablo Arellano and Indrė Kuliešiūtė. The artists were inspired by the Everness Festival in Hungary, followed by a visit to the Surya Sangíta Asram. The music is actually available on iTunes, too, and is recommended to help with meditation and mindfulness practices.
3. Ferenc Liszt – Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Ferenc Liszt’s melody makes an appearance yet again – this time, it is the orchestra version. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 was composed in 1847 and was dedicated to Count László Teleki, a Hungarian author and statesman. A unique and surprising feature of this melody that the composer included an invitation for a ‘cadenza’, an improvised section entirely up to each performer.
2. Johannes Brahms – Hungarian Dance No. 5
This classic is the second most viewed Hungary-related video on YouTube – it has 32 million views. Brahms’s Hungarian Dances includes a set of 21 dance tunes, about 1 to 5 minutes in length. These are among the most popular works of Brahms’s. Numbers 1 and 5 are especially popular. The 5th one is based on Hungarian composer Béla Kéler’s Memories of Bártfa which Brahms though was a traditional Hungarian folk song.
1. The Gummy Bear Song
And the winner – The Gummy Bear Song! This one actually features twice in the top 3 most viewed Hungary-related videos, with 67 and 24 million views. Originally, the song was just 30 seconds, and it debuted in 2006. However, it quickly went viral, thanks to the catchy melody and the amusing character. The original Hungarian was recreated in English, which only increased its popularity. The full version of 2 and a half minutes was released in 2007 but its popularity does not seem to cease – it is actually still available on Amazon.
For more news, check out this video of foreigners trying to pronounce Hungarian words.
Featured image: www.youtube.com
Source: youtube.com, wikipedia.org