Mónika Lakatos was born into an Oláh gypsy family in Budapest, and learned to sing from her father and members of the community. She rose to national fame as a singer during the 1996 talent show "Ki mit tud?", which she was unknowingly entered for and was crowned as the first Roma winner. In 2004, she founded the Romengo Ensemble with her husband Mihály "Mazsi" Rostás, which plays Hungarian Oláh-Gypsy music. By their own admission, the boundaries of Oláh-Gypsy music extend beyond their own country, which is why Romengo's songs may have been influenced by other musical styles such as jazz and flamenco.
