Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: Thousands have taken to the streets of the Hungarian capital, Budapest
strong drink, is required. it s back to the flat of lead violinist robbie and his manager wife, andrea. and of course, they must play more music. anthony: do you have to be gypsy to play gypsy music? yeah, no hesitation. [ speaking hungarian ] andrea: he says, it s very rare that anybody who s not a gypsy can play gypsy music. [ speaking hungarian ] andrea: in gypsy music the whole lifestyle, the whole spirit, is in and kids start learning it when they are 2 or 3. by the time you are 8 you have all these ingredients in your blood. anthony: margit bango, basically the aretha franklin of
andrea: she says it s her own special recipe. anthony: luxurious. if you re a musician living in budapest right now this is a good time to be a musician? margit: never, no euros. andrea: it s not, it s not a good time she said. depends on the view. margit: [ speaking hungarian ] andrea: it s very bad for the gypsy musicians, generally speaking, because it s dead, it s completely, apart from things like budapest bar, gypsy music is extinct. anthony: is heartbreak, is sadness, an important part of this music? i mean, hungary is a country that has experienced a lot of heartbreak. andrea: so, it is a lot of heartbreaks, it s a lot of difficulties and that margit: [ speaking hungarian ] andrea: and there is another saying that, uh, the violin is crying. the gypsy violin is crying or, uh, there is another one that, uh, even if we have joy, we cry.
anthony: beautiful, thank you. margit: bon appetit. anthony: thank you. andrea: she says it s her own special recipe. anthony: luxurious. if you re a musician living in budapest right now this is a good time to be a musician? margit: never, no euros. andrea: it s not, it s not a good time she said. depends on the view. margit: [ speaking hungarian ]. andrea: it s very bad for the gypsy musicians, generally speaking, because it s dead, it s completely, apart from things like budapest bar, gypsy music is extinct. anthony: is heartbreak, is sadness an important part of this music? i mean, hungary is a country that has experienced a lot of heartbreak. andrea: so, it is a lot of heartbreaks, it s a lot of difficulties and that margit: [ speaking hungarian ]. andrea: and there is another