Village Manele: An Urban Genre in Rural Romania

Margaret Beissinger

This chapter centers on how manele—fundamentally an urban genre—are performed in small communities in south-central Romania, most of them in areas surrounding Bucharest, the core area in which manele are generated. It examines how the performance of manele in village communities has evolved from the pre-1990s to the present day, focusing in particular on how the genre has been both adopted and adapted in the rural context. Because manele became so popular, musicians were effectively "required" to perform them at traditional weddings and baptisms; as such, the genre became a "make it or break it" phenomenon. It created a major challenge for village musicians who either accommodated themselves and thus survived or were unable to adjust to the new conditions and thus "fell by the wayside." By the mid-to-late-1990s, manele had fundamentally altered village music-making by Romani performers. This chapter provides a discussion of how musicians adjusted and how this profound change in repertoire created a crisis for them both economically (how to salvage and perpetuate their occupation and thus their ability to provide for their families) and musically (how to adapt both performance-wise and aesthetically to a new genre).

EXAMPLES:

Example 8.1 Băiatul şi fata mea [My son and daughter]; Florăresele [The flower girls]. Recorded in Mârşa, Giurgiu (at home) by Margaret Beissinger, 8 July 1998. Performers: Silvia Zaharia, voice; Jenică Zaharia, violin; Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Bebe Zaharia, cimbalom; Tiu Zaharia, bass viol. 5:52.

Example 8.2 Nevastă ca a mea [A wife like mine]. Recorded in Mârşa, Giurgiu (at home) by Margaret Beissinger, 8 July 1998. Performers: Marian Zaharia, voice; Jenică Zaharia, violin; Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Bebe Zaharia, cimbalom; Tiu Zaharia, bass viol. 2:03.

Example 8.3 Manea turcească [Turkish manea]. Recorded in Mârşa, Giurgiu (at home) by Margaret Beissinger, 9 July 1998. Performers: Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Bebe Zaharia, cimbalom; Tiu Zaharia, bass viol. 1:34.

Example 8.4 Am nevastă sexy [I’ve got a sexy wife]. Recorded in Cartojani, Giurgiu (wedding) by Margaret Beissinger, 4 June 2000. Performers: Marian Zaharia, voice; Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Florică Zaharia, accordion; Bebe Zaharia cimbalom, Tiu Zaharia, bass viol. 2:20.

Example 8.5 Am nevastă sexy [I’ve got a sexy wife]. Recorded in Bucharest (baptism) by Margaret Beissinger, 5 June 2000. Performers: Sile Păun, accordion; Gabi Ilie, synthesizer; Iulian Turturică, drum set. 1:52.

Example 8.6 Am nevastă sexy [I’ve got a sexy wife]. Recorded in Bucharest (wedding) by Margaret Beissinger, 27 May 2000. Performers: Nelu Petrache, voice; Sile Păun, accordion; unidentified Romanian musician, synthesizer; Iulian Turturică, drum set. 5:34.

Example 8.7 Am nevastă sexy [I’ve got a sexy wife] (excerpt) on Miss Piranda 2000, Vol. 1. Recorded in Bucharest by PRO MUSIC SRL, Sponsor: Rustem Petrişor, 2000. Vocalist: Ştefan de la Bărbuleşti. 0:31.

Example 8.8 Salomeea [Salomée]. Recorded in Palanca, Giurgiu (wedding) by Margaret Beissinger, 21 July 2003. Performers: Marian Zaharia, voice; Costică Zaharia, synthesizer; Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Vasile Zaharia, accordion; Florică Zaharia, accordion; Bebe Zaharia cimbalom, Alin Zaharia, violin; Ninel Tiţă (local lăutar), violin; Sile (Băieţică’s nephew from Gratia), bass guitar. 1:12.

Example 8.9 Saloo Salomeea [Saloo, Salomée] (excerpt) on Saloo, Salomeea. Recorded in Bucharest by Nova Music Entertainment, 2002. Vocalist: Adrian Copilul Minune, voice. Musical arrangements: Vasile Armeanca. 0:29.

Example 8.10 De cine mi-e mie dor? [Who do I long for?]. Recorded in Cartojani, Giurgiu (wedding) by Margaret Beissinger, 7 June 2004. Performers: Silvia Zaharia, voice; Costică Zaharia, synthesizer; Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Alin Zaharia, violin; Dudu (lăutar from Mârşa), violin; Tiu, bass viol. 3:09.

Example 8.11 Asta seara vreau să beau [Tonight I want to drink]. Recorded in Cartojani, Giurgiu (wedding) by Margaret Beissinger, 7 June 2004. Performers all unidentified: male Romani manelist; two accordionists, keytar-player; Romanian manelist/synth-player; female Romani vocalist/accordionist. 3:17.

Example 8.12 Am o nevastă cuminte şi norocoasă [I’ve got a good, lucky wife]. Recorded in Roata de Jos, Giurgiu (wedding) by Margaret Beissinger, 4 September 2011. Performers: Marius Drăghici, voice; Costică Zaharia, synthesizer; Alex (student from Bucharest), synthesizer; Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Alin Zaharia, electric violin; Bebe Zaharia cimbalom. 2:43.

Example 8.13 Ia-mă, viaţa mea, în braţe [Take me, my love (life), into your arms]. Recorded in Roata de Jos, Giurgiu (wedding) by Margaret Beissinger, 4 September 2011. Performers: Marius Drăghici, voice; Costică Zaharia, synthesizer; Alex (student from Bucharest), synthesizer; Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Alin Zaharia, electric violin; Bebe Zaharia cimbalom. 2:55.

Example 8.14 "Saint Tropez." Recorded in Roata de Jos, Giurgiu (wedding) by Margaret Beissinger, 29 June 2013. Performers: Marius Drăghici, voice; Costică Zaharia, synthesizer; Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Vasile Zaharia, accordion; Alin Zaharia, electric violin; Bebe Zaharia cimbalom. 3:24.

Example 8.15 Ca boierii ăia mari [Like the great boyars]. Recorded in Mârşa, Giugiu (discothèque) by Margaret Beissinger, 28 June 2013. Performers: Marius Drăghici, voice; Costică Zaharia, synthesizer; Băieţică Zaharia, accordion; Alin Zaharia, electric violin; Bebe Zaharia, sound man. 4:25.

Examples 8.16.a-h The Zaharia family of lăutari from the village of Mârșa, Giurgiu County (2000-2013).

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