Lăutar de București
Their first hit, Lăutar de București, announced a recipe for success that they implemented repeatedly in the first part of their career. Hip-Hop featuring folklore sounds and lyrics about an alternate rural world which has little to do with the capital city. That is, unless you agree with the Romanian saying that all Romanians have their roots in the countryside. Including the guy who became a fiddler (lăutar) in Bucharest.
Pe deal, în văi
This is a 100% instrumental song, which is perfectly fine, especially since it sounds so cool without a vocal track. It doesn’t exclude vocals entirely, though, as Bean repeats the word ‘dă-i’ many, many times so that it sticks in your head and floods the hills and the valleys. Scratches are also welcome, especially since the guys had abandoned them somewhere along their way to success.
Balada Românului
This is probably the best known Subcarpați track. The main single of Underground folclor, Balada Românului reminds everyone why Romanians are special, but also why they’re asthmatic. This is a song you can share with your friends, family and even your Romanian teacher. Many people refer to this song as Limba Română (Romanian language). It is definitely meant to solve national identity issues.
Rege pe deal
The city-village duality is a recurrent theme in the music of Subcarpați. Rege pe deal is about how people are subdued by city life. The main issue is alienation. When you’re in a city, you are surrounded by thousands of people, yet you feel lonely. The escape is obvious: the return to the origins, nature, where you’re no longer a figure in a long string which no-one wants to be a part of.
Codrule, Mărite Domn
In this one, Bean has an imaginary conversation with the forest. This is something everyone needs to do when they’re overwhelmed by worries. It costs less than a therapy session. The track was a hit also because it is embedded in the subconscious of every young Romanian. We all listened to the original version when we were little, and Subcarpați brought back all the long forgotten memories.
Oamenii sunt încă frumoși
It’s difficult to find a sad Subcarpați track. Everything they write is very optimistic. Here, in the title, they tell you that people are still beautiful. This means that they have always been this way, which is a very positive message. But even if we leave the message aside, the instrumental part is brilliant. It anticipated a change in the band’s sound.
Frunzuliță, iarbă deasă
Bean picks his collaborators very carefully. If you want to perform with Subcarpați, you need to be truly skilled. And history confirms this. Even though she’s no longer part of the band, Mădălina Paval was one of the signature female voices of the Subcarpați sound. Let’s hope that one day they will reunite.
Rabdă inimă
This is an autobiographic track. Bean revisits the past and offers us several life lessons. One of these lessons is that you only have a small window to do whatever you want. After the age of 35, everything settles down. You have responsibilities. You no longer get to live life by the seat of your pants. Everything changes in time, except the music of Subcarpați, which is forever.
Dă-i foale
Subcarpați urges you to keep your inner fire going by writing, and writing, and writing some more... That is, by working even harder. You need to keep at it 24/7, especially when everyone else around you gives up. This song is full of optimism, positive vibes and kaval sounds.
84-85
Thoughout their career, Subcarpați have combined the old with the new. Most of their tracks are reinterpretations of old folkloric songs, however, they never sound like covers. This is their main talent. The 84-85 song is entirely different from the original. Look up Maria Răducanu’s Cristina song and you’ll see what I mean. It is as different as life in the country and life in the city.
