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Original: French

CONVENTION FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF


THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR THE
SAFEGUARDING OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
Fourth session
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
28 September to 2 October 2009
Nomination for inscription on the Representative List in 2009 (Reference No. 00192)
A.

STATE PARTY: Romania

B.

NAME OF ELEMENT: Doina

C.

COMMUNITY(IES), GROUP(S) OR, IF APPLICABLE, INDIVIDUAL(S) CONCERNED:


Performers of the doina must possess certain innate vocal and spiritual qualities. They
then study with experts to learn the vocal techniques specific to this musical genre.
Natural talent and practice are the main prerequisites for outstanding doina performers,
who are recognized and appreciated by their community as the guardians of the
traditional repertoire. In regions where the doina is the dominant genre, performers are
esteemed members of the community.

D.

BRIEF TEXTUAL DESCRIPTION OF THE NOMINATED ELEMENT:


The Romanian doina is a sort of lyrical chant in the form of a free, spontaneous
improvisation. In the form characteristic of Romania, the doina has several regional
styles.
The earliest collections of folk literature contain numerous chapters relating to the poetic
texts of the doina from the whole cultural area of Romania, an argument that supports
the privileged place of the doina in Romania. Another argument is the fact that the word
doina has become a girls Christian name. In the doina, voice and instrument (flute,
caval or bagpipe) are complementary. As the doina is an individual song that is a
personal expression of the creator-performer, there is wide variety of subject matter that
ranges from the joys of love to the sorrow of separation, from solitude to social conflict
and bandit uprisings, not to mention doinas about nature. All these themes can be the
source of vocal, instrumental or vocal and instrumental songs. Sometimes, the creative
impulse forces the performer to use improvised instruments (the leaf of a tree or fish
scales, for example).
The doina is a solemn chant that does not need a special occasion: it can be sung
outdoors or at home, during household chores or in the evenings.

RL09 No. 00192 page 1

1.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE ELEMENT

1.a.

NAME OF ELEMENT: Doina

1.b.

OTHER NAME(S) OF THE ELEMENT, IF ANY:


In 1882, the Romanian philologist B.P. Hadeu proposed an interesting etymology for the
word doina, which he linked to the Sanskrit dh, a derivation that leads us to the root dhan,
to resonate, hence the meaning of a song in the sense of resonance (Hadeu, Dona.
Originea poeziei poporane la romni [The doina and the origins of the popular poetry of
the Romanians]). The word doina therefore dates back to the pre-Roman period of
Romania and was probably inherited from the former inhabitants of the region, the
Dacians, (a Thracian people). Each region has a different word for the doina, referring
variously to its overall structure; specific vocal production; specific refrain; the natural
environment conducive to its performance; its function as a companion on long
journeys; the ceremony at which it is performed; the melancholy subject, and so on.
Thus the doina is known by names such as the Cntec lung (ndelungat) (a long or
extended song) in the south-western Carpathians (Gorj, Mehedini et Vlcea districts); or
Hore (Horie) lung (long round) in northern Transylvania (Maramure and Oa regions);
or indeed Horea cu noduri (round of knots - the knots refer to the guttural contortions
that take place when making the transition from head to chest register and following
certain melodic patterns to produce a distinctive sound); Duiu maramureean, or Duin
(from the particular refrain Dui, dui, dui iar dui / Diunu, duinu, duinuule); the variant
Dain is common to the whole of the rest of Transylvania, that of Doin or Doini to
Moldavia. To the south-west of the southern Carpathians (Mehedini, Vlcea and Gorj
districts) it is called Ca pe coast (as on the mountain slopes); Ca pe deal (as on the
hillside); De lunc (from the valley); and De munte (from the mountain) in the Vlcea
district; in northern Transylvania, in the southern sub-Carpathian area and in Muntenia it
is called A frunzii (from the leaf) or De codru (from the woods) in the Muscel and
Oltenia regions (Mehedini and Dolj districts); in the districts of Vlcea et de Dolj it goes
by the names Ductoare or De duc (marching or on the march); in the Olt it is called
Cntec lung or prelungat (long or extended song); De coast (from the coast); Ca pe
vale (as in the valley); Haiducesc (of bandits); at Gorj it is known as Ca la cuscri (at
the house of the in-laws); Ca la masa mare (at high table or at the banquet); and finally,
in Transylvania (Nsud) and northern Moldavia it is called De jale (of sorrow).

