Pista Dankó
Pista Dankó was a Hungarian-born bandleader and composer belonging to the Romani people. He primarily worked in the folk music styles popular in Hungary in the 19th century. He was frequently known by the nickname "Nótafa", a Hungarian word meaning "ballad-singer of folk music".
Also recorded as Pista Danko · Istvan Danko
Pista Dankó
Pataki Márta · CC BY 2.5
- Full name
- Dankó István.
- Born
- 1858. · Szeged.
- Died
- 1903. · Budapest.
- Nationality
- Hungary.
- Occupation
- composer, violinist and musician.
- Languages
- Hungarian.
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In this article
Biography
Biography
Born on 14 June 1858. Dankó was born in the Hungarian city of Szeged, where he began composing music at the age of 28. He belonged to a musical ensemble called "Hangászsor", or "row of musicians". He then moved to the city of Szatmar, where he would meet and begin courting Ilonka Joó, the daughter of Szatmar's mayor. Since Dankó was a gypsy, the mayor disapproved of the relationship, prompting Dankó and Joó to elope. The two were together until Pista's death from lung disease on 29 March 1903.
Musical style
Musical style
Due to Dankó's heritage, he was steeped in Hungarian folk music, and most of his works were written in the popular verbunkos and nóta folk dance music styles. He also composed works in other styles such as marches.
Musical works
Musical works
While living in Szeged, Dankó composed music for over 400 poems, including the work of Lajos Pósa. One of his most popular songs of the time was Az a szép, az a szép (Handsome is, handsome is), which is still among popular folk dance songs in Hungary. At the request of his associate Géza Gárdonyi, a prominent Hungarian author, Dankó composed a march named A magyarok bejövetele (March of the Hungarians) for the thousandth anniversary of the Hungarian state in 1885. This work represented the pinnacle of Dankó's popularity in life, earning him a status rarely achieved by a Rom among the elite in Hungary.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1858
Pista Dankó born at Szeged.
1903
Pista Dankó died at Budapest.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Szeged.
Birth place
Budapest.
Death place
Legacy
Dankó is a rare example of a Rom who was born into poverty and then rose to relative fame and fortune. He primarily did this by working to satisfy the musical taste of the public, and thus achieving popularity. As is often the case, Dankó received a considerable amount of recognition after his death, when following generations of Hungarians were even more enthusiastic about and accepting of his music. A public statue of Dankó was erected in Szeged, on the bank of the Tisza river. A Hungarian-language film named Dankó Pista was also made based on his life, released in January 1941. The folk music programme of Hungarian Radio is named Dankó Radio.
Plaque/memorial stone to Pista Dankó by László Bánvölgyi (2003) at the Dankó Statue by Ede Margó (1912 marble statue). Plaque with Gyula Juhász quotation. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the death of Pista Dankó, the Self-government of County Rights City Szeged, Foundation for the Memory of Pista Dankó 29 March 2003 - Dózsa Street and Stefánia junction, Belváros (Inner City) neighboro
Globetrotter19
Primary material
Documents and archives
scholarly publication
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q901819: Pista Dankó
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Pista Dankó”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Pista Dankó, revision 1349058429 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
scholarly publication
Institutional witnessInstitutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q901819: Pista DankóWikimedia Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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