Documentary · Music

Song Brothers

A folk musician recovering from a near-fatal car accident covers a pop icon’s song, incorporating a small Romanian folk band’s motif, resulting in Hungary’s biggest hit in a decade. Quimby, an alternative rock band since 1991, paused in 2003 when singer Tibor Kiss went to rehab. After returning, he wrote “Broken glass paradise,” inspired by his recovery, but it didn’t succeed immediately. Years later, the Hungarian Csík Band covered it, making it a massive hit. Formed in 1988 by János Csík, the band gained popularity by covering pop/rock songs with folk instruments. Their cover of “Broken glass paradise,” featuring a Transylvanian folk motif, was viewed over 15 million times on YouTube, with many mistaking it for a traditional folk song.