Monika Lakatos, a celebrated singer of "Olah Gypsy" music from Hungary, has become the first Romani artist to receive the prestigious World Music Expo (WOMEX) lifetime achievement award.
Soft-spoken but with a passionate singing voice, the 42-year-old hails from the tiny Olah Gypsy community, a branch of the Romani ethnic minority, Hungary's largest at around seven percent of its population of 9.8 million.
"I am proud to win it as both a Gypsy and a Hungarian," the diminutive dark-haired singer, told AFP Saturday before she received the award at a WOMEX gala concert in Budapest.
Previous winners include Senegalese performer Cheikh Lo and Portuguese "fado" legend Mariza.
