Gyula Katyi
Gyula Katyi, born August 22, 1989, is a chango dancer from Moldova. He also plays the baraban.
From an early age, he struggled with health problems – he spent much of his childhood in hospitals due to a dislocated hip. His education took place in various places, including the Czango education program and the mathematics and physics department, which turned out to be an ill-advised choice for him. In time, he graduated in veterinary medicine, but working in the profession did not bring him satisfaction.
As a representative of the Chango people, he was also involved in the activities of the Hungarian Chango Association (Moldvai Csángómagyarok Szövetsége). In 2008, after a difficult period working for a corporation, he returned to his home region and served in important roles in the association for five and a half years. He was responsible for tenders, among other things, and later became the organization’s vice president.
Katyi’s search for alternative ways of life led him to Visnyeshéplak, where he engaged in a self-sufficient lifestyle, cultivating a garden, raising animals and caring for bees. He is critical of consumerism and money. He focuses on simplicity and close contact with nature, rejecting materialism in favor of an authentic existence.