Rolling in Budapest learn everything first hand

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Their lyrics have had became their motto:

“WAS I DREAMING OR IS IT PERHAPS TRUE”  – A LINE FROM  – “THE GIRL WITH PEARL HAIR”

The coming series of the Jubilee Symphony Concert

starting at 

March, 19. 2012

Győr Stadium

 

The follow-up concerts will take place at : Zalaegerszeg, Tatabánya, Békéscsaba, Nyíregyháza, Szolnok, Kaposvár, Steged Szombathely and Pécs

 The past days a press conference was organized at the Symbol Entertainment Center – Budapest by the Omega group who invited the press and media to spread their special announcement.

Despite the fact that I sat in the front row, as the members of the Omega group gathered on the platform  an “army” of photographers flooded the scene. Only was able to do my first shot and that”s when their bottoms  came in. Anyway my orange juice infront of me on the table got a superb snap. When graciously infested their obstructions, those others who wished to capture the moment were not  filled with so much patience. Never-the-less, I hope viewing my snaps will show a part of  that light-mood  the Omega group gave during their press conference.

On the 9th of March the special series of concert  will take place at the City of Eger  by celebrating their ongoing, active 50 years on stage. The band to be seen has the same members since the 70’s: Mr. László Benkő (Laci) keyboards, Mr. János Kobor (Macky) vocalist, Mr. Tamás Mihály (Misi) bass guitar and György Molnár (Elephant), Mr. Ferenc Debreceni (Ciki ) drums .

Macky said it all: “All our dreams came true. We would like to celebrate with the  presence together with a special instrumentation country concert tour. The “final” concert given at Budapest in the late fall would be the“crown” on top of our eras. Even though we are all at full strength, this will be a final line-up with the whole group members when and where we wish to say good-bye as the Omega group”

The huge party in Budapest in October the Omega band in this line-up will place a full-stop to their 50 years of rolling hits.

The speciality of this spring’s tour will exist of three parts. The concerts will begin with the symphonic world and what is a concert without the nostalgia and then after as a closure with their awesome classic rock tunes.

Within the program well-known hits will be played also by the Symphony Orchestra. 

Just a stop for a moment to say add a few thoughts to their 50 years on the road: According to legend, the two Laci and Macky formed as one of the band of two school’s groups. At the time being they haven’t chosed a name for their band. Previously, to their first concert the organizers asked them what is the band’s name. Both pulled up their shoulders and said  “we have no name”. That was a  for  the organizers surprise.  When later seeing the poster that herald their concert to come, it was written the  Omega band playing. So like a fairy tale from there on they used this name for the group. In those days they have never thought of this is their first step in reaching the scale to be one of the most favorite beat groups in Hungary. During the years there were many musicians in the  group coming-and-going. In the early years they played those top-of-the-pops that were on the UK and American hit-parades. Also in those years another two Hungarian “beat” groups formed their bands. The Zorán group and the Illés group. The first played foreigner beat music, the second group played their own Hungarian modern folks stamping music. Even though these two bands were most appreciated by the music authority in those days, the Omega group was far-far behind in the field of recognition. Somehow their talent wasn’t quite recognized.  The a/m mentioned two groups ain’t existing  as a group they were. Some members have gone ahead, some stopped playing. The Omega band survived the old dark days and luckily the members since  the 70’s are still even here for us to-day.

Omega’s first hit was Shout and Sing “Kiabálj énekelj”. They had enormous success with this tune and shortly after they were the first group to hit the road to the homeland, the birth of the new era called beat music. They really felt being in the “wonderland”, cause after giving their concert in London, Mr. Eric Clapton and Mr. George Harrison (R.I.P.) came up to the back-stage and  expressed their congratulations. More to it,  the Decca offered a  them a recording contract. Thenafter, the unprecedented international recognition, “finally” the Hungaroton (Hungarian Recording Company) offered them a contract.   They produced an album which was the first album of-a-kind in beat music to come out in Hungary. Straightaway hit the charts and the 100.000 vinyls reach the status and became a gold record. From here on, they became popular, invited to TV-shows, played roles in movies. Then came the times when they started producing hits-after-hits like the Ten Thousand Footsteps “Tizezer lépés“ .

The Girl with Pearl Hair ”Gyöngyhajú lány”.  A pure beautiful oldie tune: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXf6oBZxfCo

The Girl with Pearl Hair won several awards at the Yamaha Festival, Mallorca Festival and at the Barbarella Festival.

Those were the days when the name Omega group had defined, reached an unmistakable image. No other Hungarian band has managed to achieve this kind of success, even to-day.

The Czech and Polish reproductions were completed and the Omega songs also became popular in that part of the world.

Mr.Frank Schöbel, Eastern Germany’s famous singer also filled into his repertoire  and sang his version of  The Girl with Pearl Hair.

Later on the Scorpions rewrote the lyrics to the “The Girl with Pearl Hair” and they came out with their own title:  “White Dove” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z_-HmbuKTY

A couple of Omega songs were brought alive in Germany by the Scorpions group. Throughout the years they bonded a deep friendship. Here is a song mutually sang together with the Scorpions: “Wind of Change”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4OwGez8ffU

The Omega band name is linked to uncountable gold, platinum records and they were the first one to receives the diamond plate.

After fifty years of notes and kilometers on tours, this coming Spring the Omega band wish to give a dignified final series of concerts and invite their fans to join and celebrate together the past in their present.

As also told at the end of the gathering to the press and media representatives, The Omega as a whole will not step on the stage in the future. The years gone by not just for the group but for themselves as well. Mr. János Kobor (Macky) will be celebrating this year his  70th birthday and he said, “It wouldn’t be fair to make any promises as to be touring-and-touring like we did before.”  In the mean time and as for the  future it was announced that a part of the members will be going on doing  their own solo albums.

Finally as a closure here is a  tune that won’t be a stranger when they will play it throughout the cities from North to South, East to West of Hungary: “Woman of Summer Nights” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Dw_s8F5rA8&feature=related.

I believe, many will be at these concerts, cause their music is not just a part of the Omega’s  50 years,

but also a part of our own lives.

 

Update and snaps by Aggie Reiter