Background
Dankó was born in the Hungarian city of Szeged, where he began composing music at the age of 28.
Dankó was born in the Hungarian city of Szeged, where he began composing music at the age of 28.
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". 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 in 1903.
He also composed works in other styles such as marches. Dankó is a rare example of a Rom who was born into poverty and then rose to relative fame and fortune.
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.