Bea Palya

Bea Palya, born Beáta Palya on 11 November 1976 in Makó, Hungary, is a celebrated singer-songwriter known for blending folk, world music, and jazz. Her sound draws from a rich tapestry of influences—Hungarian folk, Bulgarian, Jewish, and Romani traditions—reflecting her own multicultural heritage.

Growing up in the village of Bag, Palya began singing and dancing in a local folk group. She later moved to Budapest, where she attended Apáczai Csere János Gimnázium and studied ethnography at Eötvös Loránd University, graduating in 2002. Before embarking on a solo career that year, she performed with the Hungarian folk ensembles Zurgó and Laokoón. Her music also incorporates elements of Indian and Persian traditions.

Alongside her musical journey, Palya built a presence in film. She sang the title track for the 2000 Hungarian film *Portugal*, and appeared as an amateur actress in Miklós Jancsó’s *A mohácsi vész* (2004). She took on a more substantial role in the French film *Transylvania* (2006) and contributed vocals to *Kolorado Kids* (2010). In 2017, she made her feature film debut in a leading role as Django Reinhardt’s Romani wife in Étienne Comar’s biographical drama *Django*.