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Biographies
Vocalists
Cotton Club Singers are a registered trademark of L.A. GEG Ltd.
www.cottonsclubsingers.hu
Patrícia ‘Pati' Bartus - Alto
Pati born in Kisvárda where she attended her schooling and studied the piano for six years at it's conservatoire while also learning to play the guitar from her father. Pati also took Jazz Ballet. From the age of 10 was a vocalist in her mother's Rainbow Choir and between the ages of 12 to 17 was a member of the Doctorrock drama as well as studying at the Toldy Maria's Musical Studio. During Pati's final year of schooling would every Friday travel to Budapest to enhance her singing and dancing lessons before moving permanently to the capital city, where she would have phonation lessons from Judi Kővári. Pati had an amazing opportunity presented to her when she toured the U.S.A. in the "Stephen The King" drama.
Before joining the Cotton Club Singers in 2007 Pati for 5 years from 2001 to 2006 was a member of the Bergendi Band and went on to further her education by having studies at the Pesti Színiakadémia and finishing with outstanding results. Pati put her singing talent to good use by appearing in many chorus lines. Pati has extensive theatre work on her C.V. including productions with The Hungarian Theatre, National Theatre of Szeged and Castle Theatre of Esztergom to name but a few.
Gábor Fehér - Bass
Gábor Fehér, the third bass vocalist to be with the Cottons, but by far the longest serving of the trio, has now in fact been a stalwart of the Cottons for well over decade now and not only is he a vocalist but for some time has been employed as the main vocal arranger for the band as well. Descending from a musical family, Gábor's father Andreas is a director of several Hungarian and foreign opera companies, and his sister Adrienn, an award winning vocalist in her own right has received Emerton award.
Boldizsár ‘Boldi' László - Tenor
The Cotton Club Singer's founder and only surviving original member. Boldi was born in Keszthely but grew up in Paks, where he first fell in love with music, starting to learn the trumpet at the tender age of 7 and then took up singing at 18. Boldi studied at the Gór Nagy Mária Actor Academy and later appeared in many musicals. Whilst still a soldier in the Hungarian army based in Nagyatád in the late 1980's Boldi watched a film called ‘Cotton Club Gangsters Club' and was hooked by its swing style and this was the founding inspiration that in 1994 became what is today known as ‘the Cotton Club Singers'. Boldi, his wife Ida and daughter Dorina are the proud owners of Junior, a champion winning dog!
Gabriella ‘Gaby' Mezőfi - Soprano
Gaby, an award winning performer is the second member of The Cottons to be born in Hungary's capital city Budapest. Gaby has an extensive C.V. in musical theatre. Upon completion of her formal education, Gaby applied and joined Toldy Maria's Musical Studio as Pati had done and like her Cotton Club colleague, Gaby studied Phonation from Judit Kővári. During 1998 Gaby entered and won the Hungarian TV and Radio competition ‘Star Searcher' and in the same year won the ‘Newfound of the Year' category of the Emerton competition.
Before joining the Cotton Club Singers in 2007 along with Pati, Gaby was in Hamburg performing in Roman Polanski's play ‘Vampires Ball' which she also performed in Stuttgart and before going to Germany debuted in the play in Budapest. 2005 and 2006 was a busy period for Gaby as she was appearing in many musical galas and solo programmes.
Musicians - Ensemble Trio
Piano - Győrgy Pataj
Born on Bastille Day, 14th July 1974, György's father sent him at the age of 7 to his local musical school to study the piano before continuing his studies at the Conservatoire and graduating from the Ferenc Liszt Musical Art Jazz Department in 1997. His teachers were Attila Garnay and Kálmán Oláh. György, an award winning musician won the Polish Young Jazz Bands competition while coming a credible third in the Gabor Balogh Fürsti Jazz Piano Talent Spotter contest. As a performer, György has played in many jazz clubs and festivals and he joined the Cotton Club Band in 2007.
Double Bass - Sándor Sárkány
Born in Tata on 12th August 1964. Upon completion of his education, Sándor graduated from the Double Bass department of the Conservatoire in Győr and studied at the Ferenc Liszt Musical Art College until 1991 and till 1994 was a student at the Jazz Department at The Academy of Music. In 1998 Sándor started his first band Outsider Big Band. From 1989 to 1991 was working at The Hungarian Stale Opera and during 1993 to 1999 was with several dixieland bands and played with the U.K.'s legendary jazzer Chris Barber. From 2001 he was a member of The Cotton Club Band whilst also appearing with the Budapest Jazz Orchestra.
Drums - Péter Boegán
Péter, born on 27th April 1967 in Budapest was a young student of music during his early education studied not only the violin but also music theory and continued his music gathering knowledge in the State Music School, now learning the Classical Drum. His tutors were Ernő Varasdy, Gyula Kovács and Iván Nesztor. Péter took lessons from 1986 to 1989 at The Jazz Department of Béla Bartók Musical Art School Technical College. From 1985 to 1992 was a member of Stadium Dixieland Band. Péter travelled the world over from Cuba to Lithuania for 3 years, was with Jazz Steps before joining The Cotton Club Band in 2007.
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