The policeman from Eger who has his own folk band and plays for one man with the same zeal as for a thousand
Perhaps for many of us, we have indulged in a hobby as a child – an art or a sport – that we turned our backs on for a more mundane profession, but years, decades later it came back to us. This was the case with László Erdei, a company first ensign, who inherited his father's musical talent but chose to study a profession and then join the police. But later he discovered folk music and picked up his violin again. For a while, he played in the Tekergő folkband and eventually founded the Erdei Band.
Did you have a childhood dream; did you think about what you would be when you grew up?
I had no big dreams that defined my career. But music was present from childhood, as my father was a musician. I was born in Hajdúnánás and went to music school in my primary school years, but then I stopped until it found me again as an adult.
How often did your family get together to play music and dance?
When I was a child, we had these big name-day celebrations in our garden, which I joined in. I also played the violin at events and enjoyed it. I liked it when Daddy got ready and washed, shaved, and dressed in his Sunday best before he left. He did it in style, honouring his listeners. It's important for us too, to play music anywhere, for anyone, with total devotion.
If we were playing just for you with the band, we would play the same way we play for a thousand people, because we want to give everyone the same experience.
Did your father have his own folk band?
There was a formation in which only the Erdei people worked, the extended family. I could say that they were the original Erdei Band. My father played the accordion, and there was also a double bass, saxophone, and violin in the line-up. The saxophone player sometimes played the clarinet. I don't know of any band in Nánás that had a cimbalom, it was mainly stringed instruments. It is a great pity that no recordings were made at that time, I would really be curious to hear them. A few photographs have survived, including a Polaroid picture taken by German guests.
Do you still have that accordion?
Yes, but you rarely hear it, and then only at home. My father played music continuously for twenty-five years, but when he was my age, he stopped. There were years when his whole calendar was full in January. Then he had an accident that broke his career in two. He was on his way to work when a car swerved into the other lane, hit him and left him. If a good-hearted man doesn't come along and call an ambulance, he'd be left in a ditch. My dad is now 83 and was being treated for lymphoma. We went to Debrecen with him and thanks to the doctors he was healed. We are grateful that they did not give up on him despite his old age.
Where did the idea of having your own band come from?
I used to play in the Tekergő folk band, but I reached the point where I wanted to explore and try out my own wings.
The members of the band played in several formations, and by luck, we came together at a family event. We have been playing together for more than five years with cimbalom player Ferenc Andrássy, who comes from Salgótarján, Miklós Jankura is our violist, Bence Fodor plays the bass and I play the violin. We all have jobs in our field of activity and music is just our hobby. We get on well together, both as people and as musicians. We're a good team, we have a good laugh and we play music, and it's no longer a problem to get in tune with each other without rehearsing together.
Do you only play in this formation?
We also go to other gigs if one of us is invited to play in another band; the floor is open, but our own performances come first.
Do you like playing anything, or is there a particular region the melody of which is closer to your heart?
We play anything, depending on the needs. For me, my favourite is the music from Kalotaszeg, that's the one I've learned the most. I also find the folk costumes the most beautiful, and the dance routines are good. When we have a stage show, I always sneak in something from Kalotaszeg. I usually have a plan, but my friend Misu Jankura thinks I play whatever comes to my mind anyway. Yes, sometimes we plan a dance routine from the South of the Great Plain, but then I decide to play one from the Szilágyság region and the others automatically join in. I'm careful not to change tunes as I go along, although they could keep up with me in that too, I've had an example of that in at a dance towards dawn. And we always play music by heart. We play live, sweaty music.
Do you have childhood memories of real, traditional dance-houses?
Unfortunately, no. My father and his friends used to sing together, play waltzes or some music just to listen to. As a child, I learned classical music at music school, which gave me a good grounding and encouraged me to play with precision and clarity. At that time there was no folk music education at music schools. I was introduced to folk music in more depth in Eger and studied it as an adult at the music school. Attila Szabó from the Csík orchestra was my teacher. I was also influenced by fellow musicians, I practiced a lot and went to folk music camps. I have been to Transylvania several times, where there are still dance-houses, but that is a new era.
How do you see it, do young people still have a demand for folk music?
On a national level, I see it on the right shelf, thanks to Ferenc Sebő and his friends who started the dance-house movement.
There are many folk bands and dance groups; folk song and dance "infects" many young people, who win prizes and keep the traditions alive. It has a future.
Of course, support from municipalities is also important for it to flourish, because it is not always given enough space in rural towns. Before Covid, we had a lot of requests, but after Covid, businesses closed down, there were fewer occasions for entertainment, and the opportunities were limited. There is still a demand for us to play at village festivals, but we go to weddings less often, where live music is starting to be replaced by electronic music.
How can you combine music and police work?
I can combine them just fine because the shows usually are on the weekends. Colleagues know about it and consider it a special combination, a rarity. I don't benefit from it, but it's a positive experience. It's not a usual police hobby, although the former head of the Budapest Police Headquarters also played music, I recall he played the clarinet.
How did you end up being a policeman?
After finishing high school, I completed my compulsory military service in Siklós, and a friend suggested a career in the police. To be honest, at first, I was only attracted by the early retirement pension, which has since been abolished, but slowly I became more and more interested in the profession. I've been through almost every branch of the service, and a great part of Hungary as well. I patrolled in Budapest, and for many years I was a district officer in Debrecen, as a detective. I worked mainly on the property protection line; searches and interrogations were a daily routine, and fortunately, I didn't have to spend a lot of time on administration. Then I moved to Eger, where I worked on criminal cases and offenses, and a few months ago I became a press officer. Perhaps the only thing left out was the traffic service.
Have you been in a dangerous situation at work?
Fortunately, I never got into that kind of situation and never used a gun.
There have been riskier situations in house raids, but never violence.
Do you like challenges?
I was drawn to them when I was young, but time has passed me by. Sport is still part of my life, cycling is one of my hobbies, but music is much more important.
If you could start again, would you choose a different direction?
Whenever I go to Debrecen and drive past the Academy of Music, I remember my dear teacher, Mr. Barkóczy, who encouraged me not to stop playing music. However, at that time having a profession was very important and my father encouraged me to do so, so I became a mechanical engineer and then found a career in the police. I regretted giving up music for a while, but eventually, I found my way there.
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