Celebrate the release of Mahala's debut album "Californeasca" with an evening of high-energy Romanian and Moldovan Lautareasca music! CDs, featuring original artwork by Calvin Lai, will be available for purchase and signing.
ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS:
Ionela Guzic is a talented young singer and a rising star in the world of Romanian traditional music. She has performed with many iconic musicians from Romania (Ansamblu Doina Gorjului, Ionica Minune, Cristinel Turturica) and Moldova (Lautarii din Chisinau, Fratii Stefanet). Born in Targu Jiu, Romania, Guzic graduated from the Music Department in Craiova and has received numerous awards at national and international folk music competitions. In 2015, she released Spune-mi mamă ce e doru, an album of songs that represent the beauty of the folklore from the Gorj region where she grew up. The album was received with widespread acclaim, was featured on many radio and television stations in Romania, and helped launch Guzic’s international career, including tours in the United States.
Sergiu Popa was born in Chisinau, Moldova. From a young age, he studied traditional folk and Roma (Gypsy) styles with his father, Ion Popa, himself a well-recognized Gypsy accordionist in Moldova. Over many years of playing alongside his father at weddings, he also became familiar with Jewish, Turkish, Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian styles. After studying at the Conservatory of Moldova and moving to Montreal in 2002, Sergiu immersed himself into Middle Eastern, North-African, Jazz, Latin traditions, developing a remarkable ability to switch and blend seamlessly the different styles, adding a fresh perspective and inspired improvisations to every performance. He has performed with many of the great names in Eastern European and Balkan music, such as Dan Armeanca, Carmen Piculeata, Fanfara Ciocarlia, Vadim Kolpakov, and Petar Ralchev.
Valy Lautar grew up in Chisinau, where he graduated from the Conservatory of Moldova and collaborated with several professional orchestras. He worked for five years as a musician on transatlantic cruise lines, before permanently settling in the new world. Valy currently lives in Montreal, where he collaborates with Sergiu Popa and many other local musicians. He is specialized in a wide array of styles of music, including traditional (wedding) music from Moldova and other parts of Eastern Europe, classical music, and the pan-European romantic repertoire that musicians in Moldova and Romania often refer to as "cafe concert".