Music in Hungary

Kenjee wrote:

Who are the local artists you would recommend?

I recommend the Mayors' Band & Friends. (I admit bias: my wife is the singer.  ).

Kenjee wrote:

Where can you listen to them

Concerts are announced at this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MayorsBand

Kenjee wrote:

are there any concerts or music festival held regularly?

Every local government is suppose to have cultural events in Hungary. This often involves music. So music festivals occur all over the country, mostly spring through fall. Of the larger events, the Szeged Wine Festival in May, in my opinion, is a good one to get to know new bands and hear a variety of different music styles.

Dang, your wife is a women of many talents.
Pretty too.
I love live Hungarian folk music if it is done right and of course the folk dancing.
several years back we would drive out into the countryside all over Hungary when we found out a folk event or international dance event was happening.
seems just a few years ago Budapest would often hold free music events on weekends, some of it was really good stuff too.
These days these events have more vendors selling wares then performers.I do not seem to notice as many cultural events in the city in the past couple of years time.
We saw several concerts in Hungary in the past, The Stones for one,afraid they probably will not return here, ticket prices were low and the weather was really hot when they were here. heard Mick was not enjoying the heat much.
Local place to see some ok live music is the city park beer garden in the evenings. Hit or miss on how good the bands are though.
Just for the price of a few rounds and you can catch some live music, usually starts around 7 or 7;30 pm till 10 pm or so.
Groups like Locomotive GT where big in the 1960's in Hungary we knew one of the guys in LA after he defected while the band was on tour in the US, big deal in commie days for them to tour western Europe and the US.
Charlie is an oldie here, Mini is an oldie not really my fave band, too much flute playing for me.
Omega is still around, have been together since the 1960's.
There was a very popular guy in the 1960's named Barta Tamas, he has passed on but you can still find his music around.
Tuzkerek,is still playing, they played in the city park recently, very good rock music.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Omega is still around, have been together since the 1960's.
.....

One their guys lives relatively near me.  We've seen him around here and there. 

Mrs Fluffy was a great fan and introduced me.

And of course the track "Girl with the pearl's hair" aka "White Dove" was a hit for the German band, The Scorpions.

Yes that is a sweet tune, one of their best songs.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Yes that is a sweet tune, one of their best songs.

Perhaps even their ONLY best song.

Omega are perhaps the Hungarian Pink Floyd or at a stretch, the Rolling Stones or The Who.  But there's no Hungarian supergroup - nothing like the equivalent of say, U2 or Genesis.

As far as I know Charlie was only famous in Hungary and Germany.

Limited appeal.

I agree, Hungarian rockers are usually very good musicians but somehow they don't "grab" my soul like other rockers from the west do.Maybe it's just me, listening to Billy Holiday, Nat King Cole, Elvis Little Richard and the likes since being a tiny toddler, my mom loved to dance and we always had music in the house.Not state approved music either. Very off beat family, my parents had black friends in the 1950's. Just another time in another world.
Nothing like some good ol' rock from the US or UK, all has to do with the blues from the US,unless you know some of the black/southern US history it is hard to have much real"soul".
I am not sure but I think Omega steamed from the Hungarian rock band,"Locomotive GT". My sisters Hungarian boyfriend knew Tomas( believe that was his first name?) their lead guitarist who defected to the US when they toured there in the 70's. Took music lessons from him, we knew him too on the fringes. Nice guy, dead now, that's another story, very dark and not totally clear about the details of his murder.I went to one of his birthday parties in Calif. seemed like a very nice guy ( cute too)
funny thing a few years after his death my neighbor told me she was best friends with his American wife, so weird how interconnected everyone can be.
My husband and I tend to disagree about Hungarian music, he grew up with these old bands and still has a place in his heart for them.He said in his day, Charlie was a big deal. Our Hungarians friends living here now often go to parties where he and Mini are also guests. I really have no interest  in attending these events so can't really say much. We have seen them at mutual  funerals of old friends but never hung with them. They still have a "star" mentality way above us mere mortals.They  stand apart at these gatherings and don't mix much with others.