Alin Trocan

Doctorand (1st year)

University of Bucharest, Letters Faculty

Cultural Studies

Old and new in Bucharest today.

A study regarding lăutarii and tavern music.

The term „lăutarˮ can be explained in many ways but I will use Margaret Beissinger’s
definition: „proffesional male Gypsy singers which performs traditional song and dance from
Romaniaˮ. It is, indeed, a very general description. The act of performing must be understood in
two keys – as an emotional process and as a part of an art. Building a repertory and playing it is
just the preparing phase. There is another phase – to direct, to improvise, and to finish
successfully a performing act. There are a lot of things which are shaping the repertory such as
the public, playing possibilities or modern trends – very noticeable in romanian culture even in
folk’s music (muzica populară). A starting point int this dirrection is to talk about the performing
act because this is the main way the public meets the performer. Or the artist. The art of lăutar
means both legacy and personal developing. Ervin Goffman affirms abouth the performer that
„ he wants to be recepted as a signifiant performer by the publicˮ and his identity is based on
what kind of performer is considered by the public. Lăutar’s life, his acting, even his instruments
are influenced by modern world and the bands, players and singers are perceived as a kind of
casta. There are a lot of differences regarding their performing acts: classic lăutar, manele player,
cafe concert player, countryside player and others.

On the pub’s stage, every night, the performer seems to take an exam for their skills and
quallifications. This includes the fact that their act have to be received as art by the public and to
outdo. From Margaret Beissinger’s definition we understand that only the Gypsy ethnics are
attending to be a lăutar. Nowadays it’s more than obvious that this statement is modified,
because a lot of romanian players and singers are part of the bands (tarafuri, formații) and how
are they seen in those groups and what are the misconceptions is a major issue. Also, the
repertory of traditional songs had beed expanded, mostly conditioned by the stages of pubs, and
it include international songs, some kind of popular songs in the society, as a result of
globalisation. We can conclude that the traditional music is the first layer of their performing
acts.

I must say that this study was the subject of my Dissertation work, and more than that - I
am to explain my duble-status, as a researcher and as a member of a traditional music band
which is playing in the Old Town of Bucharest.