The effervescent 2016 at the Romanian Cultural Institute comes to an end with a sing-a-long concert of the world's most uplifting carols, performed by the incomparable Oana Cătălina Chiţu, one of Romania's most celebrated voices, accompanied by Moldovan cimbalom virtuoso, Valeriu Caşcaval. With her rich, smoky voice and dramatic presence, Oana Cătălina Chiţu will create the perfect musical preface to the festive winter season.
As Oana Cătălina Chiţu herself put it, "the concert is a Christmas story as well as a Romanian story, and the cimbalom, I believe, provides the best sound for these magical carols. Take it as present from me to audiences in London and all over the world."
Oana Cătălina Chiţu studied piano, jazz and canto in Iași, Romania. After 1989 she moved to Berlin where she founded the Balkan music band Romença together with Serbian accordion player Dejan Jovanovic. She became famous with the album 'Bucharest Tango', recorded in 2008. Owing much to Maria Tănase's repertoire, Oana's songs include famous tangos from interwar Bucharest and, recently, traditional carols from Romanian folk tradition. Her songs distil Romanian folk, jazzy, swing and flamenco influences in a distinctive, original sound. Her CD 'Divine', featuring covers of Maria Tănase's songs, was nominated in 2013 by reputed British Songlines Magazine among the "50 Greatest World Music Albums of the Last Five Years". That year, Oana appeared in London for a brilliant Kings Place gig, also organised with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute.
Valeriu Caşcaval is a graduate of Gavriil Musicescu Music Academy in Kishinev and of the Superior School of Music in Hamburg, where he studied Theory and Composition. His artistic career is characterised by illustrious collaborations with great names of Moldovan folk music scene like Vasile Iovu, Nicolae Botgros, Ştefăneţ and Advahov brothers, among others. Valeriu has toured all over Europe with contemporary music and opera projects, published the CD 'Lăutarii' with the Kishinev Orchestra and featured on many other Moldovan and Romanian CDs.
When: Thursday, 15 December 2016 from 19:00 to 21:00
Where: Romanian Cultural Institute - 1 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8PH
Entrance is free but it is required to book your ticket on Eventbrite
Please note that the seating is unreserved.
