HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
is a European country with a multicultural music environment which includes active ethnic music scenes. Traditional Romanian
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
remains popular, and some folk musicians have come to national (and even international) fame.


History

Folk music is the oldest form of Romanian musical creation, characterised by great vitality; it is the defining source of the cultured musical creation, both religious and lay. Conservation of Romanian folk music has been aided by a large and enduring audience, also by numerous performers who helped propagate and further develop the folk sound. One of them,
Gheorghe Zamfir Gheorghe Zamfir (; born April 6, 1941) is a Romanian nai (pan flute) musician. Zamfir is known for playing an expanded version of normally 20-pipe nai, with 22, 25, 28 or even 30 pipes, to increase its range, and obtaining as many as eight ove ...
, is famous throughout the world today and helped popularize a traditional Romanian folk instrument, the
panpipes A pan flute (also known as panpipes or syrinx) is a musical instrument based on the principle of the closed tube, consisting of multiple pipes of gradually increasing length (and occasionally girth). Multiple varieties of pan flutes have been ...
. The religious musical creation, born under the influence of
Byzantine music Byzantine music (Greek: Βυζαντινή μουσική) is the music of the Byzantine Empire. Originally it consisted of songs and hymns composed to Greek texts used for courtly ceremonials, during festivals, or as paraliturgical and liturgical ...
adjusted to the intonations of the local folk music, saw a period of glory between the 15th and 17th centuries, when reputed schools of
liturgical music Liturgical music originated as a part of religious ceremony, and includes a number of traditions, both ancient and modern. Liturgical music is well known as a part of Catholic Mass, the Anglican Holy Communion service (or Eucharist) and Evensong ...
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.


Traditional music

Traditional Romanian music reflects a confluence of sounds similar to Central European (especially Hungarian) as well as Balkan traditional music. In Romanian folk music, emphasis is on melody rather than percussion, with frequent use of the violin for melody and often only the
cimbalom The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
for percussion. The melody itself and especially the melodic embellishments are reminiscent of music from further south in the Balkans and of a distant Turkish influence. Traditional Romanian song featuring a taragot.


Banat

In
Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
, the
violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
is the most common folk instrument, now played alongside imported
woodwind instrument Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and Reed ...
s; other instruments include the taragot (today often the
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
plays the taragot role in bands).
Efta Botoca The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is a regional trade organization and free trade area consisting of four List of sovereign states and dependent territories in Europe, European states: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerlan ...
is among the most renowned violinists from Banat.


Bucovina

Bucovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
is a remote province and its traditions include some of the most ancient Romanian instruments, including the țilincă and the
cobza The ''cobza'' (also ''cobsa'', ''cobuz'', ''koboz'') is a multi-stringed instrument of the lute family of folk origin popular in the Romanian folklore from both Romania and Republic of Moldova (it is considered the oldest accompaniment instrumen ...
. Pipes (''fluieraș'' (small pipe) or ''fluier mare'' (large pipe)) are also played, usually with accompaniment by a cobza (more recently, the
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
). Violins and
brass instrument A brass instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips. Brass instruments are also called labrosones or labrophones, from Latin a ...
s have been imported in modern times.


Crișana

Crișana Crișana ( hu, Körösvidék, german: Kreischgebiet) is a geographical and historical region in north-western Romania, named after the Criș (Körös) River and its three tributaries: the Crișul Alb, Crișul Negru, and Crișul Repede. In Roma ...
has an ancient tradition of using violins, often in duos. This format is also found in Transylvania but is an older tradition. Petrică Pașca has recently helped popularize the taragot in the region. Also, in Roșia village are well known two local instruments: Hidede, a type of violin with a trumpet, replacing the resonance box and a type of drum called Dobă.


Northern Dobrogea

Dobrujan music is characterized by Balkan and Turkish rhythm and melodicism. Dobrogea's population is ethnically mixed and the music here has a heavier Turkish,
Bulgarian Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...
,
Tatar The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different
and Ukrainian import than in the rest of the country. The most popular dance from Dobrogea is the ''geamparale'', which is quite different from the other traditional dances of Romania.


Maramureș and Oaș

The typical folk ensemble from
Maramureș Maramureș or Marmaroshchyna ( ro, Maramureș ; uk, Мармарощина, Marmaroshchyna; hu, Máramaros) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpath ...
is
zongora The zongora is an instrument typical of Maramureș, a region of Romania. It is similar to a guitar, but has fewer strings. In the past it had two strings, but nowadays it has four or even five. When played, the instrument is usually held vertically. ...
and violin, often with drums. Taragot, saxophone and accordion have more recently been introduced. In Oaș, 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.


Moldavia (Moldova)

Violin and
țambal The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
are the modern format most common in
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
n
dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
. Prior to the 20th century, however, the violin was usually accompanied by the
cobza The ''cobza'' (also ''cobsa'', ''cobuz'', ''koboz'') is a multi-stringed instrument of the lute family of folk origin popular in the Romanian folklore from both Romania and Republic of Moldova (it is considered the oldest accompaniment instrumen ...
, which, although very rare, is still in use today. Brass ensembles are now found in the central part of the county.
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
is also known for brass bands similar to those in
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
.


Transylvania

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
has been historically and culturally more linked to Central European countries than
Southeastern Europe Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (al ...
, and its music reflects those influences. The province is tied historically to the smaller western regions of
Maramureș Maramureș or Marmaroshchyna ( ro, Maramureș ; uk, Мармарощина, Marmaroshchyna; hu, Máramaros) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpath ...
, Criana and
Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
and they are often referred to collectively as
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
.
Violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
,
kontra , et, Kolmekeelne vioola , image= Haromhuros bracsa.png , image_capt=A ''kontra'' shown from the front and the side , background=string , hornbostel_sachs= , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= g – d – a , r ...
and
double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
, sometimes with a
cimbalom The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
, are the most integral ensemble unit. All these instruments are used to play a wide variety of songs, including numerous kinds of specific wedding songs.
Drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
and
violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
make up the typical band in
Maramureș Maramureș or Marmaroshchyna ( ro, Maramureș ; uk, Мармарощина, Marmaroshchyna; hu, Máramaros) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpath ...
and virtuoso
fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...
rs are also popular in the area. In the end of the 1990s, the Maramuzical
music festival A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or h ...
was organized to draw attention to the indigenous music of the area.


