Posts Tagged ‘Budapest’
11 Dec
Another Hungarian Celebrity born 113 years ago moved in Madame Tussauds Wax Museum @ Budapest.
Katalin Karády was born on December 8, 1910. The movie star’s memory is preserved by a marble plaque on the wall of her former residence in Pest and in New York, and a lifelike figure depicts her unforgettable figure in the building of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum – Budapest.
Since May of this year, visitors may take a photo with a lifelike version of the Hungarian icon.
An international crew worked on Katalin Karády’s wax figure for several months to present the actress in the most authentic way. With the help of original photos and film footage, they tried to reproduce her queenly posture and suggestive gaze in the most authentic way. The actress was 174 cm tall with characteristic green color of eyes with tiny mole on her cheek. At Madame Tussauds Budapest, the public can see Karády in a black evening dress embroidered with white pearls. Its sleek simplicity is modern and timeless, just like the cult of the actress.
Karády’s life journey was a typical 20th century Hungarian fate. The actress and her fiancé, István Ujszászy, were arrested by the Gestapo in April 1944. She was interrogated and tortured for several weeks before she was allowed to return to her ransacked apartment. Ujszászy – head of Hungarian counterintelligence, was taken prisoner by Russia after the war, and then disappeared under unclear circumstances. Even in the most horrific hours of the war, the actress saved the persecuted, including children. However, after the fighting ended, she was only able to enjoy a peaceful new life for a very short time. The Rákosi system ran out of air around her. She did not receive a theater contract and was regularly harassed by the State Defense Authority. On 19th of February, 1951, Karády traveled to Szombathely under the pretext of a performance, and then left the country by a pre-organized action. She started a new life first in Brasil and then in the United States. After emigrating, Karády opened a cool hat shop, first in São Paulo, and then in New York under the name Rochelle Millinery, where even Nancy Reagan liked to shop. The star with excellent manual dexterity preferred to work in the workshop, she really enjoyed the creative work. After defecting from Hungary, she never crossed the Hungarian border again. She died in New York. However, her remains were brought home in accordance with her last will and laid to rest in the Farkasrét cemetery – Budapest – Hungary.
Update by Aggie Reiter
10 Dec
Funky Festival Budapest – 2024.
Thursday, 27. June, 2024. 7 p.m. venue: MVM Dome
Kool and The Gang
Earth Wind and Fire experience by Al McKay
Martha High and The Soul Cookers
According to the one of the Hungarian saying … for far to the future …”A lot of water flows down the Danube.”
Anyway the Funky Festival will fill the air at the MVM Doma at Budapest, yet indeed worthwhile to mark your calender as a reminder not to be missed. Lately was announce the 2024 Funky Festival, where the heavyweights of Funky music will gather in Budapest. Funky is not just a musical style, not just a realm of rhythms and colors, but also a positive energy-infused way of life that equals joy and vitality. It encompasses those vibrant sounds and grooves that are inseparably linked to the legends of the Funky universe. At the festival, you can experience three iconic and defining bands that guarantee an explosive atmosphere. The transitions between the bands will be taken care of by the well-known Hungarian DJs of Get Funky Party: Imre Suri and László Jazzkovács, ensuring the best guarantee for escalating the party. Alongside Funky, their repertoire includes Soul, R&aB, and Hip-Hop, as well as classic American disco.
Groove never stops with the funky Legends.
Best of – Kool &The Gang … This legendary band has been dominating stages since 1969, bringing us hits like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie… Two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B, and 9 Top Ten Pop hits – just a few of their many accolades. Masters of Funk, they have rewritten the course of history with their music. Not only proud figures of the past, but they continue to create, innovate, and captivate fans worldwide today. They are continually honoredwithin their hits integrated into blockbuster films, and their concerts remain eternal memories. What a Band, over 50 years in the industry together!
Best of Earth Wind & Fire experience by Al McKay … Led by the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire guitarist Al McKay, this ensemble comprises some of L.A’s finest studio and concert musicians. Their music is rhythmically rich and invigorating, but their fans know this very well. The band’s history dates back to 1990 when Al McKay revived the spirit of EWF under the name Allstars, later renamed Al McKay Allstars. They are hailed as the best Funky band on the planet.
Best of – Martha High & The Soul Cookers … Martha High, the Soul Goddess who accompanied James Brown for 35 years, brings her musical legacy and greatest hits to the Funky Festival. Martha continues to tour regularly with the Maceo Parker band. Her consistent musical contributions to the history of soul music, including the 1968 Boston Garden concert on the night of Martin Luther King assassination, are recognized. The Soul Cookers brilliant performance is greeted with immense enthusiasm by critics and audiences alike,encompassing old and new melodies from Jazz to Soul … Blues to Funky.
