Taraful Rădăcini (The Roots Band)

Taraful “Rădăcini” of the Iași County Center for the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture was founded in 2023, with the goal of preserving and promoting the living heritage of traditional music passed down through generations by the peasant musicians of Moldova. The ensemble includes established performers who have spent their lives playing the old melodies of these lands: Nicolae Amarandei (violin), Neculai Florea (kobza), Valentin Bălășanu (flute), alongside collaborators Ioan Alupei (double bass) and Ioan Mandache (accordion).
The repertoire of Taraful “Rădăcini” is carefully selected from local musical traditions and takes us back to a time when music was naturally born “on the porch” or in the hearth of the village – an expression of the rural community and the bond between generations. It is music of the roots, with rhythms full of vitality, capable of withstanding the test of time, and deserving of active and careful appreciation.
The structure of the band follows the classic line of past peasant ensembles, from an era when orchestration was simple, unaltered by homogenization or stage-arranged arrangements. It is music that brings back the authentic atmosphere of the village, part of a deep cultural code and collective feeling.