Post by diurpaneus on Nov 24, 2007 16:09:05 GMT -5
Jean Moscopol (February 26, 1903 — 1980)
Moscopol's parents were Greeks. His mother, née Constantinidi, was from Constanţa, while his father originated in Mesembria on the shores of the Aegean Sea. From there he settled in Brăila, where he opened a pastry shop and then worked as a jeweller, like one of his sisters. Jean Moscopol was born in Brăila, where he showed ease of learning from his early days. He could play several instruments (including the banjo and mandolin) and, besides Romanian, spoke French, Italian, English, German and Greek fluently.
From 1921-22, he was a clerk at the M. Embiricos et Co Maritime Agency. He then spent two years at the P. Macri et Son Agency in Brăila, and from 1925 to 1929 worked at the Chrissoveloni Bank in Bucharest. While an aeronautics student, someone advised him to put his musical talent to use and make some recordings. At that moment, music became his profession. He made his performing debut in 1929 at the Zissu bar on Şerban Vodă Street, Bucharest.
With the end of World War II, Moscopol's fortunes changed, as his political opinions stood in marked contrast to those of the Romanian Communist Party then gaining ascendancy. Not wishing to serve the régime, he managed to flee to the United States in 1945. Arriving in New York City, he worked as a hotel porter, investing the money he earned into a small musical ensemble. With this group he continued playing the songs that brought him renown in 1930s Bucharest, as well as anti-communist and exile-themed music. He played an active role in the Saint Dumitru Romanian Orthodox parish. He died in exile in 1980, never having married.
Due to his vehement opposition to the Russification policies put in effect during the Soviet occupation of Romania, the Communist regime tried to erase Moscopol from the national memory by marginalizing him.
Even if he was a greek by birth, his heart was romanian (like Kefalus ).
He was the one who composed the famous song "tot ce-i romanesc nu piere" ("everything that is romanian is not dying")
Listen to some of his famous exile songs:
Tot ce-i romanesc nu piere
In tara in care m-am nascut
Toate trec
Tara comunista (satire)
ARLUS si URSS (satire)
Farsa alegerilor (satire)
Moscopol's parents were Greeks. His mother, née Constantinidi, was from Constanţa, while his father originated in Mesembria on the shores of the Aegean Sea. From there he settled in Brăila, where he opened a pastry shop and then worked as a jeweller, like one of his sisters. Jean Moscopol was born in Brăila, where he showed ease of learning from his early days. He could play several instruments (including the banjo and mandolin) and, besides Romanian, spoke French, Italian, English, German and Greek fluently.
From 1921-22, he was a clerk at the M. Embiricos et Co Maritime Agency. He then spent two years at the P. Macri et Son Agency in Brăila, and from 1925 to 1929 worked at the Chrissoveloni Bank in Bucharest. While an aeronautics student, someone advised him to put his musical talent to use and make some recordings. At that moment, music became his profession. He made his performing debut in 1929 at the Zissu bar on Şerban Vodă Street, Bucharest.
With the end of World War II, Moscopol's fortunes changed, as his political opinions stood in marked contrast to those of the Romanian Communist Party then gaining ascendancy. Not wishing to serve the régime, he managed to flee to the United States in 1945. Arriving in New York City, he worked as a hotel porter, investing the money he earned into a small musical ensemble. With this group he continued playing the songs that brought him renown in 1930s Bucharest, as well as anti-communist and exile-themed music. He played an active role in the Saint Dumitru Romanian Orthodox parish. He died in exile in 1980, never having married.
Due to his vehement opposition to the Russification policies put in effect during the Soviet occupation of Romania, the Communist regime tried to erase Moscopol from the national memory by marginalizing him.
Even if he was a greek by birth, his heart was romanian (like Kefalus ).
He was the one who composed the famous song "tot ce-i romanesc nu piere" ("everything that is romanian is not dying")
Listen to some of his famous exile songs:
Tot ce-i romanesc nu piere
In tara in care m-am nascut
Toate trec
Tara comunista (satire)
ARLUS si URSS (satire)
Farsa alegerilor (satire)