Professional Documents
Culture Documents
B.
C.
D.
1.
1.a.
1.b.
1.c.
1.d.
doina are: in the north of Romania, Moldavia and the districts of Maramure and Nsud;
in the north west, the region of Oa; in the south west, the districts of Gorj, Mehedini and
Vlcea; in the west, the region of Banat; in the south-east, Muntenia; in the south: the
districts of Dolj and Teleorman; and in the east, the district of Vrancea. The regions of
Gorj, Dolj, Banat, Mehedini, Oa, Nsud, Fgra, Maramure, northern Moldavia,
Vrancea and Teleorman also have doinas that have retained distinctive original features.
1.e.
2.
doina, which encompassed all of them in one of its registers. The doina therefore came to
be considered as the meridian of Romanian folklore, in the famous words of literary
critic Dumitru Caracostea.
The vocal doina has a wide range of mostly lyric poetic texts, although there is evidence
of some epic texts (mainly ballads) that use the doina melody. It is a style of singing that
is predominantly sentimental, covering an unusually complex spectrum of subjects that is
perfectly suited to the cathartic nature of the genre. Erotic doine are central to the
repertoire, with shades of sadness, grief and bitterness. The doine also encompass social
conflict, bandits and war. Another common theme is the relationship between humans
and nature an interaction that is often a communion or state of emotional equilibrium. A
separate group of doine that is key to the heritage specific to the genre is dor poetry.
Dor (from Low Latin dolus, dolere) is a cultural category specific to Romanian spirituality.
The dor expresses a vast range of emotions, from physical pain to moral suffering caused
by love and death and a feeling of dissolving into eternity.
The word doina has been traced to Sanskrit dh, leading back to the root dhan, to
resonate, hence the meaning of the chant: resonance. The doina is therefore a key part
of the universal heritage that dates back to the common Indo-European structures
preserved and developed in the territory of Romania. The typologies of Romanian lyric
poetry are further proof that the two main areas where the doina represents a particular
style of chant use the same themes and motifs. This supports the hypothesis of the unity
and specificity of the doina in Romanian culture.
As a lyrical form of expression and a free and spontaneous improvisation with a preeminently individual character, the doina is interpreted by solo folk singers, although in
some specific situations it is performed by a group. In a community (as defined in
ethnological terms), performers of the doina are usually restricted in number and
renowned in the community of which they are naturally and spontaneously a part. Field
work, archives and personal accounts, together with stories told by other members of the
community show that the person or people who know how to perform a doina learn to do
so from their parents (father or grandfather) or, in some cases, from a non-relative.
However, performance (which is syncretic, combining text and melody) is inextricably
bound up with an individual technique. The doina is a particular singing technique where
the focus is not on the text (which is thematic) but rather on the difficult interpretative
technique that gives the doina its individual character and lyricism. The community
spontaneously recognizes as a point of reference the symbolic person or people who
represent a certain aspect of the heritage with which the community identifies, while also
recognizing that the doina is part of its spiritual heritage.
3.
create contexts that enable natural communication, free from artifice, between
members of the community, to encourage the emotional participation of the
community and promote emotional communication between its members;
provoke a dialogue in which the performer can create the emotional atmosphere
required to stimulate audience participation, so that the chant becomes the central
element;
ensure that the chants are recorded on site by a member of the community and
using local equipment: the recordings can then be listened to again, either
individually or in a group;
forge links with specialist institutions that record the doina and its performers and
promote them in scientific terms;
In both cases, the performer of reference, who is a living human treasure, plays a
symbolic role in the process of handing down the tradition:
by transmitting the tradition from one specific area to neighbouring or more distant
areas, thus contributing to the visibility of the element outside its traditional areas
and to the dialogue between the members of various communities.
The doina provides cohesion beyond a given community, as it binds together all the
individuals who share the same cultural spirituality by expressing the universally
recognized emotions of love, grief, and pain.
Outside the community of origin, the doina is subject to modification and becomes a
characteristic product that can be listened to, assimilated, and imitated. Its function
changes, although the peculiarities of the genre do not.
