Beatrice (band)
Encyclopedia
Beatrice is a Hungarian
rock band.
) covering popular songs like "House of the Rising Sun" from The Animals
. The lineup changed several times until the mid-1970s when the constant lineup became: Mónika Csuka (vocals, guitar), Katalin Nagy (keyboards), Kriszta Hamar (bass guitar) and Mária Csuka (drums). No record of any form was made by this formation.
In 1976 singer Feró Nagy
, the husband of Mónika Csuka, joined the band. In 1977 Katalin Nagy and Kriszta Hamar left Beatrice. Feró invited guitarist Sándor Bencsik and bassist András Temesvári. With this lineup the band scored mostly disco
songs which were highly popular at the time. Their biggest hit was the song "Gyere, kislány, gyere" ("Come, girl, come") which popularized disco and won a radio song contest in the same year. In 1978 Beatrice disbanded, leaving Feró alone.
Feró created a whole new band in 1979 with the same name, but with nothing else reminiscent for the previous lineup and style. Beatrice played punk rock
music, being the first band in Hungary
. Their music was cheap and aggressive. It was against the Socialist
system and became highly popular, mostly among the working class young people. It was a unique Hungarian version of punk using folk
elements. Feró was the absolute frontman, usually making comical and/or aggressive monologues or performances on stage, calling himself "A Nemzet Csótánya" ("Roach of the Nation"). He became a "phenomenon" along with the band.
The original line-up were: Feró Nagy (singer, frontman and songwriter); László Lugossy (guitar); Lajos Miklóska (bass guitar); and Tibor Donászy (drums). With this lineup Beatrice released several successful singles like "Nagyvárosi farkas" ("Big City Wolf"), "Beatrice Blues" and "Jerikó" ("Jericho"). Although (just like other punk bands around the world) they were mostly a concert-band. Their first album was banned by the government and was released only in 1993.
As the influence of Beatrice the Hungarian version of punks appeared calling themselves "csövesek" ("hoboes") wearing a black leather jacket with ragged jeans and a traditional Hungarian red-white polka dotted head scarf. The government was very upset and against Beatrice's activity. They created hoaxes like Feró chopping down and eating the heads of living birds (à la Ozzy Osbourne
) and doing other Pagan rituals on stage. The result was that more and more young people became curious about their concerts.
In 1980 they made a successful concert with fellow bands Omega
and LGT
which was recorded and released as an LP. In the same year Lugossy left the band. His substitutes were guitarists József Vedres and Csaba Bogdán. Keyboard player László Waszlavik also joined Beatrice. In 1981 Beatrice disbanded. Feró and József Vedres formed a new band called Bikini.
After a six-year hiatus, Beatrice was reunited in 1987 with the lineup of Feró Nagy (vocals); László Lugossy (guitar); Lajos Miklóska (bass guitar); Tamás Zsoldos (guitar) and Bertalan Hirlemann (drums). They released a successful "greatest hits" LP also containing new recordings. In 1990 they released their first studio album, Gyermekkorunk Lexebb Dalai.
In 1991, László Zselencz (bass) and Zoltán Pálmai (drums) replaced Miklóska and Hirlemann. Zsoldos also left the band. They scored their most famous and successful album Utálom az egész XX. századot ("I hate the entire 20th Century") which led the Hungarian record sales list for 38 weeks. They made several successful tours and another album in 1992. Also several lineup changes occurred in 1992 and 1993. They were named as "The Most Successful Rock Band of '92" by MAHASZ.
During the last half of the 1990s the entire lineup except Feró was changed. They released two albums in 1996 and 1999. They are still doing concerts and tours around Hungary, mostly playing their classic hits. In August 2005, Beatrice performed on the Sziget Festival
rock fest.
The current lineup is: Feró Nagy (vocals); Viktor Magasvári (guitar); Fecó Laczik (bass guitar) and Hunor Attila Nagy - son of Feró (drums).
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
rock band.
Biography
Beatrice was originally formed in 1969 as a female rock band (the first such in HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
) covering popular songs like "House of the Rising Sun" from The Animals
The Animals
The Animals were an English music group of the 1960s formed in Newcastle upon Tyne during the early part of the decade, and later relocated to London...
. The lineup changed several times until the mid-1970s when the constant lineup became: Mónika Csuka (vocals, guitar), Katalin Nagy (keyboards), Kriszta Hamar (bass guitar) and Mária Csuka (drums). No record of any form was made by this formation.
In 1976 singer Feró Nagy
Feró Nagy
Nagy Ferenc is a Hungarian rock singer and musician, nicknamed "Feró". Although not a professional on any instruments, he can play the guitar, the harmonica, the saxophone and the piano....
, the husband of Mónika Csuka, joined the band. In 1977 Katalin Nagy and Kriszta Hamar left Beatrice. Feró invited guitarist Sándor Bencsik and bassist András Temesvári. With this lineup the band scored mostly disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
songs which were highly popular at the time. Their biggest hit was the song "Gyere, kislány, gyere" ("Come, girl, come") which popularized disco and won a radio song contest in the same year. In 1978 Beatrice disbanded, leaving Feró alone.
