Róbert Farkas: You won’t find many musicians who get up at 7 or 8 am. For some reason I always wake up at around 9 or 10 am. I begin my day by reading for about an hour or an hour and a half.
Juci Németh: In a hectic fashion. I always try to get at least eight hours of sleep. I start with a glass of water with freshly squeezed lemon, followed by a cup of coffee with rice milk. If I’m in a good mood, I perform a sun greeting ceremony. My mood depends on my dreams. I always dream and remember my dreams. They set the mood of my mornings. I always look out the window to check the weather like the country girl I am, then turn on the computer and settle down to work and read the news of the day.
RF: I prefer classical music, but also like folk music, world music, jazz and pop.
JN: I don’t want to pigeonhole my musical tastes, but what has really stuck was the music of the ’70s from English-speaking countries, rock music including contemporary Californian rock bands such as Fu Manchu, and abstract hip-hop like Antipop Consortium. I’m a regular listener of Tilos Rádió, so I’m receptive to all kinds of music. I don’t really care about female singers, I grew up listening to boy bands. I don’t even have an idol, but I do have favourites.
RF: I tend to read Hungarian and American contemporary literature and biographies (of musicians). I’m about to finish Keith Richards’s Life. Before that, I read Jadviga's Pillow by Pál Závada. And I really felt a connection with György Dragomán’s The White King. I also like the books of Krisztián Grecsó, Magda Szabó, Paul Auster and Charles Bukowski among others.
JN: Ocean Sea by Alessandro Baricco.
RF: In 2009, I received a three-month scholarship to Brazil. I liked the country so much that I returned there a year later. Naturally, it’s not only the country that I’m attracted to, but also the people and musicians that I met there. Buenos Aires, a great favourite of mine, was close by and I went back there twice too.
JN: Morocco.
RF: I like relishing flavours. I cook, though only rarely. I like going to restaurants for Thai, Chinese or Italian food.
JN: Cooking. I’m a huge TVpaprika (Hungarian cooking channel) fan.
RF: Internet.
JN: I always read Index. I like science and fashion news and, now and again, politics.
RF: I don’t read magazines much. I go to Wikipedia for information and I watch YouTube a lot.
JN: Since the Internet has been around, I’ve followed magazines online.
RF: I like the sporty, casual but smart look.
JN: I like a comfortable and natural style with a certain je ne sais quoi. I consciously make an effort not to buy many new clothes. I buy in second hand stores. My band has a “Nemjuci” second hand store, where the clothes I buy second hand all get a “Nemjuci” logo. These are our official T-shirts and sweaters. There is one of each, and people can pick out clothes, for example after concerts.
RF: I was the first in my class in elementary school to have a jeans and jacket set, but when the look came into fashion and became widely accessible, I went off it. It started to grow on me again when I was in my mid-twenties.
RF: Yes, of course. On the one hand, I am really carefully about choosing who I work with, so their opinion really matters. On the other hand, I accept nothing without criticism, so I mull over opinions and then make a decision.
JN: We consult each other all the time in the band. I like to know all the perspectives. There’s always something you can learn.
RF: Playing instrumental music with Budapest Bár and performing with the band at the London Jazz Festival was a real challenge. Making music with Scottish jazz pianist Brian Kellock at the Edinburgh Festival was also a great experience that I won’t forget. At the closing event of the Extremely Hungary series in New York, we worked together with Fire&Fire, exploring the similarities between Afro-American and Hungarian Gipsy music. It was the beginning of many lasting friendships.
JN: The latest Nemjuci record, which came out at the end of March. It has ten songs and took a lot of work and energy to make. The case is also a favourite, made from reused waste cardboard with an exciting design and a poster inside.
RF: There are a lot of people I’d enjoy talking to, but my first choice would have to be Paganini.
JN: My ancestors, my great great grandparents, my grandmother’s family... I would love to know where I come from, where my creative vein comes from.
RF: The first one was my father. There was a style of playing that I heard from him. Next came Lajos Boros from the Budapest Gypsy Symphony Orchestra. And in classical music, I was captivated by Itzhak Perlman.
JN: Everyone’s a role model to me. I love the wisdom of wise people but I can’t mention a specific person. It also changes depending on the phase that I’m in and there are a lot of important lessons that I’ve learned from the lives of many people.
RF: They should create an environment for themselves that they enjoy being and working in. They shouldn’t make any compromises and should do something they like. Since you spend most of your time working, I think you can’t be happy if you don’t like what you do.
JN: They need to face their innermost thoughts and get to know themselves. They have to be completely upfront with themselves. Young people need to be made aware early on that they are individuals who are responsible for shaping their own lives.