43rd National Táncház Festival & Fair • 5–7 April 2024
Issue:
Starting page: 34
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Gypsy violinist Magyari Imre Sr (1864–1929). This is an academic style article on the Gypsy musician Magyari Imre Sr who was lead violinist at the Aranybika Restaurant in Debrecen. He played with his older brother Magyari Kálmán. They formed their band in 1880 and played all over Eastern Hungary including the towns of Eger, Nagyvárad/Oradea, Temesvár/Timișoara and Nyíregyháza. Press of the period covered stories about Magyari Imre and his band particularly because they were the favorite Gypsy musicians of a nobleman named Tisza István and the band was often summoned to play at Tisza’s estate. Magyari came from a Gypsy musician dynasty that, from the 18th century on played an important role in Debrecen’s music history. In 1914 he received a high ranking award, the Gold Cross of Honour from the King. Later in life he played in Budapest. He was also well-known as a writer of tunes of the Hungarian "nóta" genre. At his funeral in Budapest in 1929 his musician colleagues played his favorite tune "Cserebogár, sárga cserebogár" at his grave. By Lengyel Emese.