Folklore ensemble "Baraganul" Calarasi, Romania
To Mark the National Day of Romania and the 50th anniversary of
diplomatic relations between Romania and Sri Lanka. The Embassy of
Romania with the support of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka had organised an evening of Romanian Folklore (dances and
instrumental music) performed live by "Baraganul" Ensemble from Calarasi,
Romania at Royal College, Colombo 7 today (5) from 6 to 7.00 p.m.
 Folklore ensemble "Baraganul" is ranked by the folklore specialists
to be the most representative folklore ensemble in Calarasi County, and
one of the best in Romania.
It consists of a group of young people, pupils and students, who have
understood that the spiritual identity of a people lies within its
traditional culture. The ensemble have been founded in 1993 by Calarasi
County Council and belongs to the County Centre for Preservation and
Promotion of Traditional Culture.
All successes gained by these young people on the scenes all over the
country and abroad in national and international festival (in France,
Japan, Italy, USA, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria and other countries) have
made that the message of Romanian spirituality to be passed on through
songs and dances of an untamed beauty and of a great artistic and
documentary value.
Their repertoire consists of folk dances from all folklore areas of
Romania: Muntenia, Oltenia, Dobrogea, Moldova and Transilvania.
"Hora" (the round dance), "Floricia" (the little flower), "Sarba", "Mocancutza",
"Brau" (the belt) and "Dogoreanca" are folklore dances specific to the
plain area of Munteniand and all of them impress especially by vitality
and vigour.
These dances are run mostly in closed circles, and very few are mixed
(boys and girls together, such as "the belts", with holding hands or
shoulders, with a vigorous tempo, the few figures (one or two figures
for each dance).
The dances from Dobrogea, with different rhythms, mixed and composed
measures are not to be found in other areas, with very few exceptions,
such as "Poparlanul", which could be met also in Muntenia. "Geamparalele"
is a dance characteristic (and always found) to a family event - the
wedding.
The rhythm is relatively simpled and the steps easily to be kept in
mind and executed. The rhythms of Dobrogea are very specific to Balkans
registry. The dances of Oltenia are generally "run" to the right or to
the left, with fast and short movements of legs and many arms movements;
in the same time, they are full of joy and natural ease with often
changing accents, containing loud shouts commending the change of
general movement.
Transilvania is an ethnographic area in which the clap of the hands
on the legs is very specific. Men dances in force do reflect the vigour
of the Transilvanian man. Women dances reflect the same.
We also encounter the dances in pairs and the spinning of the girls
under the arm - pirouettes. The rhythms of the dances are from slow
(such as "purtatele") to very fast (such as "hatzeganele").
Calarasi County is located in the South-East of Romania, on Borcea
Branch of Danube River, between Bucharest and Constanta; the area has a
peculiar specific within traditional Romanian culture.
The folklore ensemble "Baraganul", with youth, pupils and students,
has been founded in 1993 by the County Council of Calarasi and belongs
to the County Centre for Preservation and Promotion of Traditional
Culture.
Each summer this institution organise in Calarasi, under CIOFF, the
biggest international folklore festival within Lower Danube Euro-Region,
called "Hora Mare" (meaning "The Big Round dance)).
Because of the quality of performance and the authenticity of its
repertoire, "Baraganul" ensemble have gained unanimous appreciations
both at national and international level (in France, Japan, Italy, USA,
Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria and other countries. This ensemble promote
firstly the folklore characteristic to Calarasi area, and also the
beauty of the folk songs, dances and costumes from almost all over
Romania.
The authenticity of choreographic repertoire is given by the fact
that all dances, gathered from villages, are set up on the stage in such
a manner that keeps within the style specific to the rural environment.
The circle is often found within the choreographic design - an
element of composition characteristic to Romanian folklore, and
especially to Southern Realms.
A separate note is the alternation of slow and very dynamic rhythms
during the same dance, which contributes to the spectacular performances
given by "Baraganul" folklore ensemble.
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