Mónika Lakatos Hungarian singer of Romani descent, the lead singer of the band Romengo. She became the first artist of Romani descent to receive the WOMEX Award in 2020.[1][2]

Mónika Lakatos
Born
NationalityHungarian
Occupationsinger
AwardsWOMEX Award (2020)

Life and career edit

Lakatos was born in Budapest in a Romani family and learnt to sing by herself. She frequently played at Holdvilág Studio Theatre with her cousins, where she met her future husband, Mihály "Mazsi" Rostás, who accompanied them on the guitar. The director of the theatre, István Malgot entered the band to the television talent show Ki mit tud? in 1996, without the members' knowledge. They appeared on the show named Lakatos Mónika és a Hold Gyermekei (Mónika Lakatos and the Children of the Moon) and won the folk music category. Not long after, her daughter, Dzseni, was born and she withdrew from singing for some time. Her husband became a member of the band Romano Drom, and Lakatos occasionally took to the stage with them. In 2004, she and her husband founded Romengo, which plays Romani music from Nagyecsed. They released two albums, both of which charted in the top 10 on the World Music Charts Europe.[3][4]

In 2010, she sang a track for The Human Resources Manager, directed by Eran Riklis.[5] In 2017, her solo album Romanimo charted fourth on the 2018 February chart of World Music Charts Europe,[6] and finished 14th in the annual top list, selected by a jury.[7]

Discography edit

As a solo artist
  • Romanimo (20 October 2017)
  • Hangszín (Lakatos Mónika és a Cigány Hangok formation, 2020)

Awards edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Lakatos Mónika a világzene legnagyobb kitüntetését kapja" (in Hungarian). HVG. 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  2. ^ "Lakatos Mónika kapta idén a Womex Artist Awardot" (in Hungarian). Magyar Nemzet. 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  3. ^ ""Van, amit szavakkal nem lehet elmondani" – Lakatos Mónikával beszélgettünk" (in Hungarian). NLC.hu. 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  4. ^ "Biográfia" (in Hungarian). lakatosmonika.hu. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  5. ^ "Lakatos Mónika" (in Hungarian). Romengo. Archived from the original on 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  6. ^ "Chart: February 2018". wmce.de. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  7. ^ "Világzenei toplistán landolt Lakatos Mónika szólólemeze" (in Hungarian). 2020-10-25. 2018-12-11.
  8. ^ "Mi sül ki a klasszikus és az oláh cigány zene találkozásából?" (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  9. ^ "'PÁRHUZAMOS KULTÚRÁÉRT' 2014 DÍJAZOTTAK" (in Hungarian). mediawavefestival.hu. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
  10. ^ "Nemzetiségekért Díj 2014" (PDF). nemzetisegek.hu. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  11. ^ "Átadták az idei Pro Cultura Minoritatum Hungariae díjakat" (in Hungarian). Kormány.hu. Retrieved 2021-03-12.

External links edit