Taraful Haiducilor ("Taraf of
Haiduks") are a Romanian-
Romani ''
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 circula ...
'' (a troupe of ''
lăutari
The Romanian language, 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 18th century. The term is derived from ''lăută'', the ...
'', traditional musicians) from
Clejani,
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, and one of the most prominent such groups in
post-Communist era Romania. In the Western world they have become known by the name given to them in
French-speaking areas, where they are known as Taraf de Haïdouks.
History
The lăutari originating in the village of Clejani have long been known for their musical skills. The first recordings by
ethnomusicologist
Ethnomusicology is the multidisciplinary study of music in its cultural context. The discipline investigates social, cognitive, biological, comparative, and other dimensions. Ethnomusicologists study music as a reflection of culture and investiga ...
s in the village were made in the
interwar
In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
period.
Speranța Rădulescu, a Romanian folklorist also made recordings in Clejani in 1983 for the archive of the Romanian Bucharest-based Institute for Ethnography and Folklore of the Romanian Academy. The recordings were made in various configurations. During the Communist era, many lăutari from Clejani were also employed in the national ensembles that played
Romanian popular music.
Early contacts in the West included
Swiss
Swiss most commonly refers to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Swiss may also refer to: Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss Café, an old café located ...
ethnomusicologist Laurent Aubert and
Belgian musicians Stéphane Karo and Michel Winter, two fans who were so taken by the band's music that they turned into managers, brought the newly named "Taraf de Haïdouks" to Western Europe and helped launch their international career.
Since the release of its first album in 1991, Taraf de Haïdouks has been considered the epitome of
Romany music's vitality. Their
polyphonic
Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice ( monophony) or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ...
sound incorporates instruments such as the
violin
The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
,
double drum,
accordion
Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"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 (mou ...
,
flute
The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
,
cimbalom
The cimbalom, cimbal (; ) 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 József Schunda, V. ...
,
double bass
The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...
and some
wind instrument
A wind instrument is a musical instrument that contains some type of resonator (usually a tube) in which a column of air is set into vibration by the player blowing into (or over) a mouthpiece set at or near the end of the resonator. The pitch ...
s. The group has toured worldwide, released acclaimed albums and a DVD (see below), and counts among its fans the late
Yehudi Menuhin
Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin (22 April 191612 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. He is widely considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. ...
, the
Kronos Quartet
The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classical musi ...
(with whom it has recorded and performed), actor
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for ...
(alongside whom the group appeared in the film ''
The Man Who Cried''), fashion designer
Yohji Yamamoto (who invited the band to be models-cum-musicians for his
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
shows), composer
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer, songwriter, and musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since scoring his ...
(who hired them to play for his 50th birthday party), and many more. Meanwhile, the band members seem to have been relatively unaffected by all this, maintaining their way of life (they still reside in Clejani, in the
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
n countryside).
In 2007, the band released their album ''Maskarada'', in which they reinterpret and "re-gypsify" pieces by 20th-century classical composers (such as
Bartók,
Khachaturian and
Kodály) who drew inspiration from national folklore and often borrowed from
Roma styles.
Members
Some of the core members of the group:
*
Nicolae Neacșu ("Culai"):
violin
The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
, vocals; born 1924; died September 2002 (age 78)
*Dumitru Baicu ("Cacurică"):
cimbalom
The cimbalom, cimbal (; ) 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 József Schunda, V. ...
, vocals; born 1931; died September 2007 (age 76)
*Ilie Iorga: vocals; actually from Mârșă, near Clejani; born 1928; died June 2012 (age 84)
*Ion Manole ("Șaică" or "Boșorogu"): violin, vocals; born 1920; died May 2002 (age 82)
*Gheorghe Anghel ("Caliu"): violin
*Gheorghe Fălcaru ("Fluierici"): flute, double bass; born 1954; died September 2016 (age 62)
*Ionică Tănase: cimbalom
*Constantin Sandu ("Dinu"): cimbalom, vocals
*Florea Pârvan: double bass
*Marin Sandu ("Țagoe"): accordion
*Paul Guiclea ("Pașalan"): voice, violin; born 28 January 1932; died 13 September 2018 (age 86)
*Marin Manole ("Marius"): accordion
*Constantin Lăutaru ("Costică Boieru"): violin, voice; born 26 September 1956; died 7 December 2021 (age 65)
*Viorel Vlad: double bass
*Robert Gheorghe: violin
Discography
Commercially released
*''Musique des Tziganes de Roumanie'' (
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
, 1991)
*''Honourable Brigands, Magic Horses and Evil Eye'' (
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
, 1994)
*''Dumbala Dumba'' (
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
, 1998)
*''Taraf de Haïdouks'' (compilation released on
Nonesuch Records
Nonesuch Records is an American record company and label owned by Warner Music Group, distributed by Warner Records (formerly Warner Bros. Records), and based in New York City. Founded by Jac Holzman in 1964 as a budget classical label, Nonesuch ...
