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Sounds of Romania


steppewolfRO

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I start this thread about music of Romania. Not sure if belongs here as will be more about older music than recent one but if it is more appropriate in the history section please move it there.

 

Without further ado, I'll start with a classic folk-rock album of Romanian rock band Phoenix - Muguri de fluier (Flute buds) - 1974. After they run away from Romania they named themselves Transylvania Phoenix despite the fact that the band originated in Banat region. Obviously they were banned by Communist censorship but after 1989 their music exploded, especially in university environment. 

 

Muguri de fluier album was perhaps the most played of all their creations due to its peculiar sound inspired from folklore ranging from Southern Balkans to gypsy music or Central European music. It is considered to be the best of their albums. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lhzNEPHTAk&list=PLYUvzRPuJpOlj2lwCMp_7T5qEeN1oMqFE

 

LE: about full album, only managed to link it this way: "Phoenix - Mugur De Fluier (1974) [HQ]"

 

Few words about each song.

 

Lasa, Lasa! (Leave it, Leave it!) it is just an interlude between songs that appeared on The Immortals soundtrack (1974)

 

Pavel Chinezu, leat 1479   - about a local hero, guitar solo a bit a la Rory Gallagher 

 

Strunga (The Gorge) - also for the soundtrack of Immortals movie. 

 

Andrii Popa (name of a famous Hajduk) - song about an Hajduk known to free people enslaved by Ottomans. 

 

Mica Tiganiada (Small Gypsiliad)  - dulcimer, bongos, violins, a very complex music inspired from gypsy folklore well sustained by rock instruments

 

Ochii negri, Ochi de tigan (Black eyes, gypsy eyes)- an archaic sound which was initially considered to develop a rock opera based on it. 

 

Muzica si muzichia  (Music and diminutive for music which is a slang word that I have no idea how to translate it, sing-song maybe or musicy as spending an Y is often taken as a diminutive)  - this song conserve the best the character of the music from Banat, the home region of this band with alternative measures and broken rhythm that reminds peasants' fairs music with oriental and Balkanic influences

 

Mugur de fluier (Flute buds) - with Romanian  shepherd flute integrated between rock instruments, gives the name of the album; some say it's inspired from Christmas Song of Jethro Tull from Living in the past 

 

Anule, hanule (Oh year, oh inn) - last two songs anticipate more their future songs, closer to hard-rock 

Dansul Codrilor (Dance of woods)

 

Songs from this album featured on the soundtrack of Nemuritorii (Immortals) movie. You can watch it here if you like with English subs. 

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First I added a link to the full album on youtube and English translation from name of the songs. 

 

Here you can find a very good article in English about Pop/Folk/Rock in Communist Romania. Generally pop music and folk was encouraged but rock music to a lesser extent. Probably rock music was perceived as more rebel than the other genres and what regime encouraged sounded atrocious, here is a sample of Savoy band, a so called rock group which was the official band of Communist Youth. 

 

Pop music from 80s:

 

https://youtu.be/4MNr_N5k0_M?list=PL1E96FCED8A0AD913

 

https://youtu.be/Zzsbqy4I1To

 

https://youtu.be/2VHoMXmqRP4

 

https://youtu.be/0pojyOAnMK0

 

https://youtu.be/mb9DQMznxJI?list=PL1E96FCED8A0AD913

 

A very interesting phenomenon was Flacara (Flame) Circle which was an itinerant folk and pop show started around Flacara magazine (Communist Youth weekly publication) led by poet Adrian Paunescu. Here is how it was at these shows:

 

https://youtu.be/pdB12KvGpbU

 

https://youtu.be/QHsgYBL-6Rw

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First time when I see/hear this guy, I've no idea what he is doing there  :huh: Those costumes aren't Romanian, nor the music. From what I gathered from google he is an performer of a recent TV channel (very niche stuff) related with manele genre and that has almost nothing to do with folklore. 

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Nah. Steppen. This is part of a comedy act by Ylvis (the guys who did What Does the Fox Say?). 

 

 

 

Steppe, not Steppen. I like Hesse's novel very much, one of the books of my youth but my username is on purpose different. 

 

On topic, I have no idea about that comedy but if it was sold as some Romanian stuff it has nothing to do with and the guy who created that stuff is an obscure singer who features on manele channels (which for some reason are banned in most of mainstream media and public places).  

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Probably rock music was perceived as more rebel than the other genres and what regime encouraged sounded atrocious, here is a sample of Savoy band, a so called rock group which was the official band of Communist Youth. 

 

 

Oh wow.  That has a sort of badness that reaches right across the language barrier and smacks you in the face.

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Yeah, atrocious. There was better stuff but I barely remember. I'll try to group some 70s-80s pop music better parts in one post. If you are interested in Eastern Block music here is a very well made blog 

 

Now some of my favorites, Mr. Johnny Raducanu:

 

Johnny Răducanu - Jazz În Țara Mea / Jazz In My Country (1976)

 

Johnny Răducanu - Jazz Made In Romania (1987)

 

Johnny Raducanu - Jazz Bestament - Paris 2005

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  • 5 weeks later...

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