What does it take for someone to step into the unknown, leaving everything behind? A belief stronger than fear, a courage that can silence every tremor of uncertainty, and an inner determination that refuses to let dreams fade.

In 1970s Hungary, under a dictatorship, even the thought of freedom was considered a dangerous dream. As young musicians and artists with a revolutionary spirit, Leslie Mandoki, Gábor Csupó, and László Szűcs felt the weight of this closed world. They repeatedly applied for passports, but the regime made it clear: staying meant compromise, leaving meant risking prison.

The Chain Bridge became their secret meeting point, where they couldn’t be overheard. This historic bridge in the heart of the city was a sanctuary for them, where the deep murmur of the Danube and the noise of Budapest hid their whispered conversations. They met there at night, knowing that if they were caught, everything would be over.

“We were afraid of being caught, of informants, of prison, but even more afraid that our dreams would be silenced,” recalled Leslie Mandoki. “The bridge didn’t just connect two banks of the river  it connected our dreams and reality, our fears and our hope, our past and our future.”

July 25, 1975 - The decision that shaped their lives

The three friends, with the secret plan born on the Chain Bridge, set off from the Bem Club on August 21, 1975, and – risking their lives – escaped to the West through several kilometers of underground tunnels.

They knew that if they were caught, it would mean prison, persecution, even death. But the promise of freedom was stronger than their fear. Their escape was a moral stand for liberty – a choice that would shape their entire lives and work.

Gábor Csupó’s name has since become synonymous with creativity and international success. He was the creator of The Simpsons, a series that made television history, built his worldwide reputation, and shaped one of the most iconic visual worlds in TV. His unique vision and visual daring have earned him multiple Emmy Awards and revolutionized the animation industry.

While The Simpsons was a milestone, for him Rugrats and Duckman were perhaps even more important, marking the next great creative period of his career. His life’s work has been honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – one for The Simpsons and the second for Rugrats.

This journey, from the secret meetings on the Chain Bridge to the stars of Hollywood, is itself proof of the power of decisions made in the name of freedom and the triumph of talent.

László Szűcs, Laca  was an exceptionally talented musician who worked with Leslie from the Bem Club stage all the way to the biggest international concerts. His playing always carried the strength of friendship, unity, and shared history. It was no accident that Leslie and his bandmates called him the “INSPIRATION TWIN,” as his genius musicianship always inspired and supported the team.

They worked together up until the 20th-anniversary concert of the Mandoki Soulmates, a period filled with unique creations and unforgettable experiences that left a lasting mark on all of them. More than twelve years ago, Laca retired from the intense daily studio work at Red Rock and from constant touring.

Although the stage and studio work ended, the bonds of friendship and their shared journey have remained as strong and unbreakable as ever… timeless. This eternal brotherhood is woven from countless shared memories, creations, and travels, marked by many successful songs along the way.

On July 25, 2025, the three friends met again at the Chain Bridge, the very place where fifty years earlier they had made the biggest decision of their lives. This meeting was not a loud event but an intimate, quiet celebration – a deep nostalgia for a shared journey that only the three of them can truly understand. What might three people talk about on such a day?

Perhaps about the sacrifices that freedom required, and the fear that once followed their every step? Perhaps they recalled how that decision – to leave everything behind and choose an uncertain future – shaped them, and how vital it was to have each other’s support in the hardest moments.

Surely they also talked about their friendship, which has survived the passage of time and distance, and still, fifty years later, binds them together with the same strength… and perhaps about what Budapest, their hometown, means to them, the place they left behind but always return to, no matter where life has taken them.

“Freedom is not an inheritance; it is a mission. Fifty years ago, we risked everything for it, and I want to pass this faith and determination on to today’s young generation,” said Leslie.

Leslie often recalls the words of his dying father, who told him: “Live your life so that my grandchildren will never have to read censored newspapers.” Back then, he couldn’t imagine how he could ever cross the Iron Curtain, but today he feels that his song Matchbox Racing contains all the struggle and desire he felt at that time.

"The world is upside down, a labyrinth full of crises… without a compass, music must be the light at the end of the tunnel. This inspiration, finding the inner compass again and again, so we don’t get lost in the maze and we can keep our dreams alive even in the hardest times,” added Leslie.
 

For Leslie Mandoki, the Bem Club in Budapest was his spiritual home back then, where he learned that music was also the language of revolution. It was there that he met Laca Szűcs and first encountered Gábor Csupó.

In the free world, Leslie became a legend as a producer, composer, and performer. At his Red Rock Studio, more than 72 gold and numerous platinum records were made, and he worked with the world’s greatest artists – Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Ian Anderson, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Rush, Al Di Meola, Steve Lukather… In 1992, he founded the Mandoki Soulmates supergroup, which has now become a symbol of a value-driven musical community – a creative hub building bridges between generations and cultures.

In 2025, the Mandoki Soulmates were inducted into the legendary walls of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, one of the greatest honors in the music world.

The band’s most recent concept album, A Memory of Our Future, topped the charts worldwide and was celebrated by the industry as “the anthem of humanism.” The album stands for peace, European unity, and a shared future, lifting Mandoki’s life’s work to a new dimension.

“I was standing at Times Square, quietly reading the album’s reviews, where our latest work was called a MODERN TIMES MASTERPIECE… and at that moment I truly understood how much the desire for freedom is still needed today.

My story, though in a very different form, is like the Hungarian fate in 1956 and 1989: the desire to live freely, to create, and to let our children grow up in a world where they never have to read censored media. A few years ago, our children celebrated the fact that we did all this for them too, and that was incredibly moving for me,” said Leslie Mandoki.

“If progressive rock, as many believe, is the classical music of our time, then Leslie Mandoki is one of its main representatives. A Memory of Our Future is the most consistent work of the collective so far, uniting artistic and thematic expression with musical form. With prog, jazz, and rock legends contributing, the album doesn’t just bridge stylistic boundaries – it blows them up,” wrote ProgReport, one of the most influential magazines in the American music industry.

“Leslie Mandoki is one of the most versatile and inspiring creators in the music world. Once known as a member of Dschinghis Khan, he has now, at the helm of the Mandoki Soulmates, built a creative community where the world’s greatest musicians come together: Till Brönner, Al Di Meola, Ian Anderson, Nick van Eede, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Richard Bona, Tony Carey, and other legendary members are all part of this artistic powerhouse. Mandoki can build bridges between generations, cultures, and styles; his work is both deeply human and stunningly virtuosic.

His new album, A Memory of Our Future, is not only a musical masterpiece but also a powerful statement for freedom, humanism, and shared values,” wrote Rolling Stone, the most important magazine in the U.S. music industry.

“Budapest will always be my hometown, the city of my childhood, my friendships, and my dreams. I have never regretted the decision I made for freedom, and I want young people to understand that you must fight for freedom every single day,” said Leslie.

The anniversary will have special significance as on August 21, 2025, exactly on the 50th anniversary of their escape, the Mandoki Soulmates will give a grand mega-concert at Trinity Square in Buda Castle. The evening will be a homecoming, a remembrance, and a celebration all at once  a triumphal arch of a historic life’s journey in the spirit of the longing for freedom.
 

Mandoki Soulmates – 50 Years Of Longing For Freedom Mega - Concert
Buda Castle –  Holy Trinity Square
August 21, 2025 – 19:00