, 1999)
*''Band of Gypsies'' (
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
,2001)
*''The Continuing Adventures Of Taraf de Haïdouks - Live at Union Chapel'' (CD+DVD,
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
, 2006)
*''Maškaradă'' (
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
, 2007)
*''Band of Gypsies 2'', with Kočani Orkestar (
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
, 2011)
*''Of Lovers, Gamblers and Parachute Skirts'' (
Crammed Discs
Crammed Discs is an independent record label whose output blends world music, rock, pop, and electronica. Based in Brussels, Belgium, Crammed was founded in 1980 by Marc Hollander of Aksak Maboul and has since released around 400 albums and 300 ...
, 2015)
Non-commercially released
Before the Haïdouks organized themselves as a group, many of them were recorded on an ethnomusicological album:
* ''Musique des Tsiganes de Valachie; les lăutari de Clejani'' (1988)
CORA 3149025011190
The following albums were produced by Fundaţia Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcas in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, in association with Euroart, the cultural fund of the Department for European Integration of the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs of Romania.
*''The End of the Millenium
icin the Romanian Village / Fin de Millénaire dans le Village Roumain / Sfârșit de mileniu în satul Românesc'', a collection of recordings from 1989–97, released in 2000, with liner notes in English, French, and
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
. Only some of the musicians on these recordings are affiliated with the taraf, but several, some from other villages, have toured with them.
*''Outlaws of Yore / Les 'Haïdouks' d'Autrefois'', two volumes (labeled "I" and "II"), recorded at the
Museum of the Romanian Peasant
The National Museum of the Romanian Peasant () is a museum in Bucharest, Romania, with a collection of textiles (especially costumes), icons, ceramics (art), ceramics, and other artifacts of Romanian peasant life. One of Europe's leading museums ...
, Bucharest, March 1991, released in 2001, with liner notes in English and French.
Contributing artist
*''
The Rough Guide to the Music of Eastern Europe'' (1999,
World Music Network)
Film
Two performances by the group featured in the 1993 French film ''
Latcho Drom'' by
Tony Gatlif
Tony Gatlif is a French film director who also works as a screenwriter, composer, actor, and producer. Born 10 September 1948 as Michel (Boualem) Dahmani in Algeria, then officially part of France, to a Berber (Kabyle) father and an Andalusian- ...
.
In 2001 the Taraf appeared in
Sally Potter's film ''
The Man Who Cried'' alongside friend and fan
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for ...
,
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci ( ; born February 12, 1980) is an American actress known for playing unusual characters with a dark edge. Ricci works mostly in Independent film, independent productions, but has also appeared in numerous box-office hits. She is ...
,
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Élise Blanchett ( ; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor and producer. Regarded as one of the best performers of her generation, she is recognised for Cate Blanchett on screen and stage, her versatile work across stage and scre ...
and
John Turturro
John Michael Turturro ( ; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his varied roles in independent films, and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers and Spike Lee. He has received a Primetime Emmy Award a ...
. They were one of the five
Romani bands to feature in the movie ''
When the Road Bends… Tales of a Gypsy Caravan'' (2006).
Bibliography
* ''Hopa, tropa, Europa'' (''Hop, trot, Europe'') by Speranţa Rădulescu (Museum of the Romanian Peasant, 1992) describes the group's first European tour.
* Liner notes of ''Outlaws of Yore''
References
External links
Official website*
Taraf de Haïdouksat
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taraf De Haidouks
Romanian Romani musical groups
Nonesuch Records artists
Lăutari and lăutărească music