Formed in 2008, PerKelt is a unique and energetic contemporary folk band based in London, UK. Inspired by medieval and Celtic music from across Europe, the band blends many different genres into the characteristic sound they call ‘speed folk’; their fast, complicated, yet powerful rhythms and Celtic melodies have become their trademark over the years; reminiscent of progressive folk pioneers Jethro Tull.
The music of PerKelt blends together a rhythmic synergy of drums and guitars, signature duels between fiddle and recorder, haunting pagan vocals, and the deep ethnic sound of sliding didgeridoo.
Coming from all corners of the globe, each member of PerKelt infuses their own cultural heritage into a unique musical blend. Founding member Paya Lehane delivers powerful, Eastern European chants, while Duncan Menzies adds his distinctive Scottish fiddle style and virtuosic improvisation. Rubén Yon’Ton, a sound healer from Mexico, performs otherworldly shamanic vocalisations alongside traditional Native American instruments, while Kaya’s impactful playing style on the drum kit enriches the band’s traditional folk instrumentation and celtic melodies with powerful new dimensions of psychedelic folk rock.
The band draws inspiration from paganism of all kinds, with their songs often telling stories from magic, nature and the borderless beauty of human hearts. Driven by the story-telling and visionary rhythmic approach of their frontman guitarist Stepan Honc and often praised for the energetic authenticity of their performance and the spiritual depth of the journey they take their audience on, the music of PerKelt reaches deep inside our soul to make us dance, laugh and love…
They have five critically acclaimed albums released to date:
2024: White Wolf
2019: Air and Fire
2016: Dancer in the Wind
2013: Dowry of a Troll Woman
2011: Musica Mardania
