Loredana Agurida

Romanian star Loredana celebrated her 25th year of her singing career by putting on a fantastic concert at an outdoor theater in Herastrau Park.

I'm not completely familiar with the range of her musical style spanning over 25 years, but I do know that she incorporates every bit of culture that can be encountered in Romania. In the Ceausescu era she was known for a very traditional song style, afterwards around the 80's she got a little more into pop, sprinkled in there she had some gypsy inspired styles, and throughout this decade she has even released some CD's in English.

It was truly a concert festival. She is known for her concerts which range from traditional dances and songs featuring dance and song troupes, as well as having other famous musicians. I really did not know what to expect, because the show was only advertised as "Loredana and friends" so it was a big surprise for everyone when Smiley, Directia 5, Caddy (BUG Mafia), Jay Ko, Osoianu sisters, Cristi Iacob, and the Agurida band became a part of the show. My favorite was probably Smiley. There are a lot of female singers that like to think of themselves as "divas", but Loredana is probably the single greatest Romanian diva ever. Her stage presence is strong and confident, and she somehow represents many different facets of the culture just by being.

Watch the videos (after the cut) to get an idea of what a Romanian concert with various cultural influences looks like!