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Rough Romanian Soul

by Zmei3

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Imn (Hymn) 05:09
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Ah! (Ay!) 05:25
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Vis (Dream) 08:52
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about

Zmei3 (pronounced zmay-tray) is made up of Romanian immigrants whose beautiful and heartfelt music rises from the harsh realities and struggles of a post-Communist rule. Their debut album Rough Romanian Soul (out April 22nd on Six Degrees Records) is produced by GRAMMY® award-winner, Ian Brennan, best known for his work with Tinariwen, Zomba Prison Project, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and the Malawi Mouse Boys. Zmei3 being huge fans of Brennan’s work, successfully raised funds via Kickstarter to cover recording costs, travel, and more. They flew Brennan to Romania and began recording the album in August 2015 live without overdubs in the Transylvanian mountains, just a stone’s throw away from Dracula’s Castle.

The band is led by powerhouse vocalist, Paula Turcas, a trained, soprano opera singer who gave up classical music in the pursuit of a more truthful artistry grounded in the struggles of everyday life. When she was three years old – the daughter of the village priest – began to sing the traditional Romanian folk songs. She would sing with such despair that when people passed by, her father would lift her up on the table and people would stop and listen with tears in their eyes. Her voice remains so visceral that Berlin’s Der Tagesspiegel newspaper stated, “When Zmei3 are playing, it's not rare that tears are falling in the audience.” Their sound is made all the more unique by featuring vibraphone virtuoso, Oli Bott, for their lead instrument. Mihai Victor Iliescu leads the talented group on guitars and lyrics, with Arnulf Ballhorn on double bass. The band’s name is inspired by an ancient Romanian anti-hero, misfit dragon – a rebellious figure, who rarely prevails, but remains committed to his ideals.

The name of the album, Rough Romanian Soul is an ode to Romanian music entrenched with a deep history of regional blues and soul, as well as the inherent spirituality of their work. Turcas adds, “The land is rough and the people strong, and our legacy is one of survival.” Music from Transylvania is not commonly associated with aggressive styles mashing up blues and soul with influences of jazz, avant-garde, and folk with such introspective topics and emotive soundscapes. But that is exactly what Zmei3 succeeds in doing on their fifteen-track debut. Bott explains, “We had more than three albums worth of material and many of our most famous songs live were left off the album, in exchange for newer and more challenging material.”

credits

released April 22, 2016

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Zmei3 Romania

Zmei3 (pronounced zmay-tray) is made up of Romanian immigrants whose beautiful and heartfelt music rises from the harsh realities and struggles of a post-Communist rule. Produced by GRAMMY® award-winner, Ian Brennan.
Recorded live in the Transylvanian mountains.
The band is led by powerhouse vocalist, Paula Turcas.
... more

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