Yet another live music performance is adding a touch of colour to the lives of those popping into the New York Café! Since the start of September, live Gypsy music has been accompanying the black coffee, the delicious treats and the atmosphere of the World’s Most Beautiful Café.
Visitors to the New York Café have always been able to enjoy live Gypsy music, but this was not a regular feature; since the beginning of September, however, the musicians have been playing every day, for a quarter of an hour every hour between 11.00 am and 5.00 pm. Their repertoire covers almost everything; they play thousands of pieces by ear, whether classical or modern compositions. In addition to the traditional Gypsy orchestra repertoire, they perform works by the greatest verbunkos composers – Csermák, Bihari, Lavotta, Csámpai, Gyula Farkas – as well as significant Hungarian composers whose works were written in the style of verbunkos music – Liszt, Kodály, Bartók, Erkel, Weiner, Hubay – our performances and concerts also feature excerpts from operas, operettas and musicals, timeless Hungarian and international melodies, and well-known film scores.
The Roma Hungarium Band – live Gypsy music at the New York Café, every day
The Roma Hungaricum Orchestra has set itself the primary task of representing, preserving, revitalising and reviving Gypsy music and verbunkos music to a high standard, which is considered a true ‘Hungaricum’. Their plans include contemporary music and close collaboration with various related art forms and ethnic groups, which will result – through music – in the emergence of spontaneous integration between the Roma minority and the majority society, as well as other ethnic groups.
Roma music is regarded as one of the well-known and recognised treasures of Hungarian culture; it is not to be confused with Roma folklore: it is a unique style of performance, instrumentation and sound. Hungarian Romani music is an integral part of universal musical culture, a national treasure of which Hungary is justifiably proud and which is regarded with admiration throughout the world.
One of the reasons the management of the New York Café opted for live Romani music is that they wish to offer their guests a comprehensive experience: they realised that it is no longer just excellent coffee and a high-quality selection that patrons are looking for: they are looking for a special experience. Live Gypsy music is also considered a ‘Hungaricum’ because maintaining such bands is expensive, and fewer and fewer restaurants and hotels can afford to do so. The New York Café fills this gap, just as it does with live piano music, which guests can also enjoy every day, along with a complimentary museum ticket or a complimentary postcard, which they will even post on the guest’s behalf.
