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Vasile Soporan and Ardealul Ensemble

'The Songs of Vasile Soporan from the Village of Frata'

(ETHCD015)

Musicians:
Vasile Soporan - voice
Emil Mihaiu - violin, cetera
Urszui Kalman - viola-contra
Pusztai Aladar - double bass, gordon
The ensemble of Alexandru Ciurcui from Soporu de Campie (tracks 2 and 3)

Label - Ethnophonie, Romania
Released 2007

With 32 page booklet in Romanian and English, including photos and information on the music and musicians.

From record label:
Cântarile lui Vasile Soporan din satul Frata /
The Songs of Vasile Soporan from the Village of Frata

The music on this CD is the expression of the creativity of a peasant who, while still rooted in his traditional culture, is responsive to the social and political changes that call for renewal. Vasile Soporan is an unrivaled singer, dancer, verse author and master of nuptial ceremonies in the region where he lives: the Transylvanian Plain (situated in the center of the province). In his songs, he evokes his early years as a young man in love and cooperative farmer; his maturity as a pater familias, commuting worker and folk “musician”; and his old age as a plowman forced to become a European farmer.

Extract from sleeve notes:
The recordings were made in August 1990, in the villages of Frata, Cluj (1, 4) and Urmenis, Bistrita Nasaud (2-3), and in September 2005 respectively, in the town of Gherla (5-17). In the former, Vasile Soporan sings out loud, at the top of his voice, hollers, dances, and declaims ritual poetic lines. In the latter, Soporan's singing is accompanied by the musicians Emil Mihaiu (violin-cetera), Urszui Kalman (viola-contra) and Pusztai Aladar (double bass-gordon). As a result, the CD as a whole captures Vasile Soporan in various, but equally characteristic, guises: as a musician plowman and lyricist, as a dancer, as a village wedding master of ceremonies, and as a folk music soloist."

"Vasile Soporan is an elderly man; he is short, thin, but well-built, with a handsome face and blue, sincere and piercing eyes. His gait is self-assured, but unassuming. In his household, order and cleanliness are spotless. He maintains friendly relations with all the villagers in Frata, be they Romanian, Roma or Hungarian. On Sunday, he sings piously in the church choir. Harmony rules in his family. He pays due respect to his guests. In brief, Soporan is "a man's man", as Romanian peasants say. As proof of their respect for him, his fellow villagers elected him village councilor....

...Then he met Emil Mihaiu, a brilliant violinist from Gherla, who knew all the ethnic musics from Transylvania. The two virtuosos met, liked each other, found out they were compatible, and began a successful collaboration. They made new recordings, performed on stage, went on tours to France, Switzerland, Germany and Luxembourg. Before leaving for France for three years, Emil and the musicians from his band - the contralau (violist) Urszui Kalman and the gordona~ (contrabassist) Pusztai Aladar- accompanied him on this record. Soporan Vasile is a Transylvanian plowman determined not to yield to the unending "transition", and to fight until his son has ensured his future where he belongs: at home. In some way, he is typical: there are many resolute people like him in Transylvania, who have no time or taste for the paralyzing disheartenment of the peasants from other parts of Romania. However, in another sense, he is unusual, atypical: few present-day peasants are so gifted, mobile, solidly rooted in traditional culture, and wised up by the contacts with their world, and the world at large - and still fewer those with the voice and the generous singing of Soporan...."

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Vasile Soporan and Ardealul Ensemble

'The Songs of Vasile Soporan from the Village of Frata'

(ETHCD015)

This symbol  indicates an mp3 sound clip for that track. Click on the symbol and wait for the clip to start. For more information click here. Tracks

1. Cantec/Song: Lung ii drumul Clujului (3'01")

2. Ritual de nunta: Starostie la casa miresei/ Wedding ritual: Ceremony at the bride's house (2'34")

3. Ritual de nunta. Muzica de joc cu strigaturi la casa miresei/ Wedding ritual. Dance music with extempore verses: Vai de mine ce zicala (5'57")

4. Cantec/Song: Stejarule lemn umbros (2'12")

5. Cantec/Song: Pa unde trece dorm (4'00")

6. Cantec/Song: Asta-i jocu' mandrutii (1'55")

7. Cantec/Song: Ce-i cu tine mandra draga (2'35")

8. Cantec de catanie/ Conscription song: Nu fii mama suparata (3'33")

9. Cantec/Song: Noaptea cand ii ceri cu stele (4'06")

10. Cantec de catanie/ Conscription song: Cand ii trandafiru-n floare (3'10")

11. Cantec/Song: Bine mai iera odata (3'08")

12. Cantec/Song: Bun ii vinul di la crama (1'51")

13. Cantec/Song: Nu mi-i drag nimic sub soare (3'38")

14. Cantec/Song: Ma duc pa drum n-am hodina (3'47")

15. Cantec/Song: Trecut-o doru'valea (4'00")

16. Cantec/Song: Ma blastama mkndra mea (1'51")

17. Cantec/Song: Bade vantu'frunza-n tei (3'43")

mp3 samples are approximately 30 seconds long - click on play symbol to start + pause clip