Taraf de Haïdouks
Taraf de Haïdouks are a Romanian band consisting of 13 Roma musicians. These come from the 3000-strong community of Clejani in the middle of the historical region of Wallachia in the Romanian southeast, about 40 km south of Bucharest and near the Bulgarian border.
Origin of name
The name of the combo goes back to Taraf (= orchestra) and Haiducken , in short: Haiducken orchestra. The concept of hajdús was antipod has over the decades socially right: In the Ottoman Empire, they were called "outlaws in the Balkans" ostracized . As a result of the national awakening of the Balkan peoples, they were then understood as "freedom fighters". The name of the orchestra was chosen according to this more recent understanding of the term. Several songs go into this. In Romania the band is also known as Taraful Haiducilor .
style
The music of the Taraf de Haïdouks is a colorful mixture of different traditions. Balkan folk, oriental and Bulgarian themes meet Turkish melodies, Romanian folklore meets Hungarian, “Yugoslavian” and Greek, all of which merge into a new whole. Traditional material, improvisations and revised themes fuse stylistically. Sometimes seemingly adventurous arrangements are created. Technically, the band is also set up for western elements of the presentation. For example, the solo playing styles, but also the shortening of three-day wedding celebrations in concert to two hours.
meaning
The head of the combo was the violinist Nicolae Neacșu, who died in 2002 and became world-famous in the last decade of his life . The ensemble became known through detours through the Belgian music lovers Stéphane Karo and Michel Winter, who did everything in their power to bring the Roma band to Belgium for recordings. Through their mediation, worldwide concerts followed, for example at the WOMAD Festival in Barcelona or in Yokohama, at the rock festival in Reading, England, at concerts in Berlin or New York. The album Musique des Tziganes de Roumanie (1991) was perceived as a sensation. The follow-up album Musique des Tziganes de Roumanie - Vol.2 / Honorable Brigands, Magic Horses And Evil Eye (1994) is hardly different .
In Romania itself the band has not been able to build on their international success so far.
Trivia
Since Tony Gatlif's film Latcho Drom from 1993, the band has been the epitome of a global gypsy mania that has been filling concert halls with bands like Fanfare Ciocărlia for years. Johnny Depp has been a fan since they worked together for The Man Who Cried (2002). The great violin virtuoso and conductor Yehudi Menuhin had a similar experience, who was looking for opportunities to play with the troupe. Gheorghe Anghel ("Caliu") starred in Radu Mihaileanu's 2009 film Le Concert .
Members
Some of the key members of the combo:
- Nicolae Neacșu (Culai): violin and vocals, died December 2002
- Dumitru Baicu (Cacurică): Zymbal , died September 2007
- Ilie Iorga: vocals;
- Ion Manole (Saica or Boșorogu): violin, vocals
- Gheorghe Anghel (Caliu): violin
- Gheorghe Fălcaru (Fluierici): flute, double bass
- Ionica Tanase: Zymbal;
- Constantin Sandu (Dinu): cymbal, song;
- Florea Parvan: double bass;
- Marin Sandu (Tagoe): double bass;
- Paul Guiclea (Pasalan): voice, violin;
- Marin Manole (Marius): accordion;
- Constantin Lautaru (Costica Boieru): violin, vocals;
- Viorel Vlad: double bass;
- Robert Gheorghe: violin;
Albums
- Musiques de Tziganes de Roumanie (Crammed Discs, 1991)
- Honorable Brigands, Magic Horses And Evil Eye (Crammed Discs, 1994)
- Dumbala Dumba (Crammed Discs, 1998)
- Taraf de Haïdouks (compilation on Nonesuch Records, 1999)
- Band of Gypsies (Crammed Discs, 2001)
- The Continuing Adventures Of Taraf de Haïdouks (CD + DVD, Crammed Discs, 2006)
- Maškaradǎ (Crammed Discs, 2007)