Ildiko Balogh: Roma

Ildiko Balogh Dept: Dancer and singer Ildiko Balogh still has the same innocent-looking face, but in the picture, her hair is darker. It s now bleached blond. In the image, her husband, guitar player and lead vocalist Ferenc Balogh, has a moustache and a significant amount of hair, but probably no inkling of the heart disease that, later in life, would often leave him winded and ashen-faced. PHOTOS Ed Ou captures the hard life of a Roma family, according to CBC. But when we met them this past October in Budapest, there was no question of staying for any reason. The optimism of the old days was gone. 'I m no longer willing to take risks. My husband is sick, he has no work. My daughter is pregnant. It s just impossible to live in safety here.' Ildiko Balogh, a Roma, referring to her native Hungary In an old photo of the band Romanyi Roma, the group s members seem to have at least two things going for them: optimism and youth. The picture was taken two decades ago, which is when the Baloghs first dreamt of emigrating to Canada. But they chose to stay in Hungary, to entrench their reputation as a leading traditional Roma troupe. They managed to become celebrities at home, while also exporting some of their music abroad. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.