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⚫ '''Lăutari''' are ]s performing traditional ]. Lăutari generally live in the countryside and are, to some degree, peasants. Most lăutari are, due to historical factors, ]. 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.
{{expert}}


The name lăutar comes from the Romanian word "lăută", meaning ]. Other terms used to designate traditional musicians in Romania are ''scripcar'', ''plopar'' or ''cobzar''.
⚫ '''Lăutari''' is both a generic romanian word for musician and a professional clan of Roma musicians probably stemming from other historical Roma clans present in Romania, such as the ], ] and ]. Names of Roma clans in Romania are usually Romanian occupational names: Căldărar (bucket-maker, căldare=bucket; -aş replaces -ar regionally), Lingurar (spoon-makers, lingură=spoon), Florar (flower sellers, floare=flower) etc. As performers, they are usually loosely organized into a group known as a ], 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 music of the lăutari establishes the structure of the elaborate Romanian peasant ]s, as well as providing entertainment (not only music, but ]s, 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.
==Origins of the lautari==


⚫ Following custom almost certainly dating back at least to the ], most ''lăutari'' rapidly spend the fees from these wedding ceremonies on extended ]s for their friends and families over the days immediately following the wedding.
we should make a difference between the generic term "Lăutar" and the Roma clan. "Lăutar", according to the DEx ("Dictionarul Explicativ al limbii romane", the most authoritative source on the Romanian language), is formed from "lăută" (meaning lute) and the suffix "-ar", very common in forming occupational names (e.g. morar=miller, from moară=mill + ar). Generally speaking, the -ar suffix originates in the Latin -arius, and expresses a relationship, mainly occupational: last definition (translation: "referring to...", "one who exercises a profession", "one who is qualified".


Since the early nineteenth century, and especially in the days before sound recording, ''lăutari'' kept alive various genres of ] that might otherwise have been lost.
According to Sir ],"the popular Romani word for musician, Lautar (plural Lautari), may either be the Persian Lútí ]; popularly, a loose fellow, a cad.'], or more probably a deformed offspring of the Arabic ], which gave rise to our '].' Our critic holds that the Gypsy’s music, like his tales and poetry, is his own; whilst the matter of the songs and ballads is borrowed from Hungarians, Rumans , and even the unimaginative Turk: he also points out that many of the legends are cosmopolitan."<ref>Burton 1898, p. 176.</ref>


⚫ Instruments often played by ''lăutari'' were, or are:
During the centuries of Ottoman rule in Romania, Roma musicians where often employed to provide entertainment in the courts of the Turkish rulers. After the Turks left Romania, most of these musicians settled in the rural areas where they sought new employment at weddings, funerals, and other traditional romanian celebrations. Since the early nineteenth century, and especially in the days before sound recording, Roma musicians kept alive various genres of ] and Jewish ] music that might otherwise have been lost.

==Music of the lautari==

⚫ The music of the lăutari establishes the structure of the elaborate Romanian peasant ]s, as well as providing entertainment (not only music, but ]s, 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. During celebrations they play popular dances such as ], ], ], ]. Other dances include ], ], ], ], ].

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

⚫ ==Instruments often played by ''lăutari''==

*] (called "nai" in Romanian)
*] ("fluier")
*]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
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*] (A ]/]-like instrument) *] (A ]/]-like instrument)
*], or later the ] *], or later the ]
*] *]
⚫ *]s
and a little later in history, and a little later in history,
⚫ *]s (an Austrian influence)
*the ] *the ]


They also use other traditional Romanian instruments and pseudo-instruments. Some examples of pseudo-instruments used in Romania are leaves from pear or other kind of trees, birch bark and fish scales. ] can be heard playing a scale of a carp on ]'s ''Les Flûtes Roumaines'' They also use other traditional Romanian instruments and pseudo-intruments.

==List of well known Musicians/Bands that play lăutari music==

*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*] (though he also performs a lot of other music)
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]

==Notes==
<references/>


==References== ==References==
* Speranţa Rădulescu and Adrian Solomon's liner notes for the album "Outlaws of Yore" by ]. * Speranţa Rădulescu and Adrian Solomon's liner notes for the album "Outlaws of Yore" by ].
* Sir ], "" in ''The Gypsy'', collected in ''The Jew, the Gypsy and El Islam'', Herbert S. Stone & Co. (Chicago and New York, 1898). , on the ] web site JRBooksOnline.


==See also== ==See also==
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* - music of Lautari (on commercial site Lost Trails) * - music of Lautari (on commercial site Lost Trails)
*- opinions and reviews *-opinions and reviews

{{Romanian Roma topics}}


] ]

Revision as of 20:52, 29 November 2006

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

External links

  • 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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