Moldova

Re-uploaded by request 3/6/2023

 

The story of both these bands from Moldova is interwoven. I’ll try to make sense here but you know me…

First Куйбул (Cuibul – The Nest) was formed in Chisinau in 1991 by Игорь Дынга (Igor Dinga). That year Dinga returned from the Soviet army. He did his military service in Moscow. At that time Perestroika was in full swing. Rock music was coming out from the underground & getting big throughout USSR. Besides political & cultural freedoms, Perestroika brought about societal economic chaos, poverty & despair. This is the context into which Cuibul started.    

All the members of Cuibil were 22 or 23. Music & the musical revolution became their lifestyle. They weren’t sure where they were headed musically, but they knew they wanted to play. Their first songs were influenced by The Cure, INXS & Midnight Oil. Then the band members experimented with different styles, starting with swing. Their second album Lomaite vetki, lomaite palki in 1994 came out on the wave of grunge rock. The third album Icar in 1995 was mainly influenced by Mike Patton & the band Mr. Bungle. After Icar, two wind instruments were added to the band.

Although Cuibil’s music was steps ahead of many rock bands of that time, because of their experimentation with various styles & their refusal to be pigeon-holed, success evaded them. Igor decided to move to Moscow, but the band members didn’t take this step, each of them having their own plans, so the band broke up.

In 2000 Dinga restarted Cuibul, but it was a different band, with a new line-up & a different musical formula. Keyboards, female backing vocals, & electronic drums came into play. In 2001 the band releases a new album, Kliuchi ot vannoi, which went unnoticed by the critics & was misunderstood by former fans of the group. By August 2002 Cuibul was again put on ice after a final concert in Chisinau. At this time Dinga totally dedicated himself to the management of the band Zdob si Zdub, who he has produced since 1994.

Zdob si Zdub is the other band featured here, which I’ll get to in a moment.

Back to the Cuibil story. In 2008, Igor Coselean, the saxophonist from the first Cuibul” line-up, returned from The Netherlands. That same year the drummer Vadim Tichisan returned from Bucharest. This fact was a great opportunity to reunite Cuibul in its classic line-up: Igor Dinga – guitar & vocals; Andrei Boico – bass; Vadim Tichisan- drums; & Igor Cosolean who switched from saxophone in favor of the guitar.

 

In 2008 the band was rehearsing & once again experimenting with a new sound. In 2009 the band recorded 13 new songs which afterwards were released as this album, called ПРиЗ (Priz or Prize). Since the release of Priz, a video for the song “Prosheai i zdravstvui” has been airing on various TV channels & websites. Then a second video was filmed, for the track “Ruchka usilka”. The video, shot in Moscow by the director Yurii Vlasov, became a hit on Internet. It is in rotation on TV channels in Ukraine & Moldova.

Cuibul started 2010 with a series of concerts in Chisinau. On June 5 “Soyuz Music” label released the album Priz in Russia. The release concerts were held in Moscow & Saint Petersburg. At the end of 2010 the album was also released in Ukraine, on the Hitlab/Moon Records. 2011 year saw the band touring through Western Europe, where they participated at the EuroSonic festival that took place in Groningen (The Netherlands).

Recently the band was joined by the saxophonist Dimitrii Sergheev to fill in the spot vacated by Cosolean, Evghenii Berdea became the new drummer, & Lidia Scarlat was added as a second vocalist.

 Куйбул– ПРиЗ (Cuibil – The Prize), Hitlab/Moon Records, 2010.

 

  

Tracklist –

Виноградная (Grape Song)

Прощай и здравствуй (Goodbye & Hello)

Это не сложно (This is not Difficult)

Паровоз (Locomotive)

Нина (Nina)

Мой Дом – комета (My House is Comet)

Лето (Summer)

Тающий лёд (Melting Ice)

О белом снеге (About White Snow

Ручка усилка (Handle Amp)

Шейла (Sheila)

Небо не вода (The Sky is not Water)

Ангел (Angel)

Нина (немецкая версия) (Nina [German version])

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Здоб ши Здуб (zdɔp ʃi zdʊp or Zdob si Zdub) is a Moldovan band formed in Chişinău in 1994. The group's initial sound was rather hardcore. Their lyrics were mostly in Russian. They played at 10 Years After Chernobyl Action in Chişinău & warmed up for Rage Against the Machine at the Learn to Swim II Festival in 1996. 

 

 

Around 1998, their sound began to change, embracing traditional Romanian music & lyrics entirely in Romanian combined with elements of hip-hop (especially sampling), hardcore punk & comical lyrics. Their stage shows are quite theatrical.

 

 

On Tabara Noastra, Zdob si Zdub are: Роман Ягупов (Roman Yagupov) - vocals, tambourine, flute, woodwind, percussion, & Jew's harp; Святослав Старуш (Svyatoslav Starush) – guitar; Михаил Гынку (Michael Gincu) – bass; Вячеслав Сандыч (Vyacheslav Sandych) – trumpet; Валерий Кашкавал (Valery Kashkaval) – cymbals; & Виталий Кочанюк (Vitaly Kochanyuk) – drums.

 

          Здоб ши Здуб (Zdob Si Zdub - Наш лагерь (Tabara Noastra or Our Camp),                    Hobgoblin Records, 1999.

Side A -

Intro - Joc (Introducere în dans) [Intro – Jock {Introduction to Dance}]

Haitura (Noi Colinde de Craciun) [Haitura {New Christmas Carols}]

Zdub Batets bandă (Zdubii joaca distracție și hands-free) [Zdud Batets Tape {Zdubs Play Fun & Hans-free}]

M-ai lăsat [You Left Me]

Chobenyaska - Instrumental (Melody Shepherd)

Nunta Ekstremale (nunta Extreme) [Nunta Ekstremale {Extreme Wedding}]

Side B -

Drage Despre Tee (floare de tei) [Drage about Tee {Lime Blossom}]

Dansur (Dance)

Muzică [Music]

Maria Blues

Hard Moldovenesc Hoare al II-lea (Greu Moldovei Hora) [Hard Moldovenesc Hora II {Heavy Moldovian Hora II}]

Tabera Noastra (Tabor nostru) [Our Tabor]

 

Enjoy,
NØ