Wallachia

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...
, consisting of
Muntenia Muntenia (, also known in English as Greater Wallachia) is a historical region of Romania, part of Wallachia (also, sometimes considered Wallachia proper, as ''Muntenia'', ''Țara Românească'', and the seldom used ''Valahia'' are synonyms in R ...
and
Oltenia Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...
, is home to the
taraf ''Taraf'' ("Side" in Turkish) was a liberal newspaper in Turkey. It had distinguished itself by opposing interference by the Turkish military in the country's social and political affairs. It was distributed nationwide, and had been in circulati ...
bands, which are perhaps the best-known expression of Romanian folk culture. Dances associated with tarafs include brâu, geamparale,
sârbă A sârba or sîrba (Moldovan spelling) is a Romanian folk dance normally played in or time. The word literally means " Serbian". It can be danced in a circle, line, or couple formations. It was historically popular not only in Romania, but al ...
and hora. The
fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...
leads the music, with the
cimbalom The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
and
double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...
accompanying it. The cobza, once widespread in the region, has been largely replaced by the cimbalom. Lyrics are often about heroes like the haidouks.
Taraf de Haïdouks Taraful Haiducilor ("Taraf of Haiduks") are a Romanian-Romani '' taraf'' (a troupe of '' lăutari'', traditional musicians) from Clejani, Romania, and one of the most prominent such groups in post-Communist era Romania. In the Western world they ...
is an especially famous taraf and have achieved international attention since their 1988 debut with the
label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...
Ocora. The Haidouks first attained visibility as
lăutari The Romanian word lăutar (; plural: ''lăutari'') denotes a class of musicians. The term was adopted by members of a professional clan of Romani musicians in the late XVIII century. The term is derived from ''lăută'', the Romanian word for ...
, traditional entertainers at weddings and other celebratory occasions.


Oltenia

Oltenia Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...
's folk music and dance are similar to those in Muntenia. Violins and pipes are used, as are țambal and guitar, replacing the cobza as the rhythmic backing for tarafs. The
cimpoi Cimpoi is the Romanian bagpipe. Cimpoi has a single drone called '' bâzoi'' or ''bîzoi'' ("buzzer") and straight bore chanter called '' carabă'' ("whistle"). It is less strident than its Balkan relatives. The chanter often has five to ei ...
(bagpipe) is also popular in this region.


Muntenia

Muntenia Muntenia (, also known in English as Greater Wallachia) is a historical region of Romania, part of Wallachia (also, sometimes considered Wallachia proper, as ''Muntenia'', ''Țara Românească'', and the seldom used ''Valahia'' are synonyms in R ...
has a diverse set of instrumentation. The flute (''fluier'' in Romanian) and violin are the traditional melodic element, but now
clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
s and accordions are more often used. Accordionists include the renowned performers Vasile Pandelescu and Ilie Udilă.


Doina

The most widespread form of
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n
folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
is the
doina The doina () is a Romanian musical tune style, possibly with Middle Eastern roots, customary in Romanian peasant music, as well as in Lăutărească. It was also adopted into klezmer music. Similar tunes are found throughout Eastern Europe an ...
. Other styles of folk music include the ''
bocet Bocet is a form of Romanian folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called w ...
'' ("lament") and '' cântec bătrânesc'' (traditional epic
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s; literally "song of the elders"). Doina is poetic and often melancholic, sometimes compared to the
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
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 A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
are sometimes repeated in differing songs and typically follow a descending pattern. Regional styles of doina: *
Ca pe luncă CA or ca may refer to: Businesses and organizations Companies * Air China (IATA airline code CA) * CA Technologies, a U.S. software company * Cayman Airways, a Cayman Islands airline * Channel America, a defunct U.S. television network * Classi ...
- found along the southern
Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
* De codru - ''codru'' means "forest" *
Hora lungă ''Hora lungă'' (Cîntec lung, Rom., literally 'long song'), is a Romanian regional folksong style characterized by the union of a lyrical text and improvisational melody. Also called hora lunga or horea lunga, (hora here is derived from the Roman ...
- means "long dance", from the region of
Maramureș Maramureș or Marmaroshchyna ( ro, Maramureș ; uk, Мармарощина, Marmaroshchyna; hu, Máramaros) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpath ...
, Transylvania *
Klezmer Klezmer ( yi, קלעזמער or ) is an instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. The essential elements of the tradition include dance tunes, ritual melodies, and virtuosic improvisations played for l ...
- originally played by
Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...
ish musicians from
Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
and
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
*
Oltului Oltului is a type of Romanian folk song, or Doina The doina () is a Romanian musical tune style, possibly with Middle Eastern roots, customary in Romanian peasant music, as well as in Lăutărească. It was also adopted into klezmer music. S ...
- found along the
River Olt The Olt (Romanian and Hungarian; german: Alt; la, Aluta or ', tr, Oltu, grc, Ἄλυτος ''Alytos'') is a river in Romania. It is long, and its basin area is . It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its average disch ...
Other styles of doina: * Ca din tulnic - unique type in which the
melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
imitates a type of
bugle The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, normally having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure. History The bugle developed from early musical or communication ...
called the tulnic * Ciobanul -
shepherd A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' 'herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, i ...
's doina * De dragoste - popular form, usually about love; ''dragoste'' means "love". * De jale - mellow, mournful doina; ''jale'' means "grief". * De leagăn - a
lullaby A lullaby (), or cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies they are used to pass down cultural knowled ...
; ''leagăn'' means "cradle". * De pahar - drinking song; ''pahar'' means "drinking glass". * Foaie verde - classical form; literally "green leaves".


