Re: Romanian

[Paul M. Gifford <PGIFFORD...>]

Owen Davidson <owend (at) crocker(dot)com> wrote:

> I find it interesting that while the southern Romanian style of music, as
> played by Gypsy musicians, has come to exemplify "Romanian music" as a
> national style, it is the northern style, from Moldavia and Besserabia that
> seems most closely related to "klezmer" music.

    Although if you're in Chicago or Detroit, Banat style is mostly
what you hear.  But southern Romanian muzica lautareasca (i.e., music
played for _lautari_, musician Gypsies, which is distinct from songs
and dances for ethnic Romanians) has influences in klezmer music.  The
"Doina Oltului," originally a vocal doina from Oltenia, is an old 
standard Bucharest Gypsy instrumental tune, and this one is, to my 
ears anyway (as well as to some experienced Gypsy ears), the same 
as the Jewish doina.  Did it go via Moldavia?  I don't know.  Another 
example of Bucharest Gypsy influence  is "Ce mai foc, ce mai jale," a 
fairly obscure, old love song, which was recorded by Max Leibowitz 
and Dave Tarras and apparently others.