In addition to his successes in his motherland, The Boogie Woogie Ambassador of Hungary is also a regular performer at well-known international boogie woogie and blues festivals. Balázs brings a new colour into the world of boogie woogie with creative new ideas and his unique virtuoso style. Other numbers in the styles of Blues, Stride and New Orleans Jazz can also be heard at his concerts.
Balázs Dániel was born in 1990, Győr, Hungary. He started to play piano for his own pleasure when he was 14 years old. Two years later, he accidentally heard a recording on which a boogie woogie pianist was playing. Since then he has become obsessed by boogie woogie. He first heard live boogie woogie piano in Switzerland in 2006. Sitting in the audience, he decided that he would like to be a boogie woogie pianist.
His first solo appearance was in his hometown in 2007. This sell out concert would be followed by many performances in different cities of Hungary. In 2009, for the first time, he also showed his pianistic abilities abroad. Since then, he has played regularly in Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, Poland and England, moreover he already toured in the United States.
The next stage of his career was in 2009, when he formed his trio with two great musicians from Győr, Koch Barnabás – drums and Zink Ferenc – double bass. The group completes the traditional boogie woogie sound with new elements.
“Mr. Firehand” has released several CDs during the last few years. He was only 18, when his first CD was released with the title “Burning Fingers” (2008). You can hear mostly his own boogie woogie and blues songs on it. In 2010, he recorded his next CD with his trio, called “Boogie In 3” (2010). His latest solo album is “Boogie Cocktail” (2012). In addition to his signature boogie woogie, Balázs demonstrates his musical versatility by playing New Orleans Jazz numbers, together with plaintive blues and energetic stride tunes within his varied repertoire. In 2013, he released an album called „Flying 4 Hands” with his austrian boogie woogie colleague, you can hear great piano duos and unique solo songs on it.
Balázs is the organizer and host of the one and only boogie woogie festival in Hungary, The Boogiefeszt – International Boogie Woogie Festival Győr, first held in 2008.
These nights are full of humour and musical jokes, great Hungarian musicians, famous foreign guest artists, surprise guests and also professional boogie woogie dancers! During the Festival Grand Finale, the audience can enjoy the spectacle of 4, 6 or 8 handed boogies played on two grand pianos!