Corina Sîrghi’s band was created in Bucharest, Romania in 2017. The group was formed out of a love for the great lautar singers of Romania’s period between World War I and World Wars and the “golden era” of the 1960s. Inspired by Maria Tănase, Ioana Radu, Gabi Luncă, Romică Puceanu and other essential female singers of the genre, Corina Sîrghi and her taraf (ensemble) have led the movement to bring the traditional Romanian-Romani genre of ‘muzica lăutărească’ to a new generation of listeners, successfully combining skilled and soulful musicianship with the high energy of a mahala wedding party.
The ensemble lineup in 2022 included Corina Sîrghi backed by the traditional all-acoustic taraf led by accordionist Shaun Williams (also known as Jean Americanu), featuring virtuoso lautar musicians Marian Mirea on violin, Marian Șerban on cimbalom and Cristian Mirea on double bass.
Corina Sîrghi și Taraful Jean Americanu brings back the feel of the smoky parlors of 1930s Bucharest and the Mahala block parties of the 1990s with a combination of passionate romances, sultry tangos, dazzling lautar dances, and manele classics.
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.