Famous fiddlers singing traditional songs

by Victor Grigore, Webphoto.ro

Fiddlers’ music is part of the cultural heritage of Europe, especially in the East part of the continent where Gipsy singers found their home. Played with traditional instruments such as violins, bass viol, cimbalom (dulcimer), accordion, this music was sang in the pubs in the suburbs or accompanied weddings and other ceremonies. Fiddlers’ music is recognizable by its melodic sound, sentimental lyrics mixing rapid rhythm of dance parts with melancholic passages. In countries with significant Gipsy population such as Romania, Russia or Hungary, fiddlers created their own culture with mutual exchanges with the local folkloric culture. Singers used to live nomad life and in the centuries when slavery was not yet abolished, some were even bought by rich boyars (local noblemen) to provide entertainment for private parties. In the last two centuries fiddlers flourished around inns and pubs in the cities or along with rural communities. Their music inspired great composers like Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt, Bella Bartok, George Enescu, Antonin Dvorak and many others.

In the last century Gipsy music in Romania has produced some great artists with their unique style: Barbu Lautaru, Grigore Dinica, Romica Puceanu, Toni Iordache, Taraf de Haidouks, Faramita Lambru, Gabi Lunca, Dona Dumitru Siminica, Fanica Luca, Ionel Tudorache to name just a few, who’s songs were turned into folklore, polished in thousands of variants.
Though traditionally fiddlers learn how to play instruments while being children, without any schooling, the new generation of Gipsy singers studies at conservatory and have exchanged the pub for concert halls where they sign accompanied by complete orchestras. Such a concert held in Bucharest brought together some of the most famous contemporary musicians of Gipsy music. Among them: Panseluta Feraru (a successor of Romica Puceanu), Leonard and Bogdan Iordache (the son and the grandson of the greatest cimbalom player of all times, Toni Iordache), the united orchestras of Ionica Minune (accordion virtuoso), of George Udila (composer and clarinet singer) of Vasile Nasturica (old violin player), Nicu Gigantu, Neluta Neagu (from the old school of Gipsy music). They were accompanied by representatives of the new wave: Mariana Risipitu, Mihaela Staicu, Constantin Lataretu, Alexandru Paduraru.