Classical music

Notable Romanian composers of the 19th and 20th centuries include
Ciprian Porumbescu Ciprian Porumbescu (; born Cyprian Gołęmbiowski on 14 October 1853 – 6 June 1883) was a Romanian composer born in Șipotele Sucevei in Bukovina (now Shepit, Vyzhnytsia Raion, Ukraine). He was among the most celebrated Romanian composers ...
,
Anton Pann Anton Pann (; born Antonie Pantoleon-Petroveanu , and also mentioned as ''Anton Pantoleon'' or ''Petrovici''; 1790s—2 November 1854) was an Ottoman-born Wallachian composer, musicologist, and Romanian-language poet, also noted for his act ...
,
Eduard Caudella Eduard Caudella (22 May (or 3 June) 1841 – 15 April 1924) was a Romanian opera composer, also a violin virtuoso, conductor, teacher and critic. He studied with Henri Vieuxtemps Henri François Joseph Vieuxtemps ( 17 February 18206 June 1881 ...
,
Mihail Jora Mihail Jora (; 2 August 1891, Roman, Romania - 10 May 1971, Bucharest, Romania) was a Romanian composer, pianist, and conductor. Jora studied in Leipzig with Robert Teichmüller. From 1929 to 1962 he was a professor at the Bucharest Conservatoir ...
,
Dinu Lipatti Constantin "Dinu" Lipatti (; 2 December 1950) was a Romanian classical pianist and composer whose career was cut short by his death from effects related to Hodgkin's disease at age 33. He was elected posthumously to the Romanian Academy. He comp ...
and especially
George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history, Enescu is featured on the Romanian five lei. Biog ...
. Also famous are the composer and conductor
Sergiu Celibidache Sergiu Celibidache (; 14 August 1996) was a Romanian conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over five decades, including tenures as ...
and
Vladimir Cosma Vladimir Cosma (born 13 April 1940) is a Romanian composer, conductor and violinist. He was born into a family of musicians. His father, Teodor Cosma, was a pianist and conductor, his mother a writer-composer, his uncle, Edgar Cosma, composer and ...
. The Australian composer Julian Cochran wrote works extensively titled ''Romanian Dances'' with a collection of piano works and six orchestral works, exemplifying affinity amongst classical composers with the Romanian folk music tradition outside of Romania.. And from the second half of the 20th century by the Romanian
spectralism Spectral music uses the acoustic properties of sound – or sound spectra – as a basis for composition. Definition Defined in technical language, spectral music is an acoustic musical practice where compositional decisions are often inform ...
school: Ştefan Niculescu,
Horațiu Rădulescu Horațiu Rădulescu (; 7 January 1942 – 25 September 2008) was a Romanian-French composer, best known for the spectral technique of composition. Life Rădulescu was born in Bucharest, where he studied the violin privately with Nina Alexandres ...
,
Iancu Dumitrescu Iancu Dumitrescu (born 15 July 1944) is a Romanian avant-garde composer. Life and works Dumitrescu was born in Sibiu, Romania. He received a master's degree in composition in Bucharest, where his teachers included Alfred Mendelsohn. Later, ...
, Octavian Nemescu, Ana-Maria Avram and others.


Jazz

Jazz has been imported in Romania as early as the interwar period, thanks to musicians such as Sergiu Malagamba. However, jazz music was banned after World War II, with the arrival of the communist regime. The ban was dropped in 1964. Promoted but not limited to Cornel Chiriac, jazz musicians and others such as Eugen Ciceu, helped establish the genre in Romania, initially promoted alongside "easy music". Vocalist
Aura Urziceanu Aura Urziceanu (born Bucharest, 14 December 1946), also known as Aura, is a Romanian female pop star who was famous in the 1970s and 1980s. In America she had performed as Urziceanu-Rully and Aura Rully. She has toured and performed with artists ...
has performed at
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in 1972 and toured extensively under the name Aura Rully. Although restrained, jazz after 1989 still has cult following, with a number of festivals such as Gărâna International Jazz Festival. Contemporary jazz singers include
Johnny Răducanu Johnny Răducanu (born Răducan Crețu; 1 December 1931 – 19 September 2011) was a Romanian jazz pianist of Romani ethnic background, whose family has a long musical tradition dating back to the 17th century. He was born in Brăila and started ...
,
Anca Parghel Anca Parghel (September 16, 1957– December 5, 2008) was a Romanian jazz singer, composer, arranger, pianist, choir conductor, and music teacher. As a jazz vocalist, she excelled in scat, vocal percussion, and improvisation. Her voice had a f ...
and others. In recent years a few bands have emerged that make use of elements of
nu-jazz Nu jazz (also known as jazztronica, or future jazz) is a genre of jazz and electronic music. The music blends jazz elements with other musical styles, such as funk, electronic music, and free improvisation.Definition from Sergey Chernov, June 7, ...
,
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
and electronic music: Aievea, Jazzadezz, Norzeatic & Khidja and others.


Popular music


Rock

Romanian rock music has a great history with an array of influences. During the 1980s, bands such as
Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...
,
Transsylvania Phoenix Transsylvania Phoenix (also known as Phoenix in Romania) is a Romanian rock band formed in 1962 in Timișoara by guitarists Nicu Covaci and Kamocsa Béla. Guitarist Claudiu Rotaru, vocalist Florin "Moni" Bordeianu and drummer Ioan "Pilu" Șt ...
, Celelalte Cuvinte,
Compact Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in British ...
,
Holograf Holograf is a modern rock band from Romania. Since the band's formation in 1978, Holograf released 18 albums. The band won the Excellence Prize at Romanian Media Music Awards in 2013, the awards for best pop-rock artist and best pop-rock song at ...
or
Cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
achieved popularity, with songs about love and friendship. Contemporary popular Romanian rock bands include Vița de Vie,
Robin And The Backstabbers Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin **Forest rob ...
, Coma,
Alternosfera Alternosfera is an alternative rock band from Chişinău, Republic of Moldova. They started their career in 1998 in highschool with their first album, Oraşul 511. History The history of post-Soviet rock in the Republic of Moldova is a concise o ...
, Vama,
Luna Amară Luna Amară is a Romanian rock band from Cluj-Napoca . The band, which was founded in 1999 under the name Tanagra Noise, consists of Mihnea Blidariu (lead vocals, trumpet, rhythm guitar), Nick Făgădar (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Sorin Moraru ...
,
The Kryptonite Sparks ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, and
Grimus ''Grimus'' is a 1975 fantasy and science fiction novel by Salman Rushdie. It was his literary debut. The story loosely follows Flapping Eagle, a young Native American man who receives the gift of immortality by drinking a magic fluid. Thereaf ...
.