Update by Aggie Reiter
10 Dec
Klimt “The Kiss” – Exhibition on Screen in Hungarian Cinemas.
In December, the newest member of the Exhibition on Screen, the English fine art documentary of the iconic Klimt – “The Kiss”, distributed by Pannonia Entertainment, will be released in Hungarian cinemas.
Director: Ali Ray – Producer: Phil Grabsky – Music: Asa Bennet – Producer and distributor: Seventh Art Productions.
“Maybe not everyone knows who painted it, when and why, but it can be known through Gustav Klimt’s painting “The Kiss.”
Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” is one of the most famous and most reproduced paintings in the world. It is perhaps the most popular poster on the walls of student dormitories from Beijing to Boston.
The suggestive picture depicting an unknown couple, painted in Vienna around 1908, enchants viewers with its mystery, sensuality and dazzling materials. But what is behind the appeal of the painting; and who was its creator? You can find out when watching the documentary film.
A close study of the painting – the real gold, the decorative patterns, the symbolism and the seething eroticism – takes us to the remarkable turn-of-the-century Vienna, when a new world was battling the old.
Recomenttion by Aggie Reiter
8 Dec
Primitivo and its Italian counterparts @ Budapest
Today attended on the second occasion @ the AB-OVO wine shop @ SZEGA – Budagyöngye Shopping Center, whereas was held winetasting for the winelovers and wine-related professionals to taste the flavors of the Made-in-Italy wines from the Puglia areas. The Puglia wine area lay in bigger land than the whole territory of Hungary, so we are talking about an enormous wine field, whereas dozen-of-dozen characteritc winemakers produce their wines. Twelve bottle of Italian wines were in line to be tasted along with crunchy-muchy yummy foodies to match the Italian wines on the spot. These delicous bit-and-pieces was served by the SZEGA grocery store.
Would highlight a couple:
The rosé made from Primitivo! Has a unique character, hard to compare with other rosés. Hand harvested from red earth rich in organic matter. This was followed by gentle pressing, followed by fermentation in steel tanks at a low temperature, with short skin contact, with special yeast strains. Its color is pale pink. In addition to strawberry jelly, cherry, watermelon, some rose petals and aromatic herbs can also be found in its aroma. In the mouth, the richness of the aroma is almost enormous, with a fruity, thick sip that lasts a long time. It goes well with tomato or seafood pasta, tuna tartar, risottos, or even Thai chicken with piri-piri sauce.
Femar Gran Appasso Primitivo Rosé IGP 2020. Rosé, which is made from Primitivo, has a unique character that is difficult to compare with other rosés. Hand harvested from red earth rich in organic matter. This was followed by gentle pressing, followed by fermentation in steel tanks at a low temperature, with short skin contact, with special yeast strains. Its color is pale pink. In addition to strawberry jelly, cherry, watermelon, some rose petals and aromatic herbs can also be found in its aroma. Gastronomic benefits … perfect for tomato or seafood pastas, tuna tartar, risottos, or even Thai chicken. Recommended serving temperature: 8-10C.
Masca del Tacco Lu Ceppu Negroamaro. The appellation Lu Ceppu takes its name from the stump of the grape cluster, which conveys the power of the ancient area here and testifies to the work of the generations who have been working with the grapes all their lives. Negroamaro has always been one of the most representative grapes of the Puglia wine region, from which excellent wines are made. The grapes were harvested towards the end of September from the lower-lying areas covered with red soil rich in organic matter. After gentle pressing, it was kept on the skins for a short time and then fermented in steel tanks. Its color is a sparkling, bright ruby red. Its intense aroma is blackberry, cherry, aromatic herbs, mild tobacco leaves, with some balsamic. In the mouth it is silky, perfectly structured, with fresh, smooth tannins and a long aftertaste. Gastronomic benefits … with raw, smoked hams, ragout pastas, mushroom risotto, lamb and pork, and medium-aged cheeses. Recommended consumption temperature: 16-18C
By-the-way … at least four facts are worthwhile to keep in mind … 1. The Primitivo grape was brought to Italy from Croatia in the 1700s … 2. The name Primitivo means “first to ripen” … 3. Primitivo and Zinfandel are the same grape variety … 4. Sweet wines made from the grape are called “dolce naturale”
Riport and snaps by Aggie Reiter
7 Dec
“Whispering Land” – Solidarity Connect Israeli Art with Hungarian Art – Contemporary Art Exhibition.
