Fanfare Ciocarlia is a Gypsy brass band from Romania. “Sometimes when I tell people I come from Zece Prajini they think I come from the end of the earth. But here, at the end of the earth, is the right place to make music, “said trumpeter Costica “Cirnai” Trifan.
Zece Prajini (literally meaning ten fields) is a village of just four hundred souls, surrounded by gentle mountains and dusty tracks. Situated in the east of Romania, it is no more than a stone’s throw from the border with the former Soviet republic of Moldova. This area of Romania is known for its rugged seclusion and the stubborn poetry of its inhabitants. In the evenings, when the winds calm down, the sounds of the fanfare echo from the surrounding slopes. This is the home of the twelve Romany Gypsy musicians who make up The Fanfare Ciocarlia brass ensemble.
Fanfare Ciocarlia plays with an unbelievable talent for intricate rhythms and dizzy tempos. Traditional dances from Romania and rhythms from Turkey, Bulgaria and Macedonia are played on horns, trumpets, clarinets and timpani.
Every weekend the instruments are hauled off to be played at weddings and other ceremonial occasions. They are often played for over thirty hours non-stop. For each different moment in life there is an appropriate piece: geamparale, sirba, hora, and if the mood requires, a racy ruseasca at the end. Back in their village the musicians soothe their sore lips and await their next engagement.
A wonderful symbiosis exists between the older and the younger musicians. There is respectful silence whenever the old master Radulescu Lazar himself reaches for the trumpet and strikes up his wild “Ruseasca lui filon” dance. The younger musicians’ eyes still narrow dreamily at these sounds as their fingers nervously caress the valves of their instruments. The older musicians wink tolerantly whenever the younger generation blast new sounds through their horns. Since music cannot “only” be about tradition, they take up current melodies from movies between Bollywood and Hollywood as well as adapting international radio hits .
The year 2002 saw the release of a road movie for Cinema and TV “Iag Bari – Brass On Fire.” Director Ralf Marschalleck from Berlin visualized the two exciting but so different worlds the musicians of the Gypsy Brass Band Fanfare Ciocarlia live in: the tiny Gypsy village Zece Prajini (literally meaning Ten Fields), in Romania, and their life on the big concert stages abroad.
One day they can be playing at a traditional wedding in the neighborhood village and the next day sitting in a plane on the way to Japan. The full length road movie for cinema release features the musicians’ lives. The theatrically release took place April 2002. Produced and directed by Ralf Marschallek.
In 2014, Fanfare Ciocarlia combimed Balkan brass with Gypsy Jazz guitar on the album Devil’s Tale, featuring Canadian guitarist Adrian Raso. “Meeting the band was a great experience,” said Raso. “We bonded instantly. We joked about being separated brothers as it really did feel like that. Musically we understood each other from the get go.”
Discography:
Radio Pascani (Piranha, 1998)
Baro Biao – World Wide Wedding (Piranha, 1999)
Iag Bari – The Gypsy Horns from the Mountains Beyond (Piranha, 2001)
Gili Garabdi – Ancient Secrets of Gypsy Brass (Asphalt Tango Records, 2005)
Queens and Kings (Asphalt Tango Records, 2007)
Live! (Asphalt Tango Records, 2009)
Best of Gypsy Brass (Asphalt Tango Records, 2009), Vinyl only
Balkan Brass Battle (Asphalt Tango Records, 2011) together with Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar
Devil’s Tale (Asphalt Tango Records, 2014) with Adrian Raso
Onwards to Mars! (Asphalt Tango Records, 2016)
20 (Asphalt Tango Records, 2016), Vinyl only
It Wasn’t Hard To Love You (Asphalt Tango Records, 2021)
DVD
Gypsy Brass Legends – The Story of the Band (2004)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
Updated discography