Magyar News, 1999. szeptember-2000. augusztus (10. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1999-09-01 / 1. szám
Artist cf The Year: fit I TT HAVAS “Artist of the year.” This title really needs further explanation, because it is a special bestowed on a Hungarian in the United States. The person selected has to be highly qualified as an artist but also he or she must be highly educated in Hungarian art, culture and in the native organisations. He or she should have created new organizations, directed theatrical shows, edited newspapers, formed orchestras and produced records and videos of Hungarian events. The Artist of the Year, who have been elected in the past, all have had some of this achievements. For anyone to represent Hungarian Arts in the United States requires courage and dedication. Very few have this level of courage and those who have these qualities might never be rich. Most of the Hungarians emigrated for the solo purpose of achieving success for their families but in so doing, they neglected an important duty: to strengthen thenlocal Hungarian community. Artistic people are usually idealists, they have colorful dreams and colorless reality. They could have earned respect from other Hungarians if they had preserved Hungary” s culture in America. Right now, the artists don't have this respect. This is why a group of artists created The Artist of the Year award. We have to have to have something which will help artists receive recognition and respect for their efforts to keep Hungarian arts alive and growing. This year’s chosen artist is George Havas, an accomplished accordion player. Listening to his playing, either in person or from his CD “Accordian Accents,” one is immediately is mesmerized by the beauty of his music and the unbelievable virtuosity in the way he handles the instrument. Well who is George Havas? He is a Hungarian who studied music in Hungary and came to the States during the upheaval of the 1956 Uprising. From here on the world opened up for him. On the Ted Mack television show he won the American Accordion Contest. Following, among 1800 contestants he took first prize at the U.S. Accordion Championship. Havas’ career continued as an orchestra leader. He appeared at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, and toured Europe, the continents of South America and Africa, played in Japan and other Far-Eastern countries. His George Havas music repertoire include classical, jazz, pop and gypsy selections. All these are not the reason why he is chosen Artist of The Year. The real reason is that he represented in all his endeveurs the Hungarian art and culture of the immigrants. For all these years he served the Hungarian community with his playing, his orchestra, also writing arrangements for performers and performances. In 1971 with Anny Kapitány we joined in partnership with George to perform the music part of my “Romantic Wild West” musical. George arranged all the music and was leader of the Hungarian- American Orchestra. On the stage were some of the great names in acting, such as Elemér Horváth, Filu, George Vrg and Zoltán Zórándy. While producing a record, a concert took place at the Town Hall on Broadway. The Master of Ceremonies was Gyula Apatini. In the 60's and 70,s we had serial shows on Broadway, named Hungarian Show on Broadway. As a producer of these shows I invited George Havas several times to appear and he always had an extraordinary ovatioa We had intended to make permanent these serial shows, but two thing were missing: the dedication of the Hungarian artists and the dedication of the Hungarian audience.In 1968 we founded an organization to carry out these shows, called: "Magyar Broadway Társaság." One show was produced by this organization, but we had to postpone the others, because every dream has to have a financial base. Now after 30 years postponement the "Magyar Broadway Társaság" will continue its operation, unfortunately in a much more limited way. It's first step is the "Artist of the Year." Last year two events took place, one at the Hungarian Museum in New Jersey and the other at the Fészek Club in New York. It was a Memorial Exhibition for Army Kapitány. In the programs Kálmán Magyar interviewed miss Kapitány’s friends and partners, all who had been working with her. Among the well known people reminiscing were Hontváry, Apatini, Zórándi, Havas and myself. As George was interviewed, he recommended that a CD and audio tape should be published with Anny Kapitány’s most successful songs. This was accepted with overwhelming support Mihály Hontváry and George Havas produced these recordings in Budapest under the label of the First Hungarian Literary Society of New York. Havas worked out all the necessary details for the recording with the experts in Hungary. He promoted the recordings in an hour interview on the Budapest Radio, Hontváry did it on the Budapest TV. The editing work was done by George Havas, Zoltán Zórándy and by myself. I was proud that four songs from my musical were chosen. Behind the vast amount of work there was George Havas as a never-stopping force. His devotion to promote Hungarian music and art is always in the foreground. There are many reasons why George Havas was chosen Artist of the Year. Congratulations. Ferenc Várdai Valu ' \ Available for cultural and social events. Hall, kitchen, bar, stage and ample parking v Hungarian Community Club 147 Ward Street, Wallingford, CT P.O.Box 1816; Tel: 203-639-0511 Contact Kati Kovács J Page 7