Exhibition display: December, 7. 2023 – January, 7. 2024., @ Budapest
Upon invitation to the exhibition’s press launch in addition to seven major cities, the Jerusalem Biennale can also be seen in Budapest at the Museum of Ethnography – District, XIV., 35. Dózsa György Road.
“This exhibition is a stands solidarity for Israel,” said György Szegő – artistic director of the Műcsarnok, adding that the Jerusalem Biennale is an important venue for fine arts life. Attila Turi – president of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, recalled that the 6th Jerusalem Biennale did not open on the planned November date this year due to the war that broke out as a result of the terrorist attack on October 7.
Because of the war, the 6th Jerusalem Biennale, announced under the title Iron Flock (Vasnyáj), had to be postponed, but presumably in 2024, sometime during Springtime will be take place. Budapest just as other big cities hosting in one of the thirty-five exhibitions. Under adventurous circumstances, in a very short time, the exhibition was completed, which included the landscapes of the failed Jerusalem Biennale, supplemented by the works of Hungarian artists.
Getting art objects out of Israel now, during the wartime, was absolutely less easy, as less planes took-off with a smaller capacity, and the documents of the shipment in a way got mixed up its way. Rami Ozeri – founding director of the biennale, flew to Budapest from Israel so that the art objects could be “exhibited”. The president of the MMA said that one part of the biennale’s projects will be presented in seven big cities: in addition to Budapest, New York, London, Rome, Turin, Los Angeles and Buenos Aires. This creates a kind of cultural network, he added.
At the exhibition will feature the works of 20 Israeli and 18 Hungarian artists with the participation of three Israeli and three Hungarian curators. The exhibition presents traditional and alternative, contemporary interpretations of landscape depiction, from plein-air painting to symbolic expressions. The works presented in thematic groups reflect each other and create a comprehensive, contemporary art landscape, Attila Turi – MMA president explained Q.: “The opportunity to show the power of art in this way, despite the depressing events, strengthens the connection between the culturally diverse Jerusalem and the city’s supportive community around the world.”
“The request to implement the exhibition came in a terrible situation, it was clear that we had to make this gesture,” said Lajos Kemecsi – director general of the Museum of Ethnography and added Q.: The institution is no stranger to hosting such an exhibition, a contemporary exhibition can still be seen in the museum. The short deadline was a challenge, but it proved the preparedness and willingness to cooperate. László Koppány Csáji – director of the MMA’s Art Theory and Methodological Research Institute, recalled that at the beginning of November, when the invitation arrived, it seemed almost impossible to create an international exhibition of this weight. With the exhibition, we express our solidarity and connect Israeli art with Hungarian art, said the director. He pointed out that the works of art displayed in the 800 square meter space of the Ethnographic Museum reflect to each other.
Curator Vera Pilpoul from Italy, who organized the exhibition “Behind the Mask” in the small town of Casale Monferrato – Italy, signed in online at the press conference. She said: the theme of the accepted exhibition was the Book of Esther, and Israeli and Italian artists presented themselves. The large-scale works had to be reproduced on site, alongside the contemporary works, the ancient Scroll of Esther was also visible, added the curator.
Tibor Munkácsy Award-winning painter Iski Kocsis, one of the curators and director of the Budapest exhibition, spoke about how the Israeli and Hungarian works can be seen in 5 thematic groups in Budapest, reflecting on the landscape, the land, the homeland. The exhibited works include oil paintings, large-scale drawings and photography. The Hungarian artists included young people and several Kossuth Prize winners, he said. Among other things, the thematic groups are built around the dystopian landscape, landscape as environment and home, the relationship between landscape and man, and landscape and ecological thinking. The curator also said that the title of the original project, which was not realized in Jerusalem, was Landscape, Landscape, Landscape.
In addition to Tibor Iski Kocsis, the curators of the exhibition were Nehemja Boáz, Ofer Kahana, Victor Rjabkin and Avi Róth.
Riport and snaps by Aggie Reiter
5 Dec
Premier of “Péter Fekete” Centrál Theater – Budapest
Premiere Friday – December, 8. 7 p.m.
Musical play in two parts.
Although Péter Fekete is a fairy tale in terms of its genre, its basic situation is still very relevant today. The handsome stock market shark meets the world’s biggest badass, who can achieve anything and collapses. Complete disaster! So what could be a more profitable investment than founding a joint stock company for your bad luck? The business starts, but love intervenes: both the worn-out gentleman and the loser meet the great Ó. The thrilling love chase is interspersed with evergreen hits and in the finale, happy couples are already holding hands.