Feró created a whole new band in 1979 with the same name, but with nothing else reminiscent for the previous lineup and style. Beatrice played punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
music, being the first band in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. Their music was cheap and aggressive. It was against the Socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
system and became highly popular, mostly among the working class young people. It was a unique Hungarian version of punk using folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
elements. Feró was the absolute frontman, usually making comical and/or aggressive monologues or performances on stage, calling himself "A Nemzet Csótánya" ("Roach of the Nation"). He became a "phenomenon" along with the band.
The original line-up were: Feró Nagy (singer, frontman and songwriter); László Lugossy (guitar); Lajos Miklóska (bass guitar); and Tibor Donászy (drums). With this lineup Beatrice released several successful singles like "Nagyvárosi farkas" ("Big City Wolf"), "Beatrice Blues" and "Jerikó" ("Jericho"). Although (just like other punk bands around the world) they were mostly a concert-band. Their first album was banned by the government and was released only in 1993.
As the influence of Beatrice the Hungarian version of punks appeared calling themselves "csövesek" ("hoboes") wearing a black leather jacket with ragged jeans and a traditional Hungarian red-white polka dotted head scarf. The government was very upset and against Beatrice's activity. They created hoaxes like Feró chopping down and eating the heads of living birds (à la Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
) and doing other Pagan rituals on stage. The result was that more and more young people became curious about their concerts.
In 1980 they made a successful concert with fellow bands Omega
Omega
Omega is the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system, it has a value of 800. The word literally means "great O" , as opposed to omicron, which means "little O"...
and LGT
Locomotiv GT
Locomotiv GT is a Hungarian rock band formed in 1971. It has been one of the most influential rock bands in Hungarian rock music. GT in the name of the band refers to Gran Turismo, the long journey that the band was looking forward to when it was formed...
which was recorded and released as an LP. In the same year Lugossy left the band. His substitutes were guitarists József Vedres and Csaba Bogdán. Keyboard player László Waszlavik also joined Beatrice. In 1981 Beatrice disbanded. Feró and József Vedres formed a new band called Bikini.
After a six-year hiatus, Beatrice was reunited in 1987 with the lineup of Feró Nagy (vocals); László Lugossy (guitar); Lajos Miklóska (bass guitar); Tamás Zsoldos (guitar) and Bertalan Hirlemann (drums). They released a successful "greatest hits" LP also containing new recordings. In 1990 they released their first studio album, Gyermekkorunk Lexebb Dalai.
In 1991, László Zselencz (bass) and Zoltán Pálmai (drums) replaced Miklóska and Hirlemann. Zsoldos also left the band. They scored their most famous and successful album Utálom az egész XX. századot ("I hate the entire 20th Century") which led the Hungarian record sales list for 38 weeks. They made several successful tours and another album in 1992. Also several lineup changes occurred in 1992 and 1993. They were named as "The Most Successful Rock Band of '92" by MAHASZ.
During the last half of the 1990s the entire lineup except Feró was changed. They released two albums in 1996 and 1999. They are still doing concerts and tours around Hungary, mostly playing their classic hits. In August 2005, Beatrice performed on the Sziget Festival
Sziget
The Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary is one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe. It is held every August on the Northern Budapest Óbudai-sziget , a leafy island of 108 hectares on the Danube. Sziget stands for Island...
rock fest.
The current lineup is: Feró Nagy (vocals); Viktor Magasvári (guitar); Fecó Laczik (bass guitar) and Hunor Attila Nagy - son of Feró (drums).
Albums
- Kisstadion '80 (1980) (live album also containing the performances of bands OmegaOmegaOmega is the 24th and last letter of the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system, it has a value of 800. The word literally means "great O" , as opposed to omicron, which means "little O"...
and LGTLocomotiv GTLocomotiv GT is a Hungarian rock band formed in 1971. It has been one of the most influential rock bands in Hungarian rock music. GT in the name of the band refers to Gran Turismo, the long journey that the band was looking forward to when it was formed...
) - Beatrice '78-'88 (1988) (remake album, with a few new songs)
- Gyermekkorunk Lexebb Dalai (The Most Beautiful Songs of Our Childhood) (1990)
- Utálom az egész XX. századot (I Hate the Entire 20th Century) (1991)
- A Beatrice legjobb dalai (The Best of Beatrice) (1992) (live album)
- Vidám Magyarok (Happy Hungarians) (1992)
- Megkerült hangszalag - betiltott dalok (Found Tape - The Banned Songs) (1993) (recorded in 1979)
- Ki viszi át (Who Takes It Through) (1996)
- 20 éves jubileumi koncert (20th Anniversary Concert) (1998) (live album)
- Vakaroma (I Scratch the...) (1999)
- Európai Show Illúzió (Europen show illusion) (2003)