1.c.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE COMMUNITY(IES), GROUP(S) OR, IF APPLICABLE, INDIVIDUAL(S)


CONCERNED AND THEIR LOCATION:
The most recent studies in the field have identified the following people as representative
of their communities: in the district of Maramure: Here Viorica and Here Vasile of the
village of Costeni (commune of Cupeni); Ungur Viorica, Buda Ana (daughter of Ion),
Buda Ana (daughter of tefan) and Crti Gherasim of the village of Ungureni (commune
of Cupeni); Butcure Anica of the village of Cupeni (commune of Cupeni); Gavril
Damian of the village of Candela (commune of Suciu of Sus); Pii Nicolae of the village
Lpuul Romnesc (commune of Lpu); Paca Mrioara and her daughter, Pop
Mrioara of the village of Suciu of Sus (commune of Suciu of Sus). In the district of Gorj:
Bndoiu Maria Beatrice of the village of Copcioasa (commune of Scoara); Savu Ana of
the commune of Runcu; Ciulei Aurelia and the orchestra conducted by her husband,
Ciulei Nicolae, of the town of Trgu Jiu. In the district of Dolj: Mirea Relu and Gigea
Gheorghe of the commune of Goicea.

1.d.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND RANGE OF THE ELEMENT:


The doina has a wide variety of names depending on its form and content and the
material or spiritual context in which it is performed. The wide variety of names is
indicative of its wide geographic distribution. The most important areas in terms of the
RL09 No. 00192 page 2

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.

DOMAIN(S) REPRESENTED BY THE ELEMENT:


Ethnomusicology.

2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ELEMENT (CF. CRITERION R.1):


The doina is a type of lyric chant specific to the Romanian folk tradition. Melodic and
rhythmic patterns often develop slowly, combining recitative and speech with melodic and
ornamental modalities in a range of very diverse modes, with a very free structure and
rhythm. The oral tradition provides a supple structure that allows for infinite individual
variations that embellish the traditional roots of the genre. The name and privileged place
of the doina in Romanian culture was evident as early as the seventeenth century in
documents where singing is the opening refrain in heroic tales or accounts of war. The
doina is interpreted solo, with or without instrumental accompaniment, either alone or in a
human environment, as appropriate to its message. In doina in verse, melody and text
complement and enhance the expressiveness of the song. The character and long
tradition of the doina lend it a cathartic function that strengthens human solidarity.
Information obtained directly from the representative regions shows that until the late
nineteenth century the doina was the only melody used in all lyric and epic texts and in
some ritual texts. Even nowadays, the ritual text of the bride is sung to the melody of the
doina in Maramure, in Oa, in part of Oltenia and in Moldavia.
The genre is structured by initial, median and final melodic patterns, and some of their
individual features have come to be identified with regional, local or personal varieties, as
has the conservation or development unequal in time and space of structural states,
such as the tonal system used (tritonic, tetratonic, pentatonic, mixed or other); the
register of the scale; the shape, volume and variety of recitative; the emphasis on certain
melismas requiring great vocal virtuosity; specific melodic prefixes, infixes or suffixes;
vocal production, and so on. Some of these archaisms are common in some regions,
while elsewhere they are unusual or confined exclusively or mainly to the area where
they are a feature of the local style. That is the case in the regions of Maramure, Oa,
Nsud, Fgra, Banat, Mehedini, Gorj, Vlcea, Dolj and Teleorman, Northern Moldavia
and Vrancea.
Romanian researchers have observed that the earliest origins of the doina are contained
in the oldest forms of ritual chants and lullabies. Conversely, the doina gave rise in certain
regions to song (as opposed to chant) and dances that gradually became established as
genres in their own right. The original doina has often continued to coexist with the
genres descended from it because it is the sum total of all the genres.
Although it is still performed, the doina has occasionally been on the verge of
disappearing in some regions, and researchers consider that the size of the area in which
it is performed has tended to shrink over time. For example, in 1932 only one elderly
person knew the variety of doina specific to Fgra. At that point, the doina was
probably overshadowed by the standard repertoire, giving way to song.
In view of its position at the crossroads of several trends, the doina was chosen as the
starting point for a vast body of research in Romanian musicology. Having compared a
wide range of Romanian folk styles, the study demonstrated that melodies that appeared
to be only distantly related were in fact connected through the core sound universe of the

RL09 No. 00192 page 3

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.

