The Dawn Brothers, a Dutch roots-rock band from Rotterdam, and the Ripoff Raskolnikov Band - the group founded by Ripoff Raskolnikov, an Austrian songwriter-performer who has lived in Hungary for 20 years - are old friends. Indeed, the Dawn Brothers' drummer Rafael Schwiddessen even speaks Hungarian, as one side of his family hails from the country. But even though they have known each other for such a long time, they have never performed together in concert - until now. At Müpa Budapest, for the first time ever the two groups will take to the stage on the same evening, even preparing some joint songs for the occasion.

Ripoff Raskolnikov needs no introduction to Müpa Budapest audiences, given that this honorary Hungarian and guitarist-singer is one of the central figures of Hungary's blues, folk and Americana style singer-songwriter scene, and has already played at Müpa Budapest in the past. His songs span the entire spectrum of human emotion: Ripoff's unique voice speaks not only of love, passion, loss and the difficulties of everyday life, but also the search for beauty and the importance of living life to the full.
The Dawn Brothers, who play old-fashioned roots music that is forward-looking instead of looking to the past and features lavish vocal harmonies, are perhaps less well known in Hungary - although they have performed here before. It is certainly worth getting to know them, however, and with this concert we have the opportunity to make a closer connection. A process that can most easily start with the band's drummer Rafael Schwiddessen, who is half-Hungarian. The grandson of Sándor Devich, a violinist, Schwiddessen not only knows Hungarian but is equally conversant in the musical language that Ripoff and his bandmates know so well. There can be no doubt that the two groups will find a common sound throughout the evening - including in the songs they perform together.

The Bridging Europe Festival is sponsored by the Embassy of the Netherlands.