Muzică uşoară românească

The term could be translated literally as "Romanian Easy Music" and, in the most common sense, this music is synonym with "Muzică de stradă" (from French "estrade", which means "podium"), defining a branch of Pop music developed in Romania after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, which appears generally in the form of easy danceable songs, made on arrangements, which are performed by orchestras (and lately pop bands), following a mix of the Soviet and Western pop music influences. This musical form shows many similarities with Western Popular music, as most songs could be defined as a form of Schlager. It supported influences from other similar melodic styles, like Musica leggera italiana (from Italy) and Canción Melódica (from Spain). This Romanian style of music was popularized abroad through the international
Golden Stag Festival The Golden Stag Festival ( ro, Cerbul de Aur) is the most popular Romanian song contest and awards, held annually in the town of Braşov, Romania. History The Golden Stag was first held in 1968, but after 1971 it was banned by the Communist l ...
, held in
Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a popu ...
, since 1968. The most representative singers of that era are those from the 1980s, 1970s and rarely, the 1960s: Aurelian Andreescu, Elena Cârstea,
Corina Chiriac Corina Chiriac (born 26 October 1949) is a Romanian singer, composer, lyricist, television director and actress. She was one of the most successful Romanian singers of the 1970s and 1980s. So far she has recorded over 500 songs and performed in m ...
, Mirabela Dauer, Stela Enache, Luigi Ionescu, Horia Moculescu,
Margareta Pâslaru Margareta Pâslaru or Pîslaru (; born July 9, 1943, in Bucharest) is a Romanian-American singer, actress, composer, lyricist, TV producer, and artistic director. Debuting in 1958, Pâslaru celebrated the 50th anniversary of her career at The Roma ...
, Angela Similea, Dan Spătaru and Aura Urziceanu.


Romanţe

Romanţă (plural: romanţe) is a vocal or instrumental musical piece, sung in a poetic and sentimental mood. It appears as an accessible and expressive melody, on the background of piano and guitar orchestral arrangements. It presents similarities to British music style "Easy Music". The history of Romanian romanţe can be traced back until the
Interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...
, when it became famous through the agency of the most popular Romanian singer of that time, Marin Teodorescu, who is better known as Zavaidoc. After
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, singers like
Gică Petrescu Gică Petrescu (; 2 April 1915 – 18 June 2006) was a prolific Romanian folk music composer and performer. He made his debut at age 18 by joining a student band, having just graduated from the Gheorghe Șincai High School in Bucharest. His ...
integrated in this music orchestral elements, which are specific for Argentinian style, Tango Nuevo.


Folclor Suburban


Manele

Anton Pann Anton Pann (; born Antonie Pantoleon-Petroveanu , and also mentioned as ''Anton Pantoleon'' or ''Petrovici''; 1790s—2 November 1854) was an Ottoman-born Wallachian composer, musicologist, and Romanian-language poet, also noted for his act ...
had the first few transcriptions of a new style that was present in the suburbs of Bucharest in the 19th century. The new style flourished and grew, being promoted by ordinary musicians playing in
suburbs A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
called
Mahala is an Arabic word variously translated as district, quarter, ward, or "neighborhood" in many parts of the Arab world, the Balkans, Western Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and nearby nations. History Historically, mahallas were autonomous social in ...
. This musical style combined the
Balkan The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
(many traditional folkloric genres, including turkish) and
Gypsy The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
styles into a new style called
Manele Manele (from Romanian, ''fem.'' ''sg.'' manea; ''pl.'' manele, the plural form being more common) is a genre of pop folk music from Romania. The manele can be divided into "classical manele" and "modern manele". The "classical manele" are a Tu ...
. After the
Romanian Revolution The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
in 1990, this genre was booming. A few contemporary bands that promoted the style are: *Azur (vocalist: Nelu Vlad) - the first band to use electronic beats *Albatros (vocalist: Iolanda Cristea a.k.a. Naste din Berceni) *Generic (vocalist: Dan Ciotoi) *Miracol C (vocalist: Cezar Duţu a.k.a. Cezărică) *Odeon (vocalist: Costel Geambaşu) *Real B (vocalist: Cristian Rizescu) *Tomis Junior (from Galați) Some modern manele singers, among others, are: *Guță *Florin Salam *Vali Vijelie


Etno

Etno music is a popular Romanian style, which keeps most accurate the typical ethnic sound of Romanian traditional folk music. It is adapted to the modern sound of music, as employs frequently
synthesizer A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
s along with the typical traditional instruments. It emerged in the early 1990s as a revival of Romanian traditional folk music and maintained a constant popularity until nowadays. It has the largest audience through the fans of Romanian folk music and it is popularized, along with Romanian folk music, through the medium of Etno TV, a Romanian Television, dedicated mainly to Romanian folk music, especially the modern side of this music.


Contemporary Romanian folk

Acoustic Romanian style of music, inspired by American folk music, with sweet lyrics and played almost exclusively with guitar. Generally, it evokes a poetic and melancholic atmosphere. It emerged in the early 1960s, along with the first releases of Phoenix band. It was promoted later, through the medium of the
Cenaclul Flacăra Cenaclul Flacăra (Romanian for "The Flame Literary Circle") was a cultural and artistic movement in the Socialist Republic of Romania led by poet Adrian Păunescu. Between 1973 and 1985, it organized shows and concerts which, although rebellious ...
, a cultural phenomenon from the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s, which was initiated by Adrian Păunescu, a Romanian poet. A lot of Romanian folk artists gain affirmation through the Cenaclul Flacăra movement: Mircea Vintilă, Vasile Șeicaru, Florian Pittiș, Valeriu Sterian, Nicu Alifantis, Alexandru Zărnescu, Victor Socaciu, Vasile Mardare.


