Cristian Vasile
Cristian Vasile (May 8, 1908, Braila – June 15, 1974, Sibiu) was a well-known Romanian tango-romance (Romanţă) singer between 1928 and 1949, famous for songs such as "Zaraza", "Aprinde o ţigară", "Ce să-ţi mai scriu", "Pentru tine am făcut nebunii", "Nunuţo". He died in 1974 in Sibiu.
His greatest success, the song "Zaraza", that was said to refer to a Roma woman he was in love with at that time, was in fact an adapted version of a Uruguayan tango written in 1929 by Benjamín Alfonso Tagle Lara.[1] A popular rumour surrounding the song says that Vasile's lover was murdered by a rival singer, Zavaidoc, and her death caused Vasile to never sing again. Vasile did in fact abruptly stop his singing career, but a more credible explanation is that he lost his voice due to cancer.[1] Although he was supposedly at odds with Zavaidoc, there is no proof that such a rivalry existed beyond mere rumours.[2]
References
- ^ a b Tănase, Stelian (2008), "Zaraza all inclusive", Observator Cultural (393)
- ^ Apostol, Maria (6 April 2011), "Legenda frumoasei Zaraza, țiganca pe care o iubeau nebunește lăutarii din Micul Paris. A existat sau nu?", Adevărul