ArtistInfo

Bela Babai & His Hungarian Ensemble

Band, HU, Kaposvár
Musician of World

Béla Babai (Kaposvár, Hungary cir. 1914 – Nesconset, New York) October 1, 1997) was a Hungarian American musician and interpreter of romani music. Babai was born in Hungary and emigrated to the United States late 1930s, where he became famous as "The King of the Gypsy Violin".Babai grew up in a Romani area near his birthplace and he learned to play the violin at a young age. At age 12 he would play in a local cafe, and in later years he would keep a clipping about those performances.In 1953 he left Chicago for New York, where he performed in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Members

Bela Babai vn HU