CONTRIBUTION TO ENSURING VISIBILITY AND AWARENESS AND TO ENCOURAGING DIALOGUE


(CF. CRITERION R.2):
The doina, an individual genre par excellence, has several peculiarities in terms of its
transmission and acquisition that are both vertical and horizontal depending on the
relationship between the creator individual and creator and the community. The doina
is handed down internally (in the family circle) or externally (in dialogue with other
communities). There is therefore an intergenerational dialogue on the one hand, and on
the other, an awareness among members of the community where the major specialist
doina performers live. It is necessary to acknowledge the status of these performers as
keepers of the intangible cultural heritage; to create the conditions required to ensure that
their style survives; and to honour the qualities of the performer-creator of the doina. It is
therefore important to:

create specific contexts, close to traditional contexts, which encourage the


creativity of the keeper of the folklore and allow him or her to pass on techniques
to the next generation (children and/or adults);

RL09 No. 00192 page 4

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;

establish permanent communication between the cultural leader of the community


(where there is one) and the outside world in order to ensure the visibility of local
performers;

ensure that knowledge is handed down to subsequent generations.

Communication within the community therefore takes place:

through vertical dialogue, from one generation to the next;

through horizontal dialogue, between individuals of the same generation.

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.

RL09 No. 00192 page 5

4.

SAFEGUARDING MEASURES (CF. CRITERION R.3)

4.a.

CURRENT AND RECENT EFFORTS TO SAFEGUARD THE ELEMENT:


Current and recent efforts to safeguard the doina a representative element of
Romanian intangible cultural heritage have aimed to preserve, promote, and transmit it
while raising awareness of its importance with respect to criteria R3 of UNESCO.
Laws adopted:

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);

Government Ruling 118/2006 relating to the establishment and organization of


national, regional and local cultural institutions, adopted by Law 143/2007; their
objectives are, inter alia, to conserve, study and promote the intangible cultural
heritage;

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.

Other initiatives and regulations:

Constitution of the National Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible


Cultural Heritage, by Decree 2236/2008 of the Ministry of Culture and Religious
Affairs;

approval of the National Programme for the Safeguarding of the Intangible


Cultural Heritage, by Decree 2436/2008; the main objectives of the Programme
are to safeguard and promote elements of the intangible cultural heritage and to
compile a national inventory of the intangible cultural heritage;

the establishment of the national inventory of the intangible cultural heritage


(expected in late 2008); this inventory includes the doina;

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;

presenting typical performers to the public on the fringes of festivals; these


performers would therefore become artistic reference points;

reconstructing the history of the doina through academic publications;

publishing books, documentaries and compact discs on authentic doinas or those


sung by outstanding performers.

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

RL09 No. 00192 page 6

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.

SAFEGUARDING MEASURES PROPOSED:


The doina is part of the Romanian inventory of the intangible cultural heritage and as
such will benefit from all the measures to safeguard, conserve, enhance and promote it,
as set out in the National Programme for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage. Initiatives to safeguard the doina, an element of the Romanian intangible
cultural heritage that has been proposed for nomination on the Representative List of
UNESCO, will respect the principle of conserving original forms of performance and
transmission. In doing so, such initiatives will take account of the individual nature of the
performance of the vocal and/or instrumental doina; local versions; lyric content; and
traditional performance situations. The safeguarding measures proposed shall be
included in the National Programme for the Safeguarding of the doina a representative
element of the intangible cultural heritage and an endangered element of outstanding
value (hereinafter called the Programme). The Programme will be established by the
National Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the
Romanian Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs, in accordance with Law 26 of
29 February 2008 relating to the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage, and in
accordance with the National Programme for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage.
The measures envisaged by the Programme include:
1.

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.

Measures for involving communities, groups and individuals interested in


RL09 No. 00192 page 7

safeguarding the doina an element of the intangible cultural heritage:


3.a. Organizing debates in representative areas to involve communities in efforts
to raise awareness of the heritage of the doina and the risk of its
disappearance;
3.b. Organizing public events with doina performers;
3.c. Supporting local initiatives for safeguarding the doina that respect its value as
an element of the heritage;
3.d. Involving local communities that possess knowledge or skills relating to the
doina in regional or national safeguarding projects.
4.

