Gheorghe Zamfir

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Biography

Gheorghe Zamfir (; born April 6, 1941) is a Romanian people|Romanian pan flute musician.

Zamfir is known for playing an expanded version of the traditional Romanian-style pan flute ( Nai (pan flute)|nai ) of 20 pipes to 22, 25, 28 and 30 pipes to increase its range, and obtaining as many as eight overtones (additionally to the fundamental tone) from each pipe by changing the embouchure .

He is known as "The Master of the Pan Flute", though his standing as a leading figure within the history of Romanian folk music has not been without criticism.

Career

Zamfir came to the public eye when he was "discovered" by Swiss ethnomusicologist Marcel Cellier who extensively researched Romanian folk music in the 1960s. The composer Vladimir Cosma brought Zamfir with his pan flute to western European countries for the first time in 1972 as the soloist in Cosma's original music for the movie The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe| Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire . This was very successful, and since then, he has been used as soloist in movie soundtracks by composers Francis Lai , Ennio Morricone and many others. Largely through television commercial s where he was billed as "Zamfir, Master of the pan Flute", he introduced the folk instrument to a modern audience and revived it from obscurity. In the United States his commercials were widely seen on CNN in the 1980s.
Zamfir's big break in the English-speaking world came when the BBC religious television programme "The Light of Experience" adopted his recording of "Doina De Jale", a traditional Romanian funeral song, as its theme. Popular demand forced Epic Records to release the tune as a single in 1976, and it climbed to number four on the UK charts. It would prove to be his only hit single, but it helped pave the way for a consistent stream of album sales in Britain.

Most recently, Zamfir has been sampling (music)|sampled by Animal Collective in the song "Graze" on their EP Fall Be Kind .

Soundtracks

One of his most notable contributions was to the soundtrack for the classic Australian film Picnic at Hanging Rock (film)|Picnic at Hanging Rock . His first appearance in 1972 as soloist interpreter in a movie soundtrack was in Vladimir Cosma 's " Le grand blond avec une chaussure noire " with a very famous and successful melody known all over the world. His music has also been heard on the soundtracks of many Hollywood movies. He was asked by Ennio Morricone to perform the pieces "Childhood Memories" and "Cockeye's Song" for the soundtrack of Sergio Leone 's 1984 gangster film Once Upon a Time in America . His music is heard throughout the 1984 film The Karate Kid (1984 film)|The Karate Kid , and his piece "The Lonely Shepherd", recorded with the James Last Orchestra , is featured in Quentin Tarantino 's film Kill Bill Vol. 1 . The melody "The lonely shepherd" was written by James Last and first released on his album "Memories from Russia", released 1977 (Polydor Germany 2371 856). The panflute was played by Gheorghe Zamfir, who had a contract with the Philips record company. An agreement was made that Philips could release "The lonely shepherd" as a single (45 rpm) on the Philips label.

His song Frunzuli?a Lemn Adus Cântec De Nunta (Fluttering Green Leaves Wedding Song) appears in the Studio Gibli film Only_Yesterday_(1991_film)|Only Yesterday .

Criticism

Although Zamfir is considered the most important person to popularize the pan flute worldwide, he has also received significant criticism, mostly for his propinquity with easy listening and kitsch. His personality often put him in disputes with other pan flute players such as Dalila Cernatescu, Simion Stanciu or Damian Draghici . Zamfir has been mocked by critics in comparison with Draghici on several occasions.

Another line of criticism came from his promotion of Romanian popular music as opposed to the genuine traditional music .

Comparing Zamfir with his master, Fanica Luca, jazz-man Johnny Raducanu said that a single fart of Luca would equal the entire music of Gheorghe Zamfir.

Personal life

Zamfir was born in Gaesti , Romania on April 6, 1941. Although initially interested in becoming an accordionist, at the age of 14 he began his pan flute studies with Fanica Luca at the Special Musical School no. 1 in Bucharest. Later he attended the National University of Music Bucharest|Ciprian Porumbescu Conservatory . He currently resides and teaches pan flute in Bucharest . His son, Emmanuel Teodor (who resides in Montreal, Canada), is also a drummer/musician.

Cultural references

Zamfir is mentioned in the television show King of the Hill in the episode "Propane Boom (Part 1)". Hank Hill|Hank claims that Zamfir has sold more records worldwide than The Beatles .

He is also mentioned in the show NCIS (TV series)|NCIS in the episode "Family Secret".

He is also mentioned in the television show " Sports Night " during an episode.

He is referenced by Bill Engvall in Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One for the Road

30 Seconds to Mars often references 'Zamfir pan flutist' as one of their favorite musicians in interviews.

Bibliography

Zamfir has written an instructional book, Traite Du Naï Roumain: méthode de flûte de pan , Paris: Chappell S.A., 1975, ISBN 88-8291-286-8, and an autobiography Binecuvântare si blestem ("Blessing and Curse"), Arad: Mirador, 2000, ISBN 973-9284-56-6.

Copyright Citations

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