Rock music

From the early years of the communist regime (the 1960s) there was an active rock scene in Romania. Because of their free attitude which was associated with Western culture and the capitalist society, the communist regime censored rock musicians as much as possible. From the beginning they had a "paria" social position. Symbols of the movement such as long hair, jeans, stage attitude were considered decadent. The bands operated under the name of "instrumental-vocal musical ensemble" to avoid the expression "rock", which was considered to be subversive. Despite this, the rock scene resisted with consequence in a kind of "official underground" before the 1989 Revolution. Veterans of the scene kept the rock spirit alive under difficult restrictive conditions. The connection with the "news" from the West was made within radio stations such "
Free Europe Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procure ...
", which were forbidden. Rock was in these troubled times for its Romanian supporters more than music. It was attitude against the lack of freedom. Names with historical resonance for the Romanian rock movement include
Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, Sfinx,
Roșu și Negru Roșu (Romanian, meaning "red") may refer to: Places * Roșu, a village in Răducăneni commune, Iași County, Romania * Roșu, a village in Chiajna commune, Ilfov County, Romania * Roșu, a village administered by the city of Vatra Dornei, Sucea ...
, Mondial, Sincron, Sideral, Semnal M, Metropol, FFN,
Progresiv TM Progresiv TM was a Romanian rock band from Timișoara. The band, set up in October 1972, was first called Classic XX, adopting the name Progresiv TM (being inspired by Locomotive GT) in April 1973. The starting formula included vocalist Harry Cora ...
, Pro Musica,
Catena Catena (Latin for chain) or catenae (plural) may refer to: Science * ''Catena'' (fly), a genus in the family Tachinidae *Catena (linguistics) is a unit of syntax and morphology, closely associated with dependency grammars * Catena (computing), nu ...
,
Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...
,
Compact Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in British ...
,
Holograf Holograf is a modern rock band from Romania. Since the band's formation in 1978, Holograf released 18 albums. The band won the Excellence Prize at Romanian Media Music Awards in 2013, the awards for best pop-rock artist and best pop-rock song at ...
,
Timpuri Noi Timpuri Noi is a Romanian alternative rock band. History Timpuri Noi was formed in 1980, and remained an underground act up until 1991. This was mainly due to what was perceived as "subversive lyrical content" in the Ceauşescu era. Incide ...
,
Krypton Krypton (from grc, κρυπτός, translit=kryptos 'the hidden one') is a chemical element with the symbol Kr and atomic number 36. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas that occurs in trace amounts in the atmosphere and is often ...
,
Cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including trans ...
, Celelalte Cuvinte, Post Scriptum,
Florian Pittiș Florian Pittiș (; 1943–2007) was a Romanian stage and television actor, theatre director, folk music singer, and radio producer. He attended the Gheorghe Lazăr High School in Bucharest and in 1968 he graduated from the Institute of Theatre ...
, Cornel Chiriac, Dan Andrei Aldea,
Octave Octavian Teodorescu Octavian Teodorescu (born 29 January 1963), known professionally as Octave, is a Romanian musician, composer, songwriter and producer from Bucharest, Romania. He is a pioneer of electronic music and the use of computers and synthesizers in musi ...
, Sorin Chifiriuc,
Nicu Covaci Nicolae (Nicu) Covaci (born 19 April 1947 in Timișoara, Romania) is a Romanian guitarist, painter, and music composer. He is best known as the leader and founding member of Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to th ...
, Valeriu Sterian,
Mircea Baniciu Mircea Baniciu (; born 31 July 1949) is a Romanian musician, singer, and songwriter. Originally known as the lead singer of the Romanian rock group Transsylvania Phoenix, Baniciu quit the group when they illegally fled Romania for West Germany ...
,
Ovidiu Lipan Ovidiu Lipan 'Țăndărică' (born January 31,Cristea, Violeta.", Jurnalul Național, January 31, 2007. 1953 in Iași) is a Romanian drummer. He played between 1966 and 1975 with the Romanian rock band Roșu și Negru. In 1975 he joined Transs ...
, Ilie Stepan,
Liviu Tudan Liviu is a Romanian given name deriving from Latin 'Livius'. Liviu may refer to: * Constantin-Liviu Cepoi (born 1969), a Romanian-Moldovan luger * Dorin Liviu Zaharia (1944–1987), Romanian pop musician *Liviu Aron (born 1980) a neuroscientis ...
,
Mircea Florian Mircea Florian (; April 1, 1888 – October 31, 1960) was a Romanian philosopher and translator. Active mainly during the interwar period, he was noted as one of the leading proponents of rationalism, opposing it to the '' Trăirist'' philosophy o ...
,
Dorin Liviu Zaharia Dorin Liviu ''Chubby'' Zaharia (; September 25, 1944 – December 3, 1987) was a Romanian musician, composer, poet, essayist, and philosopher. A "completely unclassifiable", "nearly mythical figure", Zaharia was an autodidact in all he undertook ( ...
,
Teo Peter Teofil Nelu Peter (11 April 1954 – 4 December 2004) was a Romanian rock musician and bass player for Compact. Peter was born in Cluj-Napoca, in Romania, in 1954. Compact was formed in Cluj-Napoca in 1977. Teo Peter had a brother, Dorin, and a ...
, Florin Ochescu,
Cristi Minculescu Iris is a Romanian rock band established in February 1977 by Ioan 'Nelu' Dumitrescu (drums), Ion 'Nuțu' Olteanu (lead solo guitar and vocals) and Emil Lechințeanu (bass guitar). They achieved success, followed by tours throughout Romania and r ...
,
Dan Bittman Dan Bittman (; born 29 March 1962, Bucharest) is a Romanian singer who represented the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 and came 21st with 14 points. Dan Bittman has been the lead singer of the music group, Holograf, since 1985. From ...
. The political freedom and the cultural openness gained after the 1989 Revolution marked a new era for rock music in Romania. The scene is now very active, despite rock music not being one of the main acts in Romanian mass media. Rock clubs have a rich list of concerts. There are yearly organized great rock festivals with national and international character.