Measures relating to the transmission of the knowledge and skills required to


safeguard the doina:
4.a. Supporting traditional, non-conventional means of transmitting the doina with
the participation of performers who are living human treasures;
4.b. Organizing training sessions in the relevant communities, in partnership with
cultural and teaching establishments;
4.c. Organizing training sessions for the public in regions where the doina is
performed in order to transmit the knowledge and skills needed to safeguard
and manage the local heritage.
4.d. Ensuring that communities have access to the scientific documents needed to
understand the specific nature of the doina compared to similar categories of
folklore (epic and lyric songs, etc.).

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.

Cooperating with the Romanian organizations competent in the international


promotion of the intangible cultural heritage.

Measures relating to international cooperation:


6.a. Collaborating with foreign ethnomusicologists and with international
organizations authorized by UNESCO to enrich the Romanian experience in
safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage;
6.b. Supporting the participation of doina specialists in international cultural
events;
6.c. Supporting projects aimed at ensuring that foreign researchers have access
to Romanian documents relating to the doina, and resulting studies.

7.

Measures for coordinating and evaluating the Programme:


7.a. Coordinating the methodology of cultural institutions competent in the field of
the conservation and safeguarding of the doina;
7.b. Evaluating the Programme on an annual basis and drafting a progress report.

RL09 No. 00192 page 8

PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSED MEASURES


Measure

Priority
level*

1(a)

Very
urgent

1(b)

Urgent

Domain

Implementing body

Costs

December
2008

Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs (National


Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage The Commission)

December
2009

The Commission

1(c)

December
2009

The Commission

1(d)

June 2009

The Commission

1(e)

December
2009

Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs The


Ministry

December
2009

Institute of ethnography of the Romanian Academy


The Institute

December 2011

The Institute

2(c)

December
2012

The Institute

2(d)

December
2012

National Centre for the Conservation and Promotion


of Traditional Culture The Centre + national,
district and local cultural institutions

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

RL09 No. 00192 page 9

4.c.

COMMITMENTS OF STATES AND OF COMMUNITIES, GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED:


As a result of legislative, administrative, cooperation and other measures taken by the
Romanian State to ensure the safeguarding and transmission of the Romanian intangible
cultural heritage, we now have a national strategy established by the National
Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Commission is
formed of 17 specialists from diverse areas of the intangible cultural heritage, as well as
academics, researchers, and representatives from museums, national cultural centres,
NGOs and specialists in culture management. The Commission is subordinate to the
Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs; it does not represent institutions or bodies but is
a specialist entity with competencies in most of the domains relevant to the Convention.
The Commissions function is to propose programmes and global strategies to bring
national programmes into line with local initiatives that must then be reactive and indicate
the actual status of the heritage element in local conditions in order to make the national
strategy realistic and effective. The Romanian State supports any responsible individual
or institutional initiative in the domain of the intangible cultural heritage, on the
understanding that the conservation and transmission of the heritage is the direct
responsibility of the State; those who initiate such a project will therefore undertake to
cooperate with civil society and the competent State institutions in order to implement
strategies relating to the intangible cultural heritage. The Romanian State, through its
Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs and other institutions, favours national and
international cooperation and dialogue; it encourages the exchange of best practices
between the specialists and representatives of local Romanian communities and between
the communities themselves and their foreign counterparts, in compliance with current
national and international regulations. The Ministry, through its institutions, may launch
appeals for projects and by law it may grant awards and/or funding in cultural domains
(and therefore in the intangible cultural heritage) in order to encourage the participation of
local and regional communities in projects aimed at the safeguarding and proper
transmission of their heritage. The Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs is
implementing its strategies through its institutions (including five national centres with
competencies in the safeguarding and transmission of the intangible cultural heritage),
and through local and district cultural establishments (cultural centres). The activities of
the cultural centres are coordinated by the National Centre for the Safeguarding and
Promotion of Traditional Culture, although in administrative and financial terms they are
reliant on the regional councils; this guarantees their autonomy while ensuring that their
activities are coordinated with national strategies. Through the intermediary of the local
administration, local community association and foundations will become permanent
partners of the Romanian State for the implementation of its strategies.
In the aforementioned regions, the administrative representatives of the communities
have confirmed their permanent availability to support the heritage elements at the local
level and, by extension, to preserve and transmit the doina. Since the doina is subject to
individual interpretation, the participative role of the community or group that forms the
audience consists mainly in making the performance necessary and remaining open to
the absorption and transmission of a living element, as the doina can only remain alive if
through the physical existence of the performer. In our case, safeguarding and
preservation means, on the one hand, increased awareness and an externalization of the
feeling of belonging to a community that has doina performers, and on the other,
cooperating with specialists and institutions with competencies in the areas of the
intangible cultural heritage and with representatives of the local and regional
administration in order to implement effectively the programmes relating to this heritage
element. Given the peculiar features of this element, it is our view that visibility does not
absolutely have to entail either tourist capital or situations that remove the doina from its
sociocultural context, particularly at media events such as festivals that might damage
our element and contradict efforts to safeguard it, resulting in the disappearance of this
lyric form of expression.

