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An ethnic roma musician is teaching foreigners how to play the traditional music of Transylvania

Romania

April 8, 2021

Story: Iulian Muresan
I.c.w. Are We Europe
*traducere română mai jos

If you ever come across a group of Belgians, French or Americans playing traditional Romanian music, most likely they were taught by Marcel Râmba. This ethnic Roma musician has arguably done more to promote Romania’s traditional music around the world than all of Romania’s Ministries of Culture combined.

 

I first met Marcel at the Royale Académie Internationale d’Été de Wallonie (AKDT) in southern Belgium. As a summer academy of arts, it gathers hundreds of international musicians in the town of Neufchateau. I was studying guitare manouche (“gypsy jazz”, as popularised by Sinti guitarist Django Reinhardt) and he was teaching Romanian violin.

Photo by Justine Verlaine

Nicolas Hauzeur, artistic director of AKDT at the time introduced me as a fellow Romanian. The memory of that night is still with me, albeit a bit blurred by the bitter-sweet vapors of Marcel’s customary bottle of Pálinka. 

I saw him again six years later, in his native Transylvanian, single-street village of Beica de Jos.

Photo by Nicolas Hauzeur

Marcel is no longer travelling to teach Romanian music, instead the musicians from all over the world are showing up at his door eager to learn how to play the traditional ballads and dances like hora, doina, geamparale or csardas.

Photo by Anaïs Lambert

The growing number of students are attracted by Marcel’s famed kindness, sense of humour and method of teaching suited to any level, often encouraged to learn by ear rather than reading scores.

Photo by Roata Stelelor Valea Beicii

With help from Nicolas, Roata Stelelor Valea Beicii (!Stars’ Wheel Beica Valley!) association was born, with its mission to promote Romanian folk music and collaboration among musicians.

Photo by Eva Koch

An important part of the repertoire of the Brussels Balkan Orchestra, led by Nicolas, is represented by Romanian traditional music learnt here.

Photo by Eva Koch

Marcel and his wife, Daniela had to expand their house to accomodate groups of up to 40 people. “Going to Beica” is a roller coaster of endless music, palinka, Daniela’s delicious sarmale (minced meat in cabbage rolls) and the occasional trip to the bar to blend with the locals.

Photo by Alix Aminian

Despite the pandemic, Marcel stays optimistic. The inflow of foreign students has nearly stopped, but more and more Romanian children are coming to Marcel’s informal school, often driven in from considerable distances.

Photo by Kása Béla

At the end of the day, according to Marcel, the most important thing is that this music is not lost. As well as foreigners, Romanians are also turning back to their musical roots, after 50 years of communism, in which being a lăutar (player of traditional music at community events) was not an encouraged career choice for young Romanians. According to Marcel: “Being a lăutar was slightly looked down upon by Romanians. Everybody wanted to become a tractor driver, factory worker, professors – just not musicians.” Now things have changed and Marcel Râmba’s doors are open for anybody who wants to (re)discover the traditional music of Transylvania “from the source”, as he says.

Photo by Lulu Starr

Translation by Iulian Muresan

Un muzician rom îi învață pe străini muzică românească

Dacă din întâmplare dai peste un grup de belgieni, francezi sau americani care cântă muzică tradițională românească, cel mai probabil au învățat de la Marcel Râmba. S-ar putea spune că acest muzician de etnie romă a făcut mai mult pentru promovarea muzicii tradiționale românești decât toate ministerele culturii din România postcomunistă laolaltă.

L-am întâlnit pe Marcel prima dată la Royale Académie Internationale d’Été de Wallonie (AKDT) în sudul Belgiei.

Este o academie de vară care adună sute de muzicieni din întreaga lume într-un orășel numit Neufchateau. Eu învățam chitară manouche sau gypsy jazz, cum îi mai spune muzicii al cărei părinte a fost chitaristul francez de etnie sinti Django Reinhardt). Marcel preda vioară românească. Nicolas Hauzeur, la vremea aceea director artistic al AKDT, mi-a spus că vrea să-mi prezinte un român de-al meu. Seara aceea mi-a rămas în amintire, chiar dacă puțin încețoșată de aburii tradiționalei sticle cu palincă a lui Marcel.  

L-am revăzut după șase ani în satul său natal din Transilvania. 

Marcel nu mai merge în Belgia să predea muzică. Acum muzicieni din întreaga lume îi bat la poartă pentru că vor să învețe să cânte hore, doine, geamparale sau ceardașuri. 

Un număr din ce în ce mai mare de muzicieni sunt atrași de bunătatea proverbială a lui Marcel, de simțul său al umorului și de metoda sa de a preda, care e adaptată oricărui nivel. Elevii sunt încurajați să învețe după ureche, dar se poate și cu partituri.

Cu ajutorul lui Nicolas, s-a născut asociația Roata Stelelor Valea Beicii, având misiunea de a promova muzica tradițională românească și colaborarea între muzicieni de pretutindeni.

O parte importantă a repertoriului orchestrei de muzică balcanică Brussels Balkan Orchestra, condusă de Nicolas Hauzeur este reprezentată de muzică tradițională românească învățată aici.

Marcel și soția sa, Daniela și-au extins casa ca să poată primi grupuri de până la 40 de persoane. Să mergi la Beica este un rollercoaster de muzică nonstop, palincă, sarmale delicioase gătite de Daniela și ocazionala plimbare la birtul din sat unde te poți împrieteni cu localnici.

În ciuda pandemiei, Marcel rămâne optimist. Studenți străini nu mai prea sunt, dar din ce în ce mai mulți copilași români vin la Marcel să învețe muzică românească. Adesea îi aduc tata sau bunicul cu mașina de la distanțe considerabile.

Până la urmă, așa cum spune Marcel, cel mai important este că muzica asta nu se pierde. Nu numai străinii sunt fascinați de muzica noastră ci și românii se întorc la rădăcinile lor, după 50 de ani de comunism. În acești ani, părinții nu erau prea fericiți dacă copilul lor spunea că vrea să se facă lăutar.: „Era ca un fel de rușine să fii lăutar. Toată lumea voia să se facă tractorist, muncitor la fabrică, profesor, dar nu muzicant”. Acum lucrurile s-au schimbat și ușa lui Marcel Râmba este deschisă oricui vrea să (re)descopere muzica tradițională din Transilvania „de la sursă” cum spune el.

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