Härva are: Swiss/Swedish violinist Viljo Busch, British ‘talented, nimble fingered and soulful’ [The Guardian UK] accordionist Faith Elliott-Ristic, and Swiss-Chilean guitarist Lucien Caceres.
Faith is one of the leading proponents of Serbian Roma music; she created and produced two original albums with dir. Emir Kusturica/ No Smoking Orchestra and Faith i Branko that reached the top 10 World Music Charts, feature on the Rough Guides to World Jazz with John McLaughlin and has led multiple International tours including WOMAD (UK); National Folk Festival (AUS) and The Royal Albert Hall (UK). She is the protagonist of an award winning documentary that opened and won Aljazeera Doc Festival, Sarajevo. Lucien Caceres is based in Montreux, Switzerland, plays Gypsy Jazz and sings in French and Latin American Spanish. His influences range from Jazz to Balkan and Latin American Music, is a lover of improvised music and strives for spontaneity and acoustic sounds. Viljo was surrounded by eclectic musical influences as a child in Sweden, and has lived, and studied music throughout Europe before re-finding his home in Switzerland – where he was born. He focused particularly on the specific regional styles of Transylvania, and with Taraf de Haidouks in Romania – and has performed with artists such as Jazz Accordionist Richard Galliano. Härva combine their talents and passion for Romanian and Serbian music with elements of their individual roots to create their unique sound with violin, guitar, accordion, tabor pipe and vocals. Their set takes you on a journey through joyful Romanian dances; emotive Roma songs with a one handed English Tabor Pipe; Swedish vocal harmonies; Breton inspired Geamparalele; Serbian Kolo, and the Romanian Jazz of accordionists such as Ionica Minune.