Untitled - Tarom

INSIGHT TAROM Prim\var\/Spring 2007 45
Damian Dr\ghici. Ipostaze / Situations
CÂNT| LA NAI DE CÂND
AVEA 10 ANI. TALENTUL
S|U A VR|JIT CAPITALELE
LUMII. A EVOLUAT
AL|TURI DE JOE COCKER,
JAMES BROWN, GYPSY
KINGS. CELEBRUL NAIST
DAMIAN DR|GHICI
UIME{TE {I ROMÂNIA, CU
UN NOU PROIECT MUZI-
CAL - O TRUP| DE
L|UTARI AL|TURI DE
CARE SIMTE C| SE
~NTOARCE ACOLO DE
UNDE A PORNIT.
HE HAS BEEN PLAYING
PAN’S FLUTE SINCE HE
WAS 10. HIS TALENT HAS
CHARMED THE WORLD’S
CAPITALS. HE HAS PER-
FORMED ON THE SAME
STAGES WITH JOE
COCKER, JAMES BROWN
AND THE GYPSY KINGS.
CELEBRATED PAN
FLUTIST DAMIAN
DRAGHICI NOW AMAZES
ROMANIA WITH A NEW
MUSICAL PROJECT - A
BAND OF “LAUTARI“,
ALONGSIDE WHOM HE
FEELS HE HAS RETURN
TO HIS ORIGINS.
pe loc [i mor `ncet, `ncet. Mai bine `mi iau via]a `n m‚ini. Am fugit doar
eu singur, cu naiul. Am trecut grani]a `n Iugoslavia, apoi am ajuns `n
Grecia...
~n primul an nu mi-am g\sit de munc\, c‚ntam pe la mese. Vremurile
acelea m-au marcat, nu-mi pl\cea ce f\ceam, dar trebuia s\ supravie]uiesc.
Apoi cineva m-a `ntrebat dac\ [tiu s\ c‚nt [i la pian [i am fost angajat
la un club. Dup\ vreo doi ani eram unul dintre cei mai buni piani[ti
din Grecia, studiam ne`ncetat. C‚[tigam 400-500 de dolari pe noapte,
bani foarte mul]i, [i eu aveam 21-22 de ani. Dar nu era expresia, vocea
mea artistic\, aveam nevoie de ceva mai mult. Am trimis un demo `n
Olanda, la un prieten, [i dup\ dou\ s\pt\m‚ni f\ceam acolo primul meu
CD, `ntr-un studio mare.
Apoi m-am `ntors `n Grecia [i am studiat jazz nonstop. A venit un tip
[i mi-a spus c\ cei de la Berklee College of Music din Boston au un fel de
vizionare, vin `n Europa [i dau burse tinerilor talenta]i. Le-am c‚ntat la
nai John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis. Mi-au zis „ne vedem `n
septembrie“. Nu i-am crezut. Dar dup\ dou\ s\pt\m‚ni, o scrisoare:
„Felicit\ri, domnule Dr\ghici, a]i c‚[tigat o burs\ integral\“. Mi-am zis
c\ prietenii mi-au f\cut o fars\ [i-am aruncat-o la gunoi. Peste c‚teva zile,
`mi dau telefon de la Conservator: „Damian, ai c‚[tigat bursa, nu te
®
AND AT 18 YOU DECIDED TO
FLEE THE COUNTRY.
I did not have the patience to
wait in Romania; I felt I was not
progressing and that I was slowly
dying. I thought I had to take my
life in my own hands. I ran by
myself, with the pan flute. I passed
the border into Yugoslavia, then I
arrived in Greece ...
I could not find work in the
first year, I was playing at tables.
Those times visibly marked me, I
didn’t enjoy what I was doing, but
I had to survive. Then someone
asked me if I knew how to play the
piano and I was hired at a club.
After about two years I was one of
the best pianists in Greece, I was
studying without rest. I was earning
400-500 dollars a night, a lot of
money, and I was only 21 or 22.
But I felt that was not my artistic
voice, I needed something more.
I sent a demo to a friend in the
Netherlands and in two weeks I
was making my first CD at a
known studio. Then I returned to
Greece and I studied jazz nonstop.
A guy came to me and told me the
Berklee College of Music in Boston
had some sort of recruitment in
Europe and was offering scholarships
to talented young musicians.
I played John Coltrane, Charlie
Parker, Miles Davis for them. They
told me “see you in September.“ I
did not believe them. But after two
weeks, a letter: “Congratulations,
Mr. Draghici, you have won a full
scholarship.“ I thought my friends
were playing a trick on me and
intereseaz\“ ®