RL09 No. 00192 page 10

5.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND CONSENT (CF. CRITERION R.4)

5.a.

PARTICIPATION OF COMMUNITIES, GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS:


The Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs has nominated the doina an element of the
Romanian intangible cultural heritage for inclusion on the Representative List. Initial
steps were taken by the National Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage, formed of 17 specialists from all domains of the intangible cultural
heritage and all regions of Romania (academics; researchers; museum managers;
project managers; and so on) in collaboration with the communities of the representative
regions of the doina. Four national institutions are involved in this project: the Constantin
Briloiu Institute of Ethnography and Folklore of the Romanian Academy (Bucharest); the
National Centre for the Conservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture of the Ministry
of Culture and Religious Affairs; VIDEO Publishing (production of the video documents in
this dossier); and the Library of the Romanian Academy, thanks to its conservationists,
who made available a whole series of rare documents, manuscripts and antique books).
In preparing the nomination, the Commission and researchers from the Institute
consulted documents from the Institutes archives and the National Centre (area maps of
the doina; images; audio clips; and video footage). We have also used the data gathered
in the field in the 2000s by researchers from the National Centre for the Conservation and
Promotion of Traditional Culture. Moreover, a new survey was undertaken in 2008 in
representative regions (Maramure and South Oltenia) using information provided by
representatives of the local communities, performers and their descendents. The
information suggests that in such regions the doina is passed down in its traditional
context, together with performance techniques, within a single generation as well as from
one generation to the next. For that reason, the local authorities support the nomination
of the doina to the Representative List and confirm their readiness to be involved in the
conservation measures necessary for this process of transmission and in the preparatory
work for the nomination dossier.

5.b.

FREE, PRIOR AND INFORMED CONSENT:


See the agreement of the representatives of the communities of Maramure and Oltenia
these are thought to be the regions where the authentic doina has been conserved
(cf. Annex I):

5.c.

1.

Agreement Protocol, Marcu Viorel, Mayor of Goicea, Dolj, 18.08.2008;

2.

Agreement Protocol, Cmpeanu Adi, Mayor of Runcu, Gorj, 16.08.2008;

3.

Agreement Protocol, Boga Mircea, Mayor of Cupeni, Maramure, 13.08.2008;

4.

Agreement Protocol, Girgiu Nicolae, Mayor of Lpu, Maramure, 12.08.2008.

RESPECT FOR CUSTOMARY PRACTICES GOVERNING ACCESS:


The doina is not generally linked to specific customary practices, since it is an individual
chant that does not have special conditions of access. Performance takes place in
various contexts, with the functions set out above. The only special context in which
performance takes place is at the marriage ceremony.
At the marriage ceremony, the doina becomes a chant to be listened to an extension
of its function as background music at the wedding banquet. In that setting, it is
performed with orchestral accompaniment, while the performer-creator also accompanies
himself with a stringed instrument (in Oltenia, southern Romania, this is a hybrid guitar
called a kobza guitar, which replaced the traditional kobza in the early nineteenth
century).

RL09 No. 00192 page 11

6.

INCLUSION ON AN INVENTORY (CF. CRITERION R.5):


In 2007, the National Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
took initial steps towards establishing a national inventory of the intangible cultural
heritage, which is currently divided into 10 domains, including folk music. This domain
includes non-ritual lyric repertoire (including the doina). The inventory, entitled Register
of the Romanian Intangible Cultural Heritage, will be published in three volumes (the first
volume is due in 2008, the second in 2009, and the third in 2010). The first volume, which
includes the doina, is currently being completed and is due for publication at the end of
2008.

7.

DOCUMENTATION

7.a.

