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„One more round!” – the waiter was addressed by a fairly joyful and somewhat more affluent guest in a French cabaret, around the first half of the previous century. Gypsy-jazz music played in one of the corners, the venue was crowded, and the audience had no intention to leave Gypsy jazz (aka. gypsy swing or hot club jazz) is a unique style of jazz, developed by the Roma guitar player, Jean "Django" Reinhardt in Paris, during the 1930’s. Since its origins are in France, and Reinhardt was part of the “Manouche Sinti” clan, in French, gypsy jazz is often referred as “Jazz Manouche”. The birth of the genre can be associated with the band “Quintette du Hot Club de France”, founded in 1934. The members of the band were Stephané Grappelli – violin, Django Reinhardt – solo guitar, Joseph „Nin-Nin” Reinhardt (Django’s little brother) and Roger Chapu – rhythm guitar, and Louis Vola – double bass. The band had a completely new sound, which soon rose to immense popularity – within a couple of years, they published several hundreds of various recordings.

The lead instrument in swing is the guitar. At times, there are soloists, or duet performers, but in general, the line-up of the band is at least trio, consisting of a solo-, and two rhythm guitars. Naturally, the trio line-up can be supplemented by further guitars, or other instruments – traditionally violin, piano, or double bass. An illustrious native representative of the genre is „Még egy kört!” Gypsy Jazz Band. The formation was founded by the world famous violinist Roby Lakatos, accompanied by virtuoso musicians, and a vocalist with a beautiful voice – Roby’s daughter, Myriam Lakatos.

 

GYPSY JAZZ BAND

The Gypsy Jazz Band burst into the public consciousness as a highlight of Hungarian music culture in 2018, under the leadership of guitarist Róbert Kárpáti and the musical mentorship of the world famous violin virtuoso Roby Lakatos. The formation is a collaboration of outstanding representatives of the jazz genre and young musical talents. Since its formation in Hungary, the orchestra has grown to become the most respected and prominent jazz manouche group in the country. The orchestra is a regular performer at Hungarian music festivals, and as constant guest of several music clubs, they enrich the musical cultural life of Hungary on a regular basis.

Several factors play a significant role in theGypsy Jazz Band's uniqueness. On the onehand, they represent a jazz style developed by Django Reinhardt in the 1930s and originating from the Quintette du Hot Club de France, founded in 1934.

On the other hand, they present this musical style to the local music-loving audience under the musical mentorship of Roby Lakatos, one of the most outstanding representatives of this musical style in Hungary, who has made an international career. With the musical mentoring of Roby Lakatos, our musicians will aim to interpret Django Reinhardt's style in a musical sound that combines the "unorthodox gypsy fusion" style developed by Roby Lakatos.

All of this has laid the foundations for thecreation of the Hungarian character of manouche jazz.

The GYPSY JAZZ BAND never leaves the musical quality of its concerts and private musical productions, its exhilarating atmosphere and diverse repertoire to chance. The band's leader, Róbert Kárpáti, makes sure that the band is complemented at every national and international concert by a guest artists who are internationally experiencedand renowned personalities of the manouche jazz genre. 

 

 

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Róbert Kárpáti – guitar, the leader of the Gypsy Jazz Band

In 1966 he was the rhythm guitarist of the Budapest beat band Sampo, then, after several decades break, he returned to the guitar a few years ago and is now playing the instrument much more systematically. 

In 2018, Róbert Kárpáti envisioned the Gypsy Jazz Band and the style itself. His musical talent is outstanding. The band has created a whole new sound, which has made it extremely popular. The fact that the world-renowned violin virtuoso has joined the orchestra is a huge inspiration for him and the orchestra as a whole. Occasionally, guest musicians are invited in order to give their beloved audience an even greater musical experience.

 

 

 

 

 

Roby Lakatos - violin, musical mentor of the Gypsy Jazz Band

His violin playing can be heard in concerts from Carnegie Hall to the Vatican and to London's Albert Hall, thanks to his epoch-making talent and the professional support of Yehudi Menuhin. His violin playing, in addition to a high level of musical precision, is expressed in such a unique sound and style that it is instantly recognisableto anyone, not "only" in Hungary, but anywhere in the world. The international music society owes the birth and international spread of the "unorthodox gypsy fusion" style of music to the unique musical creativity of ROBY Lakatos, whose musical novelty is that the Maestro has renewed Hungarian gypsy music by fusing it with classical, Balkan and Orthodox Jewish music, aswell as jazz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lakatos Myriam - singer

She has been surrounded by music since she was a little child, following the inspirational example of her father, the world-famous violinist Roby Lakatos, who taught her to play the violin. She studied music in Belgium. In addition to her instrumental talent, her exceptional singing voice was discovered at an early age. Blessed with a beautiful and unique voice, the singer's first major performance was with her father Roby Lakatos at the Budapest Arena in front of 7,000 people with renowned performers such as Charlie, Linda Király, Margit Bangó and György Ferenczi. Jazz lovers can often hear him in jazz clubs in Hungary and abroad. She appears on Myriam Fuks' album with Mischa and Lily Maisky. At present she is a member of " Gypsy Jazz Band " and Pannonia Art bands.

