A Hungarian Rapper’s Bandwagon Gets an Unlikely New Rider
By JANE PERLEZ
BUDAPEST, Hungary — The Hungarian rapper known as Joci Pápai was on his way to a concert in the southern Hungarian town of Szeged when he got a call from a man who said he was a member of the Hungarian government.
“He said, ‘I’ve been listening to your music, and I think you’re a great artist,’” Mr. Pápai recalled in an interview. “‘I’d like to invite you to the European Parliament.’”
The man on the phone was László Kövér, the speaker of the Hungarian Parliament and a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Mr. Pápai, who is known for his leftist political views, was taken aback.
“I said, ‘I’m not a politician, I’m a musician,’” he said. “‘I don’t know anything about the European Parliament.’”
But Mr. Kövér persisted. “‘I’d like you to come and sing,’” he said. “‘I think it would be a great opportunity for you.’”
Mr. Pápai, 33, who is also a member of the Romani minority, was skeptical. “I thought, ‘This is a trap,’” he said. “‘They’re going to make me sing in front of all these politicians, and they’re going to make fun of me.’”
But he agreed to go, and on Tuesday, he performed at the European Parliament in Brussels, where he sang his song “Origo,” which means “origin” in Hungarian. The song, which is about the Romani people’s history of persecution, has become a rallying cry for the Romani community in Hungary.
“I was nervous, but I was also excited,” Mr. Pápai said. “I thought, ‘This is a great opportunity to bring attention to the Romani people.’”
Mr. Pápai’s performance was a rare moment of unity in a deeply divided European Union, where Hungary has been at odds with the European Parliament over issues like immigration and the rule of law.
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