The music scene in Hungary is like that of any western country but reflected in a funhouse mirror. Global fashions have always had a strong, if slightly delayed, influence and most Magyar acts ape foreign artists.
Most genres boast at least one local example.
But the development of local artists is limited. Homegrown talent has to compete with international acts in a small, cash-poor pond where a gold record means just 25,000 sales. Abroad, Hungarians are saddled with a language that doesn't lend itself to pop structures or travel well, but singing in English can backfire by alienating the core home audience. No groups have met real success by taking this route. Old rockers, meanwhile, obstinately refuse to fade away.