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Lăutari

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Lăutari are traditional musicians performing traditional Romanian music. Lăutari generally live in the countryside and are, to some degree, peasants. Most lăutari are, due to historical factors, Roma people. As performers, they are usually loosely organized into a group known as a taraf, which often consists largely of the males of an extended family. (There are female lăutari, mostly vocalists, but they are far outnumbered by the men.) Each taraf is led by a primaş, a primary soloist.

The name lăutar comes from the Romanian word "lăută", meaning lute. Other terms used to designate traditional musicians in Romania are scripcar, plopar or cobzar.

The music of the lăutari establishes the structure of the elaborate Romanian peasant weddings, as well as providing entertainment (not only music, but magic tricks, stories, bear training, etc.) during the less eventful parts of the ritual. The lăutari also function as guides through the wedding rituals and moderate any conflicts that may arise during what can be a long, alcohol-fueled party. Over a period of nearly 48 hours, this can be very physically strenuous.

Following custom almost certainly dating back at least to the Middle Ages, most lăutari rapidly spend the fees from these wedding ceremonies on extended banquets for their friends and families over the days immediately following the wedding.

Since the early nineteenth century, and especially in the days before sound recording, lăutari kept alive various genres of Romanian music that might otherwise have been lost.

Instruments often played by lăutari were, or are:

and a little later in history,

They also use other traditional Romanian instruments and pseudo-intruments.

References

  • Speranţa Rădulescu and Adrian Solomon's liner notes for the album "Outlaws of Yore" by Taraful Haiducilor.

See also

  • An interview in English with Speranţa Rădulescu, the ethnomusicologist who "discovered" many famous contemporary lăutari: - Part 1 and Part 2
  • A British review of The Alan Lomax Collection; World Library of Folk and Primitive Music. Vol XVII, dedicated to Romanian Gypsy music
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