# (Romanian) gypsy folk music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2013, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776 "2013-06-24T12:05:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/1 "2013-06-24T12:05:36Z")
I’ve seen a lot of gypsy music live, and I always love it. Just last night I danced until the wee hours of morning in café Le Vagabond, but already I have forgotten the name of the band. So I’d like to hear suggestions! I’m learning Romanian, and would really love to have some good Romanian music to sing along to, to help me learn. I know [Maria Tanase](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8CiGuQ857Y&list=PL63EEBBBBB139CE34), and that’s folk, not gypsy. So you get bonus points if it’s Romanian, and bonus bonus points if you have a youtube vid with lyrics for me. Anyone mentioning _Dragostea din tei_ will be kneecapped through their wifi. But really, I’d just love to have suggestions of any great gypsy music, or similar folk music. Lots of violins and accordions. Preferably some good moustaches. Danceable is good, but melancholy love songs are also very welcome. Old and new. Hipsters will get a pass only if they’re very good. Nb: I don’t want to offend with the word “gypsy”, it’s simply what the music has been called whenever I’ve heard it performed. I am aware that many travellers are Roma, that many are not, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/2 "2013-06-24T13:33:34Z")
I don’t have any gypsy music, but I do have another song that has lyrics to it. It is a pop band called 3 Sed Est. It’s called [Clipe](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kavs_33WStQ), this version is a slow dance one with lyrics on the video. This was my wedding song, teach me to not find out what the hell the song is about before I get hitched. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/3 "2013-06-24T18:04:04Z")
Thanks **Edward The Head**! Indeed not the music I was looking for, but very helpful for studying Romanian, the singing is very clear and the words are all pretty simple. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/4 "2013-06-24T20:07:05Z")
Sorry, only Romanian I tend to listen to is the modern stuff. [Leasa Dragos - Differente](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsN93nxa8vo) [Luciana Sousa - Muita Bobeira](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Xix1XnkLg) [Grasu XXL - Da-te Mai Asa](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQHrmK-gOFw) ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/5 "2013-06-24T20:19:03Z")
Look for manele music, Florin Salam and Nicolea Guta are big names. Personally I like Iubire din Corason, preferably the version by Asu and Printu. Please don’t ask how I know;), was also dancing to it till the wee hours this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/6 "2013-06-24T23:02:14Z")
Your second one is a sweet Brazilian Bossa Nova, **aruvqan**! Not that I’m complaining 😉 The first one is quite clearly spoken, which is great. I wonder how much will be too slangy for me to get, I need to listen a little closer. So is there anyone out there who is interested in gypsy music? ETA: huh, sorry **polar bear** , your post didn’t show just now 😕 Someone else told me Nicolae Guta, and I listened to a bit, but I kept finding poppy stuff. I heard his earlier music is better. Any tips? And… _how do you know_??! (You are not getting away with that one, mister!) ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/7 "2013-06-24T23:27:08Z")
I heard [this album review](http://www.radionz.co.nz/radionz/programmes/nat-music/audio/2557939/stand-up,-people)of Stand Up, People: Gypsy Pop Songs from Tito’s Yugoslavia, 1964 -1980last week on the radio. Wrong country but right genre. Here’s the [first track on youtube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frqlBEqz-w4). And here’s [Esma Redzepova](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiIcfH0_Z3g)still doing her thing. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_ch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a4c791/32.png) [@Dan\_ch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_ch)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/8 "2013-06-25T19:01:11Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I don’t have any gypsy music, but I do have another song that has lyrics to it. It is a pop band called 3 Sed Est. It’s called [Clipe](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kavs_33WStQ), this version is a slow dance one with lyrics on the video. > > This was my wedding song, teach me to not find out what the hell the song is about before I get hitched. 😃 Actually, the lyrics are quite decent, the only problem is that the song is about a breakup (the guy is begging his girlfriend not to leave him), so maybe not the best choice for a wedding. 🙂 > [@polar\_bear](#): > > Look for manele music, Florin Salam and Nicolea Guta are big names. Personally I like Iubire din Corason, preferably the version by Asu and Printu. Please don’t ask how I know;), was also dancing to it till the wee hours this weekend. Dude…don’t. Just don’t. I’m not sure what you were drinking/smoking, but I beg you to listen again when fully awake and re-consider. 😃 Or maybe there were some half-naked ladies dancing on a table (that’s an activity usually associated with this type of music), in which case you’re forgiven. 😉 But seriously, trying to learn romanian by listening to this is like trying to learn english by listening to gangsta rap. > [@gracer](#): > > Not that I’m complaining 😉 The first one is quite clearly spoken, which is great. I wonder how much will be too slangy for me to get, I need to listen a little closer. There is not that much slang in it; in fact, the song is about childhood in the '80s - early '90s and how the kids today are just a bunch of spoiled brats who have no idea how easy they have it. Reminds me of a certain Al Yankovici song… 🙂 If you liked Maria Tanase, you may also like [Gica Petrescu](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMHLwuTLMN8). For more recent songs in a similar vein, there’s [Gheorghe](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc0wKXe4pxo)[Dinica](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M5gNvWFwlk) or [Stefan](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69qgBLyOLeo) [Iordache](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QVMFSEdM5Y). For real gypsy/folk music you can have a look at [these](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaTxwJlhIn0) [guys](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT4IufMeyYA) or at these [gypsy-themed](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5GjVD2r3-8) [songs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Seaj0vYery8). Bonus: a very original [Metallica cover](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp7DapGFisc). 😉 Then there’s Phoenix, a band who had an etno-rock kind of [sound](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reiN_kKLbd4): [they](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jwAEb0pFRg) [were not](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMi9iYkmmpw) [bad](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtvZnteTTFM) [at all](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcsQvTpi3Oc). [A couple](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMHtnOiJ570) of [songs](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB7DnJtrncg) about the '89 Romanian Revolution. For more recent stuff, you can try [Vama Veche](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHlrVibU-2Q), [Timpuri Noi](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqiojZAlNt8) or [this one sung in a moldavian accent](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FOxxI5lZZ8). 🙂 And [some](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaUwrIyKiNk) with [really good](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqiojZAlNt8) [lyrics](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmzoN_afPGk). Some of them have written lyrics, either embedded in the video or in descriptions. Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/9 "2013-06-25T19:35:14Z")
Well to answer both Gracer and Dan… yes the situation description about iubire din corason is correct: many, many times; please let me leave it at that. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/10 "2013-06-25T20:33:39Z")
[Putumayo](http://www.google.com/search?q=putumayo+gypsy&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8&rlz=1I7PRFA_enUS441) has Gypsy Groove and Gypsy Caravan ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/11 "2013-06-26T11:12:50Z")
Thanks guys, some great suggestions, I am loving all of them. I need to get out my Romanian grammar and slowly work my way through. But first I need to just enjoy, this music is great! **Dan\_ch** , I love it all! Are you Romanian? Thanks for posting all that! **polar bear** : tehehe! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/12 "2013-06-26T12:18:00Z")
[Romanian music, you say](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60og9gwKh1o)? ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/13 "2013-06-26T12:37:01Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > [Romanian music, you say](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60og9gwKh1o)? I will rescind the aforementioned penalty of kneecapping for the sheer passion displayed in that video 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romanian-gypsy-folk-music/661776/14 "2013-06-26T12:41:05Z")
> [@gracer](#): > > I will rescind the aforementioned penalty of kneecapping for the sheer passion displayed in that video 😃 😃 Couldn’t resist. He just looks so darned _happy_.