Mainstream

In the 1990s and the early 2000s, with the emergence of independent television and radio stations, the term easy music has been replaced by pop. Mainstream success is shared between early dance-pop bands such as A.S.I.A., Animal X, Blondy, Body & Soul, L.A., 3rei Sud Est or
Akcent Akcent () is a Romanian dance pop group whose members sing in Romanian, English and Spanish. Their name originated as a wordplay on ''accent''. The group was created by Adrian Sînă, and Ramona Barta. Their first single "" ("I don't care about ...
, pop-rock singers and bands such as
Ștefan Bănică Jr. Ștefan Bănică Jr. (; born 18 October 1967) is a Romanian actor, singer, film director, and television presenter. Bănică was born in Bucharest to actor Ștefan Bănică Sr. and journalist Sanda Vlad-Liteanu. In his early career, he starred i ...
,
Holograf Holograf is a modern rock band from Romania. Since the band's formation in 1978, Holograf released 18 albums. The band won the Excellence Prize at Romanian Media Music Awards in 2013, the awards for best pop-rock artist and best pop-rock song at ...
,
Bosquito Bosquito (Pronunciation: ʙᴏsᴋɪːᴛᴏ) is a Romanian rock band formed in Brașov in the year 1999. The group's current line-up consists of vocalist/guitarist Radu Almășan, drummer Dorin Țapu, guitarist Ciprian Pascal, bassist Mircea ...
,
Voltaj Voltaj (, meaning ''voltage'' in Romanian) is a Romanian pop rock group. History Voltaj was formed in 1982, in Bucharest, by Horațiu Rad on bass, Nikki Dinescu (Krypton) on drums, Gabi Nacu (Krypton) on guitar, Cristi Minculescu ( Iris) on voca ...
or
VH2 VH2 was a sister channel to VH1 in the United Kingdom. It launched in 2003, and slowly became an Indie rock channel, aimed primarily at men in the 25-34 demographic. It mainly showed music videos, though it also aired documentaries about artists ...
, hip-hop outfits such as B.U.G. Mafia,
La Familia ''La familia'', (English: ''The Family'') is a 1969 Mexican telenovela produced by Televisa and originally transmitted by Telesistema Mexicano. Cast *Virginia Gutiérrez *Jorge Lavat *Irma Lozano *Enrique Aguilar Enrique Aguilar Zermeño ( ...
, Paraziții or Ca$$a Loco, Latino singers (
Pepe Pepe is a pet form of the Spanish name José (Josep). It is also a surname. * People Mononyms * Pepe (footballer, born 1935), real name José Macia, Brazilian footballer *Pepe (footballer, born 1983), real name Képler Laveran Lima Ferreira ...
) and others (the electronic band Șuie Paparude and alternative rock bands such as
Vama Veche Vama Veche (historical names: ''Ilanlâk'', ''Ilanlâc'', tr, Ilanlık) is a town in Constanța County, Romania, on the Black Sea coast, near the border with Bulgaria, at 28.57 E longitude, 43.75 N latitude. It is part of the commune of L ...
,
Bere Gratis Bere Gratis (Romanian for ''Free Beer'') is a Romanian pop rock band formed in 1998 in Bucharest, Romania. Members * Mihai 'Mitza' Georgescu (vocals) * Robert Anghelescu (keyboards) * Marian Damian (drums) Albums * De vânzare (LP, 2000) * Vino ...
,
Sarmalele Reci Sarmalele Reci (meaning "The Cold '' sarmale''", ) is a Romanian rock band that was formed in 1993 in Bucharest. History The musical group Sarmalele Reci was initially formed by Florin Dumitrescu in 1993. Dumitrescu wanted to create a rock ban ...
, OCS, Spitalul de Urgență,
Zdob și Zdub Zdob și Zdub (; , onomatopoeic for the sound of a drum beat) is a Moldovan folk punk band, based in Chișinău. The band represented Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 21 May 2005, finishing 6th. They also rep ...
or
Luna Amară Luna Amară is a Romanian rock band from Cluj-Napoca . The band, which was founded in 1999 under the name Tanagra Noise, consists of Mihnea Blidariu (lead vocals, trumpet, rhythm guitar), Nick Făgădar (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Sorin Moraru ...
that are still popular, especially underground).


Romanian dance-pop

With the exception of Moldavian-based band
O-Zone O-Zone was a Moldovan Eurodance group that was active from 1999 to 2019. Originating in 1998 as a duo consisting of Dan Bălan and Petru Jelihovschi before the latter's departure, their official trio lineup in 1999 consisted of Dan Bălan, R ...
, Romanian Europop had not achieved considerable echoes outside the borders of the country until 2005, when the band Morandi achieved success with songs written in
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
,
Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...
and other languages. The sound of Morandi,
DJ Project DJ Project is a Romanian dance music group, initially consisting of producers Gino Manzotti (Handke Giuseppe) and DJ Maxx (Ovidiu Florea) along with singer Elena Baltagan. The group was formed in 2000 in Timișoara, with their first album, ''Exper ...
,
Fly Project Fly Project is a Romanian dance group from Bucharest, Romania created in 2005 by Tudor Ionescu. Career Tudor Ionescu and Dan Deneș release their debut album ''Fly Project'', in 2005. Their first single, "Raisa", was number one in Romania. In 2 ...
and a few others marks the transitional period to the Romanian Dance-Pop of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Thanks to a couple of artists such as
Inna Elena Alexandra Apostoleanu (born 16 October 1986), known professionally as Inna (stylized in all caps), is a Romanian singer. Born in Mangalia and raised in Neptun, she studied political science at Ovidius University before meeting the Roma ...
,
Edward Maya Eduard Marian Ilie (; born 29 June 1986), better known by his stage name Edward Maya, is a Romanian DJ, musician, composer, record producer, performer, singer and songwriter, most famous for his 2009 smash hit single "Stereo Love". Career In and ...
,
Alexandra Stan Alexandra Ioana Stan (born 10 June 1989) is a Romanian singer. Born in Constanța, she made her worldwide breakthrough with the 2010 single " Mr. Saxobeat", which was written and produced by Marcel Prodan and Andrei Nemirschi. They had previou ...
,
Antonia Antonia may refer to: People * Antonia (name), including a list of people with the name * Antonia gens, a Roman family, any woman of the gens was named ''Antonia'' * Antônia (footballer) * Antônia Melo Entertainment * ''Antonia's Line'', or ...
,
David Deejay Adi Cristian Colceru also known as David Deejay (born December 10, 1980 in Bârlad), is a Romanian former DJ, Record producer and composer from Bucharest, Romania. He studied violin in primary school. After moving to Bucharest, he worked with se ...
,
Play & Win Marco & Seba, previously known as Play & Win are a Romanian singer-songwriter and music production duo formed in 2000 by Radu Bolfea, Marcel Botezan and Sebastian Barac. Since then, they have been making music without Bolfea. They are a leading ...
, Radio Killer and others, a new sound has emerged that has managed to achieve commercial success outside Romania and dominate the national TV and radio music charts. This new sound, nicknamed pejoratively by some "popcorn" after the name of one of its characteristic synths, is characterized by "shiny", danceable melodies, hooks sometimes based on synthesized accordion and simple lyrics written most often in English, accompanied by videos frequently featuring young women. "Popcorn" has been criticized by some as superficial (sometimes being even compared to
Manele Manele (from Romanian, ''fem.'' ''sg.'' manea; ''pl.'' manele, the plural form being more common) is a genre of pop folk music from Romania. The manele can be divided into "classical manele" and "modern manele". The "classical manele" are a Tu ...
), overly commercial, repetitive and easily grating, as a large number of producers and performers (including singers that initially achieved notoriety in the early 2000s, such as
Andreea Bănică Andreea Bănică ( (born 21 June 1978) is a Romanian singer. She was part of the group Exotic, alongside Claudia Pătrăşcanu and Julia Chelaru. She subsequently formed the band Blondy with Cristina Rus.
or
Connect-R Ștefan Relu Mihalache (born on June 9, 1982 in Bucharest, Romania), better known by his stage name Connect-R, is a Romanian roma rapper, singer, producer and occasional actor, best known for his association with Romanian hip hop group R.A.C.L.A. ...
) have adopted this sound in a short period of time. However, since Romanian
spectralism Spectral music uses the acoustic properties of sound – or sound spectra – as a basis for composition. Definition Defined in technical language, spectral music is an acoustic musical practice where compositional decisions are often inform ...
is virtually unknown outside the
avant-garde music Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of innovation in its field, with the term "avant-garde" implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original elemen ...
community, "popcorn" may be considered the first movement in the history of Romanian history to gain momentum.


