Munich – Refugee, musician, bridge builder! Leslie Mandoki (70) leads an eventful life.
This was duly celebrated on Saturday for his 70th birthday. Around 200 top-class guests from politics, business and entertainment met in the Künstlerhaus to celebrate the native Hungarian.
It was also a guest list with political explosives. Because in addition to Prime Minister Markus Söder (56, CSU), Armin Laschet (61, CDU) was also invited.
Ex-CDU Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet, Leslie Mandoki, Peter Maffay with wife Hendrikje Balsmeyer
As is well known, the two had a lot of trouble because of the chancellor-candidate question for the 2021 federal election, which Laschet ultimately messed up.
Of course, Söder also picked this up in his humorous eulogy for his friend Mandoki. “You bring the greats of this world together. You seem to manage to bring the irreconcilable together. You can say the same thing tonight. Armin Laschet and I are both there together.”
Ex-Federal President Christian Wulff with his wife Bettina
Huge laughter in the hall, even Laschet thought it was funny. He to BILD: “If he wants, he can be funny.”
Incidentally, as a gift from Söder, the birthday child received a backpack including a barber voucher. Because Mandoki has had the same hairstyle and mustache for what feels like 70 years.
Mandoki with ex-national goalkeeper Jens Lehmann
Otherwise, the evening was an entertaining journey through the life of the musician. Mandoki’s encounters with world stars and icons such as Bill Clinton (76), Phil Collins (71) and Mikhail Gorbachev († 91) were projected onto the screen. And of course there were singing performances with his “Soulmates”.
Mandoki touched: “The most important thing for me is to say THANK YOU. Although I hadn’t planned to stay in Germany at all, I fell in love with our wonderful country and its people with their culture and mentality and not only found a home here, but also my home.”
Of course, Lara Mandoki was also at the party