REQUIRED AND SUPPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION:

7.b.

1 film sur DVD (10 minutes) obligatoire ;

10 photographies obligatoires ;

2 CD Audio supplmentaires ;

2 cartes supplmentaires ;

1 livre en 2 volumes.

CESSION OF RIGHTS:
Appended.

7.c.

LIST OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:


1.
Cantemir, Dimitrie : [f.a.] Descrierea Moldovei, trad. de Gh. Adamescu, Bucureti:
XXXI +170 p. + hart. Original n limba latin, 1716. [Descriptio Moldavi, 170 pages et
une carte, en latin]
2.

Hasdeu, Bogdan Petriceicu :


1979 a Doina. Originea poeziei poporane la romni n Studii de folclor, Ed.
Dacia, Cluj-Napoca: 103-115 i 275-277. [La dona et lorigine de la posie
populaire chez les Roumains]
1979 b Doina rstoarn pe Rsler, Ed. Dacia, Cluj-Napoca: 116-125 i 277-278.
[La dona contredit Rsler]

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

problem de tonalitate n Opere, I, Ed. Muzical, Bucureti, p. 281-304.[Un problme


de tonalit] ; 1967 c Despre o melodie rus n Opere, I, Ed. Muzical, Bucureti,
p. 305-400. [A propos dune mlodie russe] ; 1969 a Muzicologia i etnomuzicologia
astzi n Opere, II, Ed. Muzical, Bucureti, p. 131-166. [La musicologie et
lethnomusicologie aujourdhui] ; 1969 b Viaa anterioar n Opere, II, Ed. Muzical,
Bucureti, p. 187-204. [La vie antrieure] ; 1974 La musique populaire roumaine, n
Opere, III, Ed. Muzical, Bucureti, p. 128-137 ; 1979 a Arhiva de Folclor a Societii
Compozitorilor Romni, Schi a unei metode de folclor muzical n Opere. IV, Ed.
Muzical, Bucureti, p. 31-68. [Les archives de folklore de la Socit des compositeurs
roumains. Esquisse dune mthode dans la recherche sur le foklore musical] ; 1979 b
Viaa muzical a unui sat. Cercetarea repertoriului din Drgu (Romnia), 1929-1932
n Opere, IV, Ed. Muzical, Bucureti, p. 93-258. [La vie musicale dun village.
Recherches sur le rpertoire de Dragus (Roumanie), entre 1929 et 1932]
9.
Caracostea, Dumitru : 1969 Poezia tradiional romn. Balada popular i doina,
II, Partea a II-a, Doina. Origine Art Clasificare, Bucureti, Editura pentru Literatur,
p. 443-591. [La posie traditionnelle roumaine. La balade populaire et la dona. IIe partie :
La dona, origines, art, classification]
10. Bronson, Bertrand H. : 1951 Melodic Stability in Oral Transmission in Journal of
the International Folk Music Council, vol. III, p. 50-55.
11. Caraman, Petru : 1988 Contribuii la caracterizarea doinei n Studii de folclor, II,
Bucureti, Ed. Minerva, p. 1-53. [Contributions pour tablir le caractre de la dona]
12. Kahane, Mariana : 1963 Doine din Oltenia subcarpatic n Revista de folclor,
VIII, nr. 1-2, p. 99-116. [Dona de lOltnie souscarpathique] ; 1964 Baza prepentatonic
a melodicii din Oltenia subcarpatic n Revista de etnografie i folclor, 9, nr. 4-5, p. 387411. [La base pr-pentatonique des mlodies de lOltnie souscarpathique] ; 1967
Trsturi specifice ale doinei din Oltenia subcarpatic n Revista de etnografie i
folclor, 12, nr. 3, p. 203-211. [Traits spcifiques de la dona de lOltnie souscarpathique] ;
1979 a De la sistem sonor la form arhitectonic n Revista de etnografie i folclor, 12. nr.
1, p. 11-41. [Du systme sonore la forme architecturale] ; 1979 b Observaii n
legtur cu Ciocrlia n Anuarul Institutului de Cercetri Etnologice i Dialectologice,
seria A, I, p. 193-204. [Observations sur la Ciocrlia]
13. Kahane, Mariana: 2007 Doina vocal din Oltenia, Tipologie muzical, Editura
Academiei Romne, Bucureti. [La dona vocale dOltnie. Typologie musicale]
14. Lupacu, Marian : 2002 Abordri i premise teoretice moderne n sistematica
ritmicii asimetrice folclorice n Etnologica, p. 33-70. [Approches et prrequis thoriques
modernes dans la systmatique des rythmes asymtriques folkloriques]
15. Papadima, Ovidiu : 1960 Consideraii despre doin n Studii i cercetri de
istorie literar i folclor, IX, 2 p. 309-329 ; 4, p. 627-629. [Considrations sur la dona]
16. Ispas, Sabina, Doina Tru : 1974 Propuneri pentru catalogul liricii orale
romneti n Revista de etnografie i folclor, 19, nr. 2, p. 113-152. [Propositions pour le
catalogue de la lyrique orale roumaine]
17. Schneider, Marius : 1960 Le rle de la musique dans la mythologie et les rites des
civilisations non-europennes in Encyclopdie de la Pliade, Histoire de la Musique, I,
Paris, Editions de la Pliade.
18. Zamfir, Constantin : 1972 Despre obria i filiaia unor melodii de doin n
Studii de muzicologie, 8, p. 263-295. [Sur lorigine et la filiation de quelques mlodies de
la dona]
19. Zinveliu, Gemma : 1995 Fr. J. Sulzer n Dacia Cisalpin i Transalpin, Bucureti,
Ed. Muzical. [Sulzer en Dacie cisalpine et transalpine]