 

 

 

 

 

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Noémi Flór - double bass

She started her musical studies at the Postás Music School, majoring in bass guitar and double bass, and then studied jazz at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music with Balázs Berkes. She graduated in 1994, and in 2012 she received a Master of Music degree in vocal performance at the Eszterházy Károly College. She was a founding member of the Wei Wu Wei orchestra. She has played in the band Dubcity Fanatics and as a guest in several other musical formations. She was a member of the Swing Ladies Hungary bigband and the Bódás Zsuzsanna JazzBarokk. So far, she has released two albums with Hot Club of Hungary and two with Gábor Flór Harmonica Summit, the second one in tribute to Django Reinhardt (Merci, Monsieur Django). Currently, along with the band Valaki Alfonz and Hot Club of Hungary, she is the member of the Gypsy Jazz Band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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László Kökény - guitar

His musical career started at an early age, he was only eight when he started playing the guitar. He studied at the Aladár Tóth Music School until he was 14. Then he had the honour of continuing his musical studies as a pupil of Gyula Babos at the Kőbánya Music Studio. In his teens, he was already working in the music hospitality sector, having been invited by various jazz and dance bands. In his early twenties, he played on the Costa Fortuna cruise ship, which took him to several countries and he provided musical joy to audiences of different cultural identities night after night. He is proud to have had the opportunity to perform with many extraordinary talents throughout his musical career. He loves to experiment with many genres, but forhim jazz is his true love. From 2019 heis the lead guitarist of Iván Kamarás's band, but can also be heard in many other productions.

 

 

 

 

 

László Bóni – violin

László Bóni was born in Budapest in 1968. He was taught by the father of the internationally renowned Hungarian violin virtuoso Roby Lakatos, he also played in his orchestra and in 1987 he obtained a soloist diploma as a Gypsy violinist. He then spent six months in Japan, where he performed with a Gypsy trio, later they toured all over Europe. He is a permanent member of the Roby Lakatos & Ensemble; he has appeared on many of the world’s major stages with them. As the permanent second violinist of the band, which performs the “unorthodox gypsy fusion” style of music, Roby Lakatos’trademark, he has dazzled music lovers all over the world. He is an outstanding jazz musician, gypsy musician and classical musician, who is the possessor of this complex musical knowledge.

 

 

Tibor Pintér - guitar

Born into a family of musicians, he started playing guitar at the age of nine, it was his life’s path, no question about it. He began his musical studies with the renowned jazz guitar teacher Ferenc Tornóczky. Later, he played in the Border Guard Central Orchestra as a guitarist and concert soloist. His musical career began and he started to play with such great artists as the jazz singer Myrtill Micheller (he is still her constant partner in many of her formations), the violinist Katica Illényi and the Kossuth and Liszt Ferenc Prize-winning guitarist Tibor Tátrai. He also plays together with the internationally renowned violin virtuoso Roby Lakatos in the Gypsy Jazz Band. As a songwriter, he has also written two albums for the Jászai Mari Prize-winning actress Auguszta Tóth. In 2019, he composed the soundtrack for Ferenc Kőhalmi’s children’s album entitled, Fütyülök a Világgal (I Whistle with the World). In 2016, he was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Pilis in recognition of his musical activities.

 

 

István Fehér - violin

At the age of eight, he was already a member of the children’s choir of the Hungarian State Opera House. He won several national and international competitions, entered the Conservatoire and then the Academy. In addition to his classical music studies, he had the opportunity to study with Lajos Boros, one of the best Hungarian Gypsy musicians. Then he fell in love with jazz. He considers himself lucky to have played with such great artists as Béla Szakcsi Lakatos and Gyula Babos. He is proud that he has shared thestage with such renowned artists as I. Perlman, S. Mintz, P. Zukkermanor, at the Django Reinhard memorial concert, with Birelli Lagren and Dorado Schmittel. Yet the greatest honour for him is to be on stage with Roby Lakatos, one of the greatest musical personalities of our time.

 

 


 
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