Mad Forest– On Romanian Music
American listeners interested in the traditional lautari music of Romania are directed to the recordings of luminaries like Romica Pucean (“the Billie Holiday of the East”), Toni Iordache, Dona Dumitru Siminica, Taraf de Haidouks, and Ion Petre Stoican (Asphalt Tango Records is doing vital work re-issuing a number of these wonderful artists). Romania has also produced excellent rock acts like Progresiv TM, Sfinx, Holograf, and the legendary Phoenix. The hip-hop scene currently burgeoning in Bucharest is not to be napped on.