RL09 No. 00192 page 13

8.

CONTACT INFORMATION

8.a.

SUBMITTING STATE PARTY: Romania

8.b.

CONTACT PERSON FOR CORRESPONDENCE:


Nadia Tunsu, conseiller, Bureau UNESCO
nadia.tunsu@cultura.ro
Ministre de la culture et des cultes
Tl : +40-21-222-62-82
Fax : +40-21-222-82-39

8.c.

COMPETENT BODY INVOLVED:


Linstitut dethnographie et de folklore Constantin Briloiu
Adresse : Str. Tache Ionescu nr. 25, Sector 1, 010353 Bucarest
Tl : +40-21-318.39.00 / Fax : +40-21-318.39.01
Mail : ief.brailoiu@gmail.com
Responsable : dr. Sabina Ispas, folkloriste, membre correspondant de lAcadmie
roumaine
Les Editions VIDEO
Ministre de la Culture et des Cultes
Adresse : Sos. Kisseleff nr. 30, Sector 1, 011347 Bucarest
Tl : +40-21-224.39.92 / Fax : +40-21-224.39.92
Responsable : dr. Laureniu Damian, metteur en scne, Professeur des Universits
Centres nationaux
Centrul Naional pentru Conservarea i Promovarea Culturii Tradiionale
Adresse : Piaa Presei Libere, nr. 1, sector 1, Bucureti
Tl: +40-021.317.89.70 / Fax: +40-021.317.89.70
Mail : contact@centrul-cultura-traditionala.ro
Responsable: Oana Gabriela Petric
Centrul Cultural Toplia
Adresse : Str. Eroilor, nr. 24, Toplia, 535700, jud. Harghita
Tl : +40-226.634.18.48
Responsable : Ioan Covrig
Centrul de Cultur Arcu
Adresse : Str. Benedek Elek, nr.493, Sfntu Gheorghe, jud. Covasna
Tl : +40.0267.373.651 / Fax : +40-0267.373.652;
Mail : cca@planet.ro
Responsable : Petre Strchinaru
Centrul de Cultur George Apostu
Adresse : Str. Crngului, nr. 18, Bacu
Tl: +40-0234545.515 / Fax : +40-0234.571.083
Mail : cc.apostu@gmail.com
Responsable : Gheorhe Popa
Centrul de European de Cultur Sinaia
Adresse : Str. Aluni, nr. 11, Sinaia, jud. Prahova
Tl : + 40-0244.31.29.39 / Fax : +40-0244.31.29.39
Mail : contact@centrul-european-sinaia.ro
Responsable : Cristiana Caute

RL09 No. 00192 page 14

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.

CONCERNED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION(S) OR REPRESENTATIVE(S):


None
In the regions concerned, there are no community organizations, commissions or clubs.
The communities are represeted by local state officials or by recognized leaders (without
an official status).

9.

SIGNATURE ON BEHALF OF THE STATE PARTY:


<signed>

RL09 No. 00192 page 15

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