Florin Codoba (“Kodoba Florin”) is the lead fiddler of the Magyarpalatka Folk Ensemble, one of the most popular and widely known bands in the Hungarian Dance House Movement, playing Hungarian, Romanian and Roma music. The musicians, most of whom are related to each other, maintain the tradition of passing down musical knowledge from generation to generation.
The musicians of Magyarpalatka are among the last representatives of Transylvanian instrumental folk music. The demand for traditional folk music in the Transylvanian Plain (Mezőség) all but ceased after the regime change of 1989, as did the tradition of passing down musical heritage within families. In spite of this, the younger generations of Roma musicians in Palatka have preserved much of this musical treasure, which they play with their parents and uncles. Audiences can hear them live and dance to their unique style at the many Hungarian folk music festivals they regularly attend.
