Profesor Indigo
1983 song by Peter Nagy
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"Profesor Indigo" (English: Professor Indigo) is a song written by Slovak musician Peter Nagy released on Opus Records in 1983.
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| "Profesor Indigo" | |
|---|---|
Professor Indigo, played by Andrej Hryc in the music video | |
| Song by Peter Nagy | |
| Language | Slovak |
| English title | Professor Indigo |
| Released | 1983 |
| Recorded | 1982 |
| Studio | Slovenský rozhlas, Košice, Czechoslovakia |
| Length | 2:32 |
The first time Nagy recorded a song in a studio was as a 17-year-old, recording in the studio of Slovak Radio in Košice in 1982; however, the song was released only in the following year, becoming a hit in the country and launching Nagy's musical career.
The song describes a man in a blue coat, nicknamed Professor Indigo, inspired by a math teacher from the Gymnázium Jána Adama Raymana, where Nagy studied.[1]
Background
After completing high school in Prešov, Nagy attended the Faculty of Philosophy at Pavol Jozef Šafárik University. He initially pursued a career as a folk singer.[2] At the age of seventeen, he recorded his first song in a studio. He performed with eastern Slovak bands such as Profily, Fultura, and the group Karla Witz. Nagy's breakthrough came with the song Profesor Indigo, which brought him public recognition.[2][3] He recorded this track in August 1982 at the Košice Radio studio, collaborating with guitarist Karel Witz, who had previously worked with bands like Collegium Musicum and Modus.[2][4][5] After releasing a year later,[6] the song was a hit in Czechoslovakia, topping all of the charts.[7][1][8] In November 1983, Nagy founded a band called Indigo, named after his hit.[7][9]
In 2020, a remake of the song was created. It was included in Nagy's new album, Aj tak sme frajeri.[10][11]
In an interview in 2025, Nagy revealed the professor in the song was a real-life figure, a mathematics professor at the school which taught Nagy,[4][1][12] stating that "He didn't understand that I was out of touch with reality. I don't have exact thinking, like at all. I'm always out of touch somewhere. I just got a D in math because he couldn't teach me, and that created a nervousness between us. So, while I finished elementary school with straight A's, in high school I got two D's and seven C's. Because I was completely out of touch with reality, even for the professors, because I already had long hair and stuff. And they were nervous about that".[13][14]
Music video
Following the song's success, a music video was made by the television song show 5xP in 1983.[3][12][15] It was directed by the well-known music director Jozef Kaiser,[16] featuring Andrej Hryc in the main role as Professor Indigo.[17][12] During this period, the TV hit parade 5 × P and the Military Art Ensemble included the music video of Profesor Indigo in the March round of the competition, where it would finish in first place, winning the contest.[18][19]