House music

An important influence on Romanian dance-pop was
house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
, which gained so much following in clubs that, thanks to radio stations such as Pro FM, has attained mainstream status.
Minimal house Microhouse, buftech or sometimes just minimal, is a subgenre of house music strongly influenced by minimalism and 1990s techno. History Microhouse has its roots in the minimal techno, bitpop (both developed in the early 1990s), and house (deve ...
in the vein of
Ricardo Villalobos Ricardo Villalobos (born 6 August 1970) is a Chilean-born German electronic music producer and DJ. He is well known for his work in the minimal techno and microhouse genres, and is one of the most significant figures in today's minimal techno sc ...
has and is being produced by DJs such as
Petre Inspirescu Petre is a surname and given name derived from Peter. Notable persons with that name include: People with the given name Petre * Charles Petre Eyre (1817–1902), English Roman Catholic prelate * Ion Petre Stoican (circa 1930–1990), Romanian vio ...
, but vocal-based house continues to have more success. As of recently,
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
has emerged alongside house music, although currently still underground.


Underground music

Pre-1989 underground bands include the new-wave band Rodion G.A. alongside older rock bands such as Celelalte Cuvinte and Semnal M. First
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...
attempts belong to composer
Adrian Enescu Adrian-Floru Enescu (31 March 1948 – 19 August 2016) was a Romanians, Romanian composer of film soundtracks and contemporary music. As an individual musician, he also pioneered the local Electronic music, electronic scene during the 1970s and 19 ...
. First represented by bands such as Vorbire Directă and R.A.C.L.A., hip-hop music has achieved quickly mainstream success with bands such as B.U.G. Mafia,
La Familia ''La familia'', (English: ''The Family'') is a 1969 Mexican telenovela produced by Televisa and originally transmitted by Telesistema Mexicano. Cast *Virginia Gutiérrez *Jorge Lavat *Irma Lozano *Enrique Aguilar Enrique Aguilar Zermeño ( ...
and Paraziții, in spite of them being criticized for delivering explicit language and themes. The scene is currently split between mainstream rappers (Puya,
Guess Who Guess Who may refer to: *Guess Who (B.B. King album), ''Guess Who'' (B.B. King album), 1972 *Guess Who (Slim Whitman album), 1971 *Guess Who (EP), ''Guess Who'' (EP), a 2021 EP by South Korean girl group Itzy *Guess Who (film), ''Guess Who'' (film) ...
) and underground rappers ( Vexxatu Vexx, C.T.C., Haarp Cord). Labels dedicated to hip-hop include Hades Records, 20 CM Records and Facem Records (the first independent hip-hop label from Romania). Rock scene is currently split between metal bands (such as
Negură Bunget Negură Bunget was a black metal band from Timișoara, Romania whose atmospheric sound incorporated elements of progressive metal and Romanian folk music. Biography Negură Bunget originally formed at the end of 1994 under the name Wiccan Rede, ...
and Trooper), progressive and indie rock outfits (
byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and Peerage of the United Kingdom, peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and h ...
, Kumm,
Robin and the Backstabbers Robin may refer to: Animals * Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae * Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including: **European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'') **Bush-robin **Forest rob ...
). There are also other niches such as punk rock (E.M.I.L. Haos, Terror Art) or post-rock (Valerinne). Underground electronic music scene has been until 2010 somewhat unified by the existence of the
Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...
-based festival TMBase, reuniting DJs and producers from genres such as
drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...
,
breakbeat Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK ...
,
dub techno Dub techno is a subgenre of techno that combines the style with elements of dub music, including its sparse, delay-heavy production and prominent bass. Characteristics and history In the early 1990s, producers Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus ...
,
electronic rock Electronic rock is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s, when rock bands began incorporating electronic instrume ...
etc. A result of TMBase collaborations is the IDM outfit Makunouchi Bento, who have attracted some attention with their
Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...
-released material. Also notable is the label La Strada Music, which has been home to names such as
Silent Strike Silent may mean any of the following: People with the name * Silent George, George Stone (outfielder) (1876–1945), American Major League Baseball outfielder and batting champion * Brandon Silent (born 1973), South African former footballer * C ...
(who has gained acclaim on the Internet and some radio stations with the single ''Astenie'' featuring Ada Milea), Yvat (a prolific IDM producer of
Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
origin, based in Bucharest), Electric Brother, nu-jazz outfit Aievea and others.
Trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
and
post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...
have influenced a few bands such as Margento, but
dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as ...
,
shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
and other niche genres are poorly represented.
Freak folk Psychedelic folk (sometimes acid folk or freak folk) is a loosely defined form of psychedelia that originated in the 1960s. It retains the largely acoustic instrumentation of folk, but adds musical elements common to psychedelic music. Charac ...
is partially known due to the success of singer-songwriter Ada Milea, but is practiced by only a few other bands such as Nu & Apa Neagră. The producer Minus has attempted to introduce
bitpop Bitpop is a type of electronic music and subgenre of chiptune music, where at least part of the music is made using the sound chips of old 8-bit (or 16-bit) computers and video game consoles. Characteristics Among systems used include the A ...
and, more recently,
chillwave Chillwave (originally considered synonymous with glo-fi and hypnagogic pop) is a music microgenre that emerged in the late 2000s. It loosely emulates 1980s electropop while engaging with notions of memory and nostalgia. Common features inclu ...
.
Dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
DJs have started to emerge, though with the genre has also been associated the band R.O.A., who have achieved some mainstream success thanks to the leader Junkyard, formerly vocalist in Șuie Paparude.


