Eva Thompson and Monika Henter, both talented Hungarian musicians living in the UK, put on a joint concert last Thursday with help from local musicians Jerome Li Thiao Te on violin and Marci Takacs, a percussionist from Tumba y Quema. But for a snow storm closing UK airports in December, Eva and Jerome would have played together at Red Mud Aid on December 4th. In fact, Monika and Eva found each other when both were booked to play at a Red Mud benefit in Brighton, UK and have been touring together since.

This unique musical collaboration producing jazz tinged pop songs that blend vocals with guitar and sitar worked well, and it was an enjoyable, mellow and warm performance to mark the last days of winter into spring.

Monika Henter, is recording her forthcoming album with top producers. Her first UK single "Happy Song"; mixed and produced by Bence Bihari and Neil Reed (Simple Red, Boyzone, Celine Dion etc) has recently received an award for "best arrangement" at the Jazzy Jazz competition.

Eva Thompson was born in Budapest, where she grew up fascinated by Indian culture and music. She studied sitar playing at the Bharatya Vidya Bhavan Institute in London and trained in Bharatanatyam, a classic dance style from South India. She also studied the veena, an ancient South Indian stringed instrument; and Kathak dance, a classic dance style from North India. Apart from playing classical Indian music, Eva is happy to explore other musical styles. She has performed live with various comedians, including Harry Hill and Jim Tavare.

Eva Thompson's set list:

On the sitar:
- "Intro + Rag Yaman" - one of the most important ragas in Hindustani music, played in the first part of the night.
- "Swarajathi" - a Carnatic or South Indian composition, which has a pleasing melody and is usually played or sung at Bharatanatyam dance performances.
- "Folk Song" - based on Rag Desh
- "Rag Malkouns" - a majestic and somewhat introverted raga. Superstitious musicians describe it as a raga with supernatural powers. It is played during the second part of the evening.
On the Veena:
- "Intro + Hansadhwani Jatiswaram" - Jatiswaram is a composition, without words, usually sung or played in Bharatanatyam performances.
- "Swarajati" - a prayer to Lord Shiva, who resides in the silver mountains, the snow-clad Himalayas.
- "Geetam - Song to Goddess Saraswati" - with divine veena in hand, you are the Queen of Paramatma, who has eyes like the petals of Lotus. You are worshipped by the Devas, you have an auspicious form. You shine with unmatchable good qualities.

Monika Henter's set list:
- "Change Your Mind" - a song which will soon be recorded with Eva Thompson and released on her forthcoming album
- "Me and My Sister" - a ballad which will be released as a single in May. The music video will contain some footage of this gig at Treehugger Dan's
- "Somebody Stop Me" - the "angry" song written before she left her office job to start a new life
- "Morning After"  - sung in Hungarian ("Másnap Reggel") by her sister Katalin
-  "Norwegian Wood" (Beatles) - the first song ever played with Eva when they met in Brighton
- "Happy Song" -  a single released to support the Homeless World Cup Project in Paris. The song has won "best arrangement" in a Hungarian jazz competition and available to download here