István Balogh ‘Pacala’ was born in Nagyecsed, a village in North-Eastern Hungary where Gypsy children dance and play music from their childhood. The Hungarian Gypsy community agrees that the best Gypsy dancers come from this region (Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg County). Pacala, who is said to be the best ‘oral bass’ performer in Hungary started his career in the famous Romany group, ‘Romanyi Rota’ and later joined ‘Romano Kokalo’ as well. He played on numerous Gypsy music albums and performed throughout Europe and the world. He joined Etnorom ensemble in 2006.
He plays the ‘milk jug’, which is a traditional percussion instrument of the Romany people, darbuka, cajon, and performs the traditional Gypsy ‘oral bass’. ‘Oral bass’ is performed mostly by men – by creating rhythms with the mouth with a special technique. From concert to concert Pacala attracts the audience with his unique personality: being an authentic, highly intensive artist with a great sense of ‘Gypsy humor’, he adds a special color to our performances.
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.
