Music of Romania

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Romania is a European country whose population consists mainly (approx. 90%) of ethnic Romanians, as well as a variety of minorities such as German, Hungarian and Roma (Gypsy) populations. This has resulted in a multicultural environment which includes active ethnic music scenes. Romania also has thriving scenes in the fields of pop music, hip hop, heavy metal and rock and roll. Traditional Romanian folk music (sometimes performed by tarafs, or bands of Gypsy musicians) remains popular, and some folk musicians have come to national (and even international) fame.

Contents

[edit] History

Folk music is, on the one hand, the oldest form of Romanian musical creation, characterised by great vitality until our times, and on the other hand, a defining source of the cultured musical creation, both religious and lay. In the conservation of folk music an important role has been played, besides the permanence of the audience, by the great performers. One of them, Gheorghe Zamfir, is famous throughout the world today, having made known a typically Romanian folk instrument, the panpipes.

The religious musical creation, born under the influence of Byzantine music adjusted to the intonations of the local folk music, saw a period of glory between the 15th-17th centuries, when reputed schools of liturgical music developed within Romanian monasteries. Russian and Western influences brought about the introduction of polyphony in religious music in the 18th century, a genre developed by a series of Romanian composers in the 19th and 20th centuries.

[edit] Traditional music

[edit] Banat

In Banat, the violin is the most common folk instrument, now played alongside imported woodwind instruments; other instruments include the taragot (today often the saxophone plays the taragot role in bands), which was imported in the 1920s from Hungary. Efta Botoca is among the most renowned violinists from Banat.

[edit] Bucovina

Bucovina is a remote province, and its traditions include some of the most ancient Romanian instruments, including the ţilincă and the cobza. Pipes (fluieraş or fluier mare) are also played, usually with accompaniment by a cobza (more recently, the accordion). Violins and brass instruments have been imported in modern times.

[edit] Crişana

Crişana has an ancient tradition of using violins, often in duos. This format is also found in Transylvania but is an older tradition. Petrică Paşca has recently helped popularize the taragot in the region.

[edit] Dobrogea

Dobrogea's population is especially diverse, and there exist elements of traditional Tartar, Ukrainian, Turkish and Bulgarian music among those populations. The most popular dance from Dobrogea is the geamparale, which is very different from the other traditional dances of Romania. In fact, Dobrujan music is characterized by Balkan and Turkish rhythms.

[edit] Maramureş and Oaş

The typical folk ensemble from Maramureş is zongora and violin, often with drums. Taragot, saxophone and accordion have more recently been introduced.

In Oaş, a violin adapted to be shriller is used, accompanied by the zongora. The singing in this region is also unique, shrill with archaic melodic elements.

[edit] Moldavia

Violin and ţambal are the modern format most common in Moldavian dance music. Prior to the 20th century, however, the violin was usually accompanied by the cobza. Brass ensembles are now found in the central part of the county. Among the most renowned violinists from this region is Ion Drăgoi. There are also many musicians among the Csango, ethnic Hungarians who live in the Siret Valley. Moldavia is also known for brass bands similar to those in Serbia.

[edit] Transylvania

Main article: Music of Transylvania

Transylvania has been historically and culturally more linked to Central European countries than Southeastern Europe, and its music reflects those influences. Inhabited by Romanians, Szeklers, Hungarians, Germans, Serbs, Slovaks, Roma (Gypsies) and others, Transylvania has long been a center for folk music, which was preserved here stronger than in the rest of Romania. Bartók and Kodály collected many folk songs from Transylvania early in the 20th century. In our days, Deep Forest included folk songs from Transylvania on their albums.

Violin, viola and double bass, sometimes with a cimbalom, are the most integral ensemble unit. They are used to played a wide variety of songs, including numerous kinds of specific wedding songs.

Hungarians from Transylvania are known for their vibrant musical cultures, especially around Hunedoara and other areas, which are famous for hajnali songs and legényes (young men's dance). The Csángós have a distinct Hungarian dialect and ancient music. They are known for a unique stringed percussion instrument called an ütögardon (literally, "beaten 'cello"). This heavy instrument, roughly carved out of a solid block of wood, has four gut strings, all tuned to D, which are struck with a stout stick.

Drum, guitar and violin make up the typical band in Maramureş, and virtuoso fiddlers are also popular in the area. In the end of the 1990s, the Maramuzical music festival was organized to draw attention to the indigenous music of the area.

[edit] Wallachia

Main article: Music of Wallachia

Wallachia is home to the taraf bands, which are perhaps the best-known expression of Romanian folk culture. Dances associated with tarafs include brâu, geamparale, sârba and hora. The fiddle leads the music, with the cimbalom and double bass accompanying it. Lyrics are often about heroes like the Haidouks. Taraf de Haidouks is an especially famous taraf, and have achieved international attention since their 1988 debut with the label Ocora. The Haidouks first attained visibility as lăutari, traditional entertainers at weddings and other celebratory occasions.

[edit] Muntenia

Long the capital region of Romania, Muntenia have a more diverse set of instrumentation. The fluier and violin are the traditional melodic element, but now clarinets and accordions are more often used. Accordionists include the renowned performers Vasile Pandelescu and Ilie Udilă.

[edit] Oltenia

Oltenia's folk music and dance is similar to Muntenia. Violins and pipes are used, as are ţambal and guitar, replacing the cobza as the rhythmic backing for tarafs. The cimpoi (bagpipe) is also popular in this region.

[edit] Doina

The most widespread form of Romanian folk music is the doina. There are other styles of folk music. These include the bocet ("lament"), cântec batrânesc (traditional epic ballads; literally "song of the elders") and the când ciobanu şi-a pierdut oile ("when the shepherd has lost the sheep").

Doina is poetic and often melancholic, sometimes compared to the blues for that reason. Doinas are often played with a slow, free rhythm melody against a fast accompaniment pattern in fixed tempo, giving an overall feeling of rhythmic tension. Melodies are sometimes repeated in differing songs, and typically follow a descending pattern.

Regional styles of doina:

Other styles of doina:

[edit] Classical

George Enescu

[edit] Contemporary

Some of the most prominent contemporary musicians of Romania:

[edit] Ambient

[edit] Avant Garde

[edit] Cafe singers

[edit] Dance

[edit] Electronica

[edit] Folk

[edit] Folk-rock

[edit] Psych-folk/world fusion

[edit] Folkloric/Ethnic/World

[edit] Hip-Hop, Rap

Main article: Romanian hip hop

[edit] Jazz, Acid jazz

[edit] Manga pop

[edit] Pop

[edit] Rock and Metal

Main article: Romanian rock

[edit] Bibliography

  • Broughton, Simon. "Taraf Traditions". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp 237-247. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.cbc.ca/insite/SOUNDS_LIKE_CANADA/2006/1/17.html
  2. ^ Gheorghe Zamfir - Master of the Pan Pipe - Booking & Management Michow Concerts Hamburg

[edit] External links

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