Music festivals

Jazz festivals * Bucharest Masters of Jazz Festival -
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
* EUROPAfest, Bucharest - international festival - blues, jazz, pop, classic *
Gărâna Jazz Festival Gărâna Jazz Festival ( ro, Festivalul de jazz de la Gărâna) is a four day music festival taking place annually in July in Gărâna, southwestern Romania. The Festival launched in 1996 and in the intervening years has raised the profile of Gă ...
- Gărâna, Caraș-Severin * Jazzy Spring Festival Bucharest,
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
* Jazz and More,
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
* Sibiu Jazz Festival -
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
* Festivalul Internațional "Richard Oschanitzky", Iaşi * Timișoara Jazz Festival -
Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...
* Transilvania Jazz Festival -
Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...
* Jazz in the Park Electronic Music *
Untold Festival Untold Festival is the largest electronic music festival held in Romania, taking place in Cluj-Napoca at the Cluj Arena. It is held annually and has been designated Best Major Festival in the European Festival Awards 2015. Guests come from a vas ...
-
Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...
,
Untold Festival Untold Festival is the largest electronic music festival held in Romania, taking place in Cluj-Napoca at the Cluj Arena. It is held annually and has been designated Best Major Festival in the European Festival Awards 2015. Guests come from a vas ...
*
Electric Castle Electric Castle is an annual music festival held on the Transylvanian domain of the Bánffy Castle, near Cluj-Napoca in Romania, and combines music, technology and alternative arts. It features many genres of music including rock, indie, hip ho ...
-
Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...
* AWAKE Festival * Neversea Festival *
Golden Stag Festival The Golden Stag Festival ( ro, Cerbul de Aur) is the most popular Romanian song contest and awards, held annually in the town of Braşov, Romania. History The Golden Stag was first held in 1968, but after 1971 it was banned by the Communist l ...
-
Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a popu ...
- muzică ușoară *
Artmania Festival The Artmania Festival (stylized as ARTmaИ!a Festival) is an art festival, held in the Romanian town of Sibiu. The festival, one of the most important projects developed by ARTmania, , ARTmania's Projects was first organized in the summer of 20 ...
-
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
- Transylvanian Music and Arts Festival - mainly Rock Music * Peninsula Festival -
Târgu Mureș Târgu Mureș (, ; hu, Marosvásárhely ) is the seat of Mureș County in the historical region of Transylvania, Romania. It is the List of cities and towns in Romania, 16th largest Romanian city, with 134,290 inhabitants as of the 2011 Romania ...
- rock, metal, pop, electro *Transilvania International Guitar Festival -
Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...
* Steaua de Cristal -
Gura Humorului Gura Humorului (; Hebrew and Yiddish: גורה חומורולוי - ''Gure Humuruluei'' or גורא הומאָרא - ''Gura Humora''; German and Polish: ''Gura Humora'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the his ...
- International Festival of Pop Music for Children and Youth “Crystal Star” *The International ''George Enescu'' Festival *Terra Siculorum International Classical Guitar Festival (each year at middle of April) *Harmonia Cordis International Classical Guitar Festival (each year at ending of August or at beginning of September) * ABC Festival - Arad - electro * Sunwaves Festival -
Mamaia Mamaia () is a resort on the Romanian Black Sea shore and a district of Constanța. Considered to be Romania's most popular resort,Robert Reid, Leif Pettersen, ''Romania & Moldova'', Lonely Planet, 2007, p. 294 Mamaia is situated immediately nort ...


See also

*
List of Romanian musicians This is a list of musicians from Romania. Classical * Alberta Alexandrescu (1978–present), pianist and chamber musician * Filaret Barbu (1903–1984), composer, well known for the operetta ''Ana Lugojana'' * Pascal Bentoiu (born 1927), Mo ...
*
List of Romanian singers This is a list of Romanian singers. The list includes both people known in Romania as singers, and singers from other countries who have Romanian ancestry. 3 *3rei Sud Est A *Anda Adam *Olivia Addams * Adena * Alexandru Agache *Akcent *Al ...
*
Kontra , et, Kolmekeelne vioola , image= Haromhuros bracsa.png , image_capt=A ''kontra'' shown from the front and the side , background=string , hornbostel_sachs= , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= g – d – a , r ...
*
Opera in Romania The history of opera in Romania dates back to the 18th century when French, Italian, and German touring companies began performing the standard European repertoire of the day in the main cities of Romania. Home-grown opera companies both profession ...
*
Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest Romania has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 22 times since its debut in , and has placed in the top ten six times. Its best results were achieved by Luminița Anghel and Sistem in , and by Paula Seling and Ovi in , who both finished ...
* Vioara cu goarnă


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. * Pascu, George & Boţocan, Melania. "Carte de istorie a muzicii", Muzica contemporană, pp 547–625. Vasiliana '98 Publishing, 2011.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Music Of Romania Balkan music Central European music Eastern European music