Family
Johan
Johan János
Hungarian Roma — Budapest, living chair
Style: Hungarian Romani music / Cigányzene
Johan János. First-person: own orchestra from 2005, Budapest; leading primás of the 100 Tagú, 2012–2025; from 2026 főprímás and artistic director of the Magyar Nemzeti Cigányzenekar. Not merged with Sánta.
His own page (zenekarokaz.hu): “Zenekaromat 2005-ben Budapest kiváló zenészeiből alapítottam.” 2012 to 2025, leading primás of the 100 Member Hungarian Gypsy Orchestra. From 2026, főprímás and artistic director of the Magyar Nemzeti Cigányzenekar. 2008: first prize, International Gypsy Orchestra Competition, with his band.
Józsefváros Újság, 23 March 2026: the national orchestra’s idea already in the 1980s; the band set out in 1994 under ifj. Sánta Ferenc; now re-formed under Johan János; 1 April at the Hagyományok Háza.
Kultura.hu, 11 May 2026: in January 2026 he decided to bring back into public view the Magyar Nemzeti Cigányzenekar, there called founded in 1988. 1988 and 1994 both sit in print. Both founding years remain listed under Later.
Zenekaromat 2005-ben Budapest kiváló zenészeiből alapítottam. 2012 és 2025 között a 100 Tagú Cigányzenekar vezető prímása voltam. 2026-tól a Magyar Nemzeti Cigányzenekar főprímása és művészeti igazgatója vagyok.
I founded my orchestra in 2005 from excellent musicians of Budapest. From 2012 to 2025 I was leading primás of the 100 Member Hungarian Gypsy Orchestra. From 2026 I am főprímás and artistic director of the Hungarian National Gypsy Orchestra.
Lineage
Birth and death on a vertical line — generation by generation. Places are listed where we could find them.
Generation 1
Johan János
Violin, primás · living
Own orchestra 2005. 100 Tagú 2012–2025. MNCz from 2026. First-person page.
Orchestra years
When the band was founded, when it split, when a new generation took the stand.
2005
New orchestra
Own orchestra in Budapest
Johan János zenekara
First-person: founded in 2005 from excellent musicians of Budapest.
2012–25
New generation leads
Leading primás
100 Tagú Cigányzenekar
First-person: leading primás of the 100 Member orchestra, 2012 to 2025.
2026
New generation leads
Főprímás and artistic director
Magyar Nemzeti Cigányzenekar
First-person: from 2026. Józsefváros: re-formed under him; 1 April 2026, Hagyományok Háza. Founding year of that orchestra is listed under Later (1988 / 1994).
Neighbours
Same country or city, but a different way of playing.
- Veres (Sárközi) — Hungarian Roma → Rotterdam / The Hague
- Lakatos — Hungarian Roma — Budapest (and Belgium, for a time)
- Sárközi / Sárközy — Hungarian Roma — Budapest
- Czinka — Hungarian Roma — Kingdom of Hungary, eighteenth century
- Kalyi Jag — Hungarian Roma — Nagyecsed / Budapest, from 1978
- Járóka — Hungarian Roma — Kisvárda / Budapest
- Boross — Hungarian Roma — Budapest
- Danyi — Hungarian Roma — Budapest