From a fiery line of gypsy kings

Life is strange. One moment Roby Lakatos was leader of a cafe gypsy band in Brussels, the next he was signed up by the most prestigious classical music label in the world. His was not, of course, ever an ordinary cafe musical ensemble. It was a band that counted among its fans such musical greats as Yehudi Menuhin and Stephane Grappelli.

And Lakatos was never an ordinary cafe violinist. Seventh generation descendent of Janos Bihari - the greatest gypsy musician, known as the 'Hungarian Orpheus' - Lakatos carries his family's traditions in his fingertips, and since he graduated from the Bela Bartok Conservatory in his 20s he has played his classical-jazz-gypsy mix with some of the world's top musicians. 'It was such a crazy thing,' said Lakatos, speaking in Hungarian-accented French from his home in Belgium.

'For about six months I had been talking to Sony and BMG. They were always coming to Brussels, always faxing, always asking how to do a contract. It was not proving easy.' And then, he said, he was doing a concert in Munich with violinist Vadim Repin: Repin's record company representatives were there, and they all went to eat together afterwards. 'We dined, and we chatted and we drank and suddenly this man turned to me and asked if I wanted to sign a contract with them. 'I could only laugh,' Lakatos said, 'because it was so funny: Deutsche Grammophon was the biggest classical label in the world. I thought it was a joke, but then the contract arrived in less than a week. It changed my life,' he said.

Cars? Lots of money? 'Not that really,' he said. 'Actually not at all: but now we are working in big concert halls which is quite different from a restaurant. And playing to 2000 people, and sometimes with big orchestras which is also quite different.' I rather wanted him to say that in his heart he best liked playing to a small smoky cafe full of jazz aficionados, and that sometimes he and the band would sneak out to their old haunts on a spare evening: the idea appealed to my idea of gypsy romanticism. But he did not. 'We don't play in the cafe any more. We're quite busy, and then when we're not busy we like to sleep.' On Saturday night, Lakatos and his ensemble of Ernest Bango on cymbalon/guitar, pianist Kalman Cseki, double bass player Oszkar Nemeth, and violinist Laszlo Boni, will be playing a one-night gig at City Hall. It is their first trip not only to Hong Kong but also to Asia, and they are also visiting Japan and Taiwan. The programme is a mixture of gypsy, classical, schmaltzy European and jazz, which as Lakatos said is just the way he likes it.

'We play a new style of gypsy music - there are three elements - jazz, gypsy and classical. And with those three elements I do arrangements.' The music - even the classical pieces by composers like Kodaly and Khachaturian - is always improvised. 'We never play a concert the same: ours is not a strict music. It is jazz and gypsy - depends on how you feel, and the base is improvisation.' The concert also includes a piece written by Lakatos and the ensemble's pianist Kalman Cseki called Mr Grappelli and an homage to the jazz violinist who died in 1997, and whom Lakatos knew for his last 10 years as a mentor and a friend. It was with Lakatos that Grappelli did his last recording - to be released next year. 'Stephane was always laughing,' Lakatos said.

'He was old and I was young yet I never thought of his age until he died [Grappelli was 84, Lakatos is now 34]. We were friends, whenever we were in the same town we'd always call each other and chat.' Menuhin was also a mentor and friend. 'I thank him for many things - he did a lot to my career by supporting me.' Lakatos grew up in Hungary. His father and uncle were his teachers - his uncle Sandor died aged 74; his father is still alive but does not play any more. He grew up with the stories of Janos Bihari - a quadruple great-grandfather who was the gypsy player for the Hapsburg family. Bihari was heard - and admired - by Beethoven. When Brahms wrote his Hungarian dances, the themes were from Bihari's head - Brahms just did the arrangements.