On December 2, Mandoki's Soulmates' Hungarian-language album titled Hungarian Pictures was released. Earlier, in the fall of 2019, the English-language record was released under the title Hungarian Pictures, which won a huge gold record recognition in Germany and Hungary, and took first place on the MAHASZ list.
This was followed in 2021 by the wider version released worldwide under the title UTOPIA FOR REALISTS - as a Visual Album. The progressive rock music of Hungarian Pictures based on the work of Béla Bartók is provided by the world-famous artists of Mandoki Soulmates, including Ian Anderson, Al Di Meola, Bobby Kimball, Richard Bona, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Till Brönner, John Helliwell, Bill Evans, Cory Henry, Tony Carey and Steve Bailey. The album is exciting joyous music and a mature, firm statement in favor of human values, the world-famous musician and producer Leslie Mandoki told Origo. The English lyrics were translated into Hungarian by Attila Horváth, Ákos and Leslie Mandoki.
"It's a tough message for society in these troubled times, which calls attention to humanity instead of greedy capitalism and turning against each other," said Leslie Mandoki.
He added: the album features young singers such as Caramel, Misi Mező, Joci Pápai and Zséda, but Charlie, Ákos and Tamás Takats also sing, and the late Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, whom Leslie considers Mandoki's master, also plays on the album. "The album is also a kind of remembrance of the great artist Béla Szakcsi Lakatos," said Leslie Mandoki. Together with Hungarian Pictures, the Mandoki Soulmates album made 25 years ago entitled Talakzokások is also being re-released, on which Zorán, Charlie, Ferenc Demjén, Tamás Somló and Zsuzsa Cserháti also sing.
The full interview with Leslie Mandoki can be read here
Source and image: Origo