In view of the fact that the doina is only occasionally performed in a group, the nomination
of the doina on the Representative List demonstrates the importance of each individual in
preserving, transmitting and promoting an element whose vitality depends strictly on the
motivation and availability of one person to continue to interpret this type of folk chant.
The continued preservation and appreciation of an element of the intangible cultural
heritage in this case, the doina by specialists, local authorities, the State and even the
international organizations ensure the development of this form of lyric expression, and
since performers always have the desire to sing, the community will continue to provide
an audience and young people will be motivated to learn and perform doine. In addition to
the specialists and specialist institutions that are undoubtedly interested in preserving,
transmitting and promoting this element, we are persuaded that local and area-wide
administrative bodies also have a role to play, and in view of the potential economic and
publicity benefits, they will take all necessary steps to raise the profile of doina performers
and their communities. The community, in turn, will gain become aware of the importance
that such bodies attach to the doina, which will in turn increase their self-esteem and their
feeling of belonging to a community, enhanced by the recognition of certain people as
pillars of the community.
4.
4.a.
Law 410/2005 authorizing the approval of the Convention for the Safeguarding of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage (UNESCO 2003); the law sets out the scope and
forms in which the intangible cultural heritage is manifested;
Law 248/2006 authorizing the approval of the Convention on the Protection and
Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (UNESCO 2005);
Law 26/2008 relating to the protection of the intangible cultural heritage; the law
provides a framework for safeguarding, conserving, protecting, transmitting and
enhancing elements of the intangible cultural heritage.
the production of compact discs of the authentic doina and books on the subject
(typology in two volumes).
Projects envisaged:
establishing a body or institution for the doina that organizes conferences and
workshops with specialists; field work; and public concerts with major performercreators;
In order to conserve and transmit the doina, it must be protected against abusive
exploitation, distortion of meaning and commercial use that would alter its function
(measures envisaged by Law 26/2008).
The doina is threatened by a lack of interest on the part of communities, and also by
irresponsible distribution for commercial or publicity purposes. The promotion of major
performers in the media often results in a dumbing down in performance, texts and
costumes, which are tailored to the taste of the public or the organizers. The lack of longterm coherent policies, combined with poor communication between the competent
institutions, specialists, communities and performers might undermine public interest in
safeguarding the element.
4.b.
Administrative measures:
1.a. Establishing the national inventory of the intangible cultural heritage (which
includes the doina);
1.b. Setting up the national system of living human treasures (including
outstanding doina performers);
1.c. Identifying living human treasures who perform the doina and conferring that
title upon them;
1.d. Forming a group of expert consultants on the doina an element of the
intangible cultural heritage to include national and local specialists and
members of the National Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage;
1.e. Formulating protocols for cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and
Religious Affairs and the institutions, bodies and/or persons competent to
safeguard the doina.
2.
Safeguard measures:
2.a. Modernizing the national folklore archives that contain documents relating to
the doina;
2.b. Updating data relating to the Romanian performance of the doina via field
surveys;
2.c. Establishing a computerized database of performers, techniques and musical
instruments specific to the regions where the doina is performed;
2.d. Organizing meetings of specialists to establish the status of the doina as a
heritage;
2.e. Writing up scientific studies relating to the doina.
3.
5.
Measures for promoting the doina an element of the intangible cultural heritage:
5.a. Publishing informative and promotional documents in various formats;
5.b. Creating a website dedicated to the doina, in Romanian, English and/or
French;
5.c. Supporting cultural projects that promote the doina in its traditional forms;
5.d. Setting up grants and prizes for research and the scientific promotion of the
doina;
5.e. Translating the typology of the doina into a language that is widely
understood;
5.f.
6.
7.
