Tag Archives | Romania

Hire Fanfare Ciocarlia for your Wedding

…and speaking of bands from Romania that don’t slouch, Fanfare Ciocarlia is AWESOME.

Fanfare Ciocărlia is another Romani band from the exceptionally talent-rich Carpathian mountain village of Zece Prajin (population 400). This high-energy brass band that plays music from Romani, Romanian, Turkish, Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian styles, and also incorporate music from Hollywood and Bollywood. The band started as a loose assortment of musicians who performed at weddings and baptisms. After you watch this video, I guarantee you’ll want to hire them.

Mahala Rai Banda — Romanian Folk gets a Balkan Beat

Taraf de Haidouks may be where it’s at, but Mahala Rai Banda is no slouch!

Mahala Rai Banda, formed by violinist Aurel Ionita who is a related to members of Taraf de Haïdouks — the best of the best Romanian Romani bands — takes the music a step toward international funk. As you’ll no doubt enjoy in in this video, the rollicking Romani ensemble from Bucharest combines violins and accordions and a rousing rhythm section with an army brass band from the village Zece Prajin.

Our favorite “brigands”– Taraf de Haidouks

In All Around This World’s opinion, there is no more astounding Romani band than Taraf de Haidouks — Band of Brigands!

Traditional music from Romania generally falls into two broad categories — Transylvanian music, from the Hungarian-dominated northwest, and, across the Carpathian mountains that run through Romania, the Balkan-oriented, Turkish-dominated east. Our favorite band of Romanian Roma musicians is Taraf de Haidouks (Band of Brigands!) is based in Clejani, a village outside of Bucharest, in Romania’s southeast. (This video will help you see what we mean.) They’re Turkish/Arabic/Eastern influence, and their unabashed awesomeness, abounds.

Rah Rah for Romania

This week in our online class for kids we journeyed to Romania, a culturally and historically rich nation located in Southeastern Europe. In the Middle Ages there were three Romanian principalities, one of which was Transylvania, home of brutal 15th century leader “Vlad the Impaler,” inspiration for the fictional Count Dracula. The Ottoman Turks conquered Romania in 1541. Romanians rebelled several times and earned their independence, albeit more than 300 years later. In 1881 Romania even brought back its monarchy and crowned a new king — all hail King Carol I! In World War I Romania sided with the victorious Allies and was able to take back a lot of its long-lost land, including Transylvania. This ushered in the short-lived age of “Romania Mare” — “GREAT ROMANIA.” During World War II little was “great” in Romania; hundreds of thousands of Romanians perished in battle. After World War II the Soviets occupied, the Romanian Communist Party came strongly to power and struggles abounded. Since the USSR fell, Romania has inched slowly toward health and stability. Verrrry slowly.

We celebrate this slow Romanian revival by singing dancing really quickly. You’ll enjoy the upcoming week’s exploration of Romanian bands and dances.

Bravo for the Brigands

In class this week we raved about Roma musicians and may have even name-checked one of our very favorite Roma band, Taraf de Haidouks — “Band of Brigands.”

Taraf de Haidiouks is composed of 11 Roma musicians from the town of Clejani, Romania. Celebrating Roma music gives us a chance to marvel at our friendly brigands’ spirit as they channel centuries of Roma survival in every song. In this video, “Rustem,” these virtuosos strut their stuff.

Counting the Cadaneasca Might Make Us Hungry

Earlier this week we met the Cadaneasca, a 9 beat Romanian dance. Counting nine beats is tricky! We make it easier when we try it in class by using fruit to help us count. To get to nine, with “apple” being two beats” and “pineapple” three, we count APPLE, APPLE, APPLE, PINEAPPLE. We can also count “one two, one two, ONE two three” or, as we also do in class to kick us into gear, “step step step HOP!” We end our week in Romania with this level of fruit-counting, step-hopping joy.

Kids Can Dance the Cadaneasca

Both you AND your kids can enjoy Romanian folk dance.

The Cadaneasca is a Romanian rhythm and accompanying dance that is among the substantial number of Romanian, Bulgarian and other Southeastern European dances that use “additive rhythms” — phrases that add groups of beats together to make a rhythmic statement. Follow along by counting this 9 beat rhythm quickly — “one two, one two, one two, ONE two three.” And, as you learn in this video, make sure to yell “HEY!”

The Best House Guest Ever

Transylvanian dances are as tricky, but terrific.

Folk dancing in Romania is a beloved art, and there are many many kinds of astounding dances. One of our favorite is the fecioreste — a foot slapping, heel clicking, leg rotating Transylvanian “lad dance.” The boot-slapping element of the fecioreṣte may have its root in military recruiting dances of the Austrian-Hungarian empire. The guy in this video, which features three Transylvanian dances that sure seems to be taking place in someone’s apartment hall, will clap, stomp and military-boot-slap his way into your heart.