Artist Profiles: Ágnes Künstler

Ágnes Künstler had been singing and dancing in Wild Roses folk group for 18 years. In 1984 she joined the Hungarian gypsy folk ensemble Kalyi Jag (Black Fire) and achieved world-wide fame as their soloist. She also wrote lyrics and worked as a composer on the group’s albums that were accompanied by great international success. She worked as a composer and vocalist in collaboration with Szilveszter Jeney on the album called ‘Gypsy Bethlehem’. She performed throughout Europe, Japan, India,South Korea, the United States and Brazil. She was also invited to sing her songs in films produced in Hungary and abroad.

In 2005 she founded Etnorom ensemble with Jozsef Balog. Also in 2005 she worked as a composer and vocalist on the theatre play called ‘Nomad Passion – Ballad of the Snake’. The play presents pieces of gypsy life with traditional music and dance. The premiere took place 9th December 2005, in the National Dance Theatre in Budapest and was followed by several performances in Budapest and other cities of Hungary with great success.

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.