Priority
level*
1(a)
Very
urgent
1(b)
Urgent
Domain
Implementing body
Costs
December
2008
December
2009
The Commission
1(c)
December
2009
The Commission
1(d)
June 2009
The Commission
1(e)
December
2009
December
2009
December 2011
The Institute
2(c)
December
2012
The Institute
2(d)
December
2012
2(e)
December
2012
The Commission
December
2009
The Centre
December
2010
The Centre
December
2012
The Ministry
December
2012
The Commission
December
2012
The Centre
2(a)
Urgent
2(b)
Priority
3(a)
Urgent
Legislation
Provisional
schedule
(end date)
Conservation
Community
involvement
3(b)
3(c)
Priority
3(d)
4(a)
Priority
Transmission
4(b)
Urgent
December
2010
The Ministry
4(c)
Urgent
December
2010
The Ministry
4(d)
Priority
December 2011
The Centre
5(a)
Urgent
December
2010
The Ministry
December
2010
The Ministry
December
2012
The Commission
Promotion
5(b)
5(c)
Priority
5(d)
The Ministry
5(e)
The Institute
5(f)
The Institute
6(a)
Priority
6b)
International
cooperation
December
2012
6c)
7a)
7b)
The Institute
The Ministry
The Ministry
Priority
Coordination
Evaluation
Annually
2009-2012
The Commission
4.c.
5.
5.a.
5.b.
5.c.
1.
2.
3.
4.
6.
7.
DOCUMENTATION
7.a.
7.b.
10 photographies obligatoires ;
2 CD Audio supplmentaires ;
2 cartes supplmentaires ;
1 livre en 2 volumes.
CESSION OF RIGHTS:
Appended.
7.c.
3.
Alecsandri, Vasile : 1866 Poezii poporale ale romnilor, Adunate i ntocmite de ~,
Tip. lucrtorilor asociai, Bucureti. [Posies populaires des Roumains]
4.
Amzulescu, Alexandru : 1964 Balade populare romneti, Ed. pentru Literatur,
Bucureti. [Balades populaires roumaines]
5.
Bartk, Bla : 1956 nsemnri asupra cntecului popular, E. S. P. L. A., Bucureti.
[Notes sur le chant populaire] ; 1967 Rumanian Folk Music, I, Martinus Nijhoff, The
Hague ; 1975 Rumanian Folk Music, V, Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague.
6.
Brlea, Ovidiu: 1974 Istoria folcloristicii romneti, Ed. Enciclopedic Romn,
Bucureti. [Histoire de ltude du folklore] ; 1983 Folclorul romnesc, II, Bucureti, Ed.
Minerva. [Le folklore roumain]
7.
Bot, Nicolae : 1987 Doina poezie a destinului n Anuarul de folclor, V-VII, ClujNapoca, p. 29-60. [La dona, posie du destin]
8.
Briloiu, Constantin: 1967 a Versul popular romnesc cntat n Opere, I,
Bucureti, Ed. Muzical, p. 15-118 [Le vers populaire roumain chant] ; 1967 b O
RL09 No. 00192 page 12
8.
CONTACT INFORMATION
8.a.
8.b.
8.c.
Centres dpartementaux
Centrul Judetean pentru Conservarea si Promovare Culturii Tradiionale Dolj
Adresse : Str. Alexandru Macedonski, nr. 28, Craiova, jud. Dolj
Tl : +40-0251.523.053
Mail : ccpdolj@yahoo.com
Responsable : Amelia Etegan
Centrul Judeean pentru Conservarea i Promovarea Culturii Tradiionale Gorj
Adresse : Str. Eroilor, nr. 15, Trgu Jiu, jud. Gorj
Tl : + 40-0253.213.710
Site web : www.traditiigorj.ro; e-mail : traditii_gorj@rdslink.ro
Responsable: Ion Cepoi
Centrul Judeean pentru Conservarea i Promovarea Culturii Tradiionale Olt
Adresse : Str. Drgneti, nr. 29, Slatina, jud. Olt
Tl : +40-0349.409.270 / Fax : +40-0349.409.271
Mail : visi_ghencea@yahoo.com
Responsable : Zefir Berzovis Ghencea
Centrul Judeean de Conservare i Promovarea Culturii Tradiionale Maramure
Adresse : Str. Culturii, nr. 7A, Baia Mare, jud. Maramure
Tl : + 40-0262.211.506 / Fax : +40-215359
Mail : ccpmm@rdslink.ro
Responsable : tefan Mari
8.d.
9.