On December 8, the Central Theater in Budapest will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a re-arranged presentation of the theater’s first premier. Attila Magyar played the title role of the Hungarian classic Péter Fekete, then and now, but the audience can also see Juli Básti again in the role of the grand lady Ella Szőnyi. However, the person of the director changed, her son Samu Puskás took over the baton from Tamás Puskás. In this haunting tale set in the1930s Budapest, the events revolve around a boyfriend and a stock market shark, and of course love plays a part in everything. We can see Róbert Alföldi in the role of Uncle Charlie, Tibor Fehér plays the handsome businessman, Dorina Martinovics plays the typist in love with the young titan, while actress Eszter Balla plays his aspiring younger sister.
“Peter Fekete is a touching tale for all of us, boys and girls, wise young adults. With such a level of charm, guides us towards accepting our complete interdependence, that suddenly black and white, loneliness and reciprocated love are within arm’s reach.” said by director Samu.
Hungarian play in original language, yet with its awesome actors and actress will be an excellent opportunity to see this entertainment performance even with less Hungarian language knowledge.
Authors – Mihály Eisemann – Gyula Somogyi – Lyrics István Zágon – Additional actorts: István Békeffy – Imre Füredi – Imre Harmath – László Szilágyi – Reworked by Hilda Harsing – Director – Samu Puskás.
Further show dates to this month: Sunday, December 10 – 3 p.m. Wednesday, December. 13. – 7 p.m. Sunday, December 31 – 3 p.m.
It is expected to be a very popular piece, so it is worth A.S.A.P. to buy a ticket available on the spot … Address:
Photo by Zoltán Sárosi
Recommender by Aggie Reiter
27 Nov
The legendary Hungarian band playing South American music @ Fonó Buda Music House
The legendary Hungarian band playing South American music is holding its jubilee concert at Fonó – Buda Music House – District, XI., 3. Sztregova Str. Budapest.
Date/Time: December, 2., 8 p.m.
The group Los Gringos also performed at the opening series of the Fonó, and in the 30th anniversary year, they will return on stage at the music hall with a festive concert, along with several guests in company.
The band was formed in 1993, mostly from Székesfehérvár members who practiced music, who previously – with few exceptions – enhanced the reputation of the deservedly popular band Los Andinos. In the past three decades, at first, they conveyed their impressions and experiences gained on collecting trips to South America primarily through live shows, concerts and regular club nights in Székesfehérvár and Budapest to their enthusiastic audiences, but they also had the opportunity to record their musical experiences on studio recordings.
The ensemble had the opportunity to participate in the opening event series of the Fonó Budai Music Hall alongside such illustrious performers as the Bran ensemble, the Újstílus Zenekar, the Dresch Quartet or the ROVA Saxophone Quartet (USA). After some unique initiatives, such as in recent years, Sicuris de Fonó has been devoting its energy to two large-scale productions with choirs, Misa Criolla (A. Ramirez) and Misa Andina (M. Vicencio). Hungarian audiences could hear them at many concerts and churches with the participation of various choirs and soloists.
At its jubilee concert, the band returns with guest performers to the revival of the “evergreens” of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, in addition to which they will treat the curious audience with new songs. The evening ends with an informal audience meeting, where everyone is welcome!
Update: Aggie Reiter
23 Nov
Women’s Management Club of MVÜK (Business Association of Hungarian Business Managers)
Women’s Management Club of MVÜK (Business Association of Hungarian Business Managers) held their press gathering at the Haris Park – Budapest, whereas invitated guest spoked about female and male experiences in the field of senior managers. During the presentation showing the boards of statistical numbers concerning the research results on this topic.
“To do or not to do, i.e. should the characteristics of being a manager be changed?” In October 2023, the Women’s Management Club of the Business Association of Hungarian Business Managers conducted a gap-filling, non-representative research under the title, which assessed the strengths, challenges, competences, areas to be developed, and stereotypes related to female leadership in small and medium-sized companies operating in Hungary. The research was carried out with the support of OPTEN, the Women’s Management Club of MVÜK (Business Association of Hungarian Business Managers), and the managers of its member companies.
During the survey, 221 questions were answered by senior managers. The results highlighted, among other things, that there is still work to be done, because the numbers regarding the proportion of female managers and equality in the labor market have hardly changed since the research carried out two years earlier.
In a netshell: A quote from the presentation: “Q”: How to achieve your business goals with marketing, communication and knowledge management tools?
“A”: Our messages really reach their destination, when they really make sense, if we formulate them consciously and conscientiously and deliver them using the appropriate communication channels. If our messages are about how we can add value to the professional and business lives of others, then those who read or hear them will instinctively or intentionally return again and again and connect with those who will benefit from their knowledge and experience.
Riport and snap by Aggie Reiter
Rolling in Budapest 