http://www.commonground.ca/iss/0601174/cg174_zamfir.shtml

CG : Archive : Jan 2006
Zamfir: a composer for all ages
by Corrina Ligertwood

According to mythology, the 6,000-year-old pan pipe was created when wind passed
through bamboo and gently caressed its opening. "I invented the modern pan flute
in
1968," Zamfir explains, "and created an entire family of pan flutes that
eventually helped
me introduce the instrument in all musical styles."
Zamfir, who handcrafts each pan flute and tunes them with beeswax, uses five
different
sizes of pan flute for his performances. From the traditional soprano pan flute,
he built the
alto, tenor and bass flutes, and in 1972, he created the contrabass. In 2003, he
built what
he calls The Giant, a flute with 42 tubes.
A deeply spiritual man, Zamfir describes his music as "gigantic prayers
releasing a colossal
force, which helps us understand the divine forces." Zamfir also believes the
sounds of the
pan flute have "major cosmic values meant to set man free, and save nature and
the
Earth."
In 1982, Zamfir was exiled from Romania for violating the doctrine of
Ceausescu's
totalitarian regime by publically dedicating his songs to God. Having toured the
world,
Zamfir chose Montreal for his eight-year refuge.
"The exile was absolutely terrible for me," Zamfir says. "I suffered a lot
because of the
communist regime that destroyed all the human values. If I had not chosen to
flee the
country, I would have been found guilty, arrested, and maybe dead. Ceausescu was
jealous
because I was famous and he could never accept that he was not the only famous
one.
"When I returned from exile in 1990, I suffered just as much as during the
exile, because
for the previous 15 years I had been totally marginalized," Zamfir explains.
"The cruel
campaign meant to discredit and insult me damaged my reputation enormously. When
I
returned, the Iliescu and Constantinescu governments started a fierce attack
against me;
they were just the same people as the ones we had before, but with different
masks."
Zamfir returned to Romania with only one wish: to help his country change and
progress,
culturally, socially, and economically. He felt that he had gained an enormous
amount of
experience living in democratic countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland
and
Canada. However, he found that it was not to be. "The same communists were
ruling as
the play had been staged long before the fall of the Ceausescu regime," he
notes.
"They knew exactly who was going to grab the power and how they would rule the
country. I became an easy prey in Ion Iliescu's hands, as well as of those who
are still
ruling the country because I have never changed the opinions and beliefs I had
during
Ceausescu's regime, so I was their target for a total destruction."
Despite his political persecution, Zamfir remained in Romania and created the
world's first
university department for pan flute study. Today, he continues to tour and add
to his
prolific catalogue of compositions and recordings.
Zamfir has composed chamber music and symphonic orchestras, sacred music for
orchestra and choir, and more than 300 opuses for the pan pipe and organ or
piano. While
most of his albums are devoted to rhapsodies, concerti, and sonatas of his own
composition, as well as works by Bach and Mozart, popular Western music is also
part of
his repertoire.
The composer notes that his theme for Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America
helped his world reputation and career enormously. Zamfir also played on much of
Bill
Conti's score for The Karate Kid and scored several films, including Peter
Weir's Picnic at
Hanging Rock and Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol.1, which has afforded him
musical
hipness and a new generation of pan flute fans who can whistle his famous tune
The
Lonely Shepherd.
Zamfir is pleased to be returning to Canada, which is now home to more than
130,000
Romanians. "In the `80s, I performed in Vancouver and my concerts enjoyed a
fabulous
success. In 1984, for example, I had seven concerts that were all sold out."
Zamfir performs January 27 at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts with
the
Athenaeum String Quintet. Tickets $65.50 at www.ticketmaster.ca or call
604.280.4444.
For Zamfir's Canadian concert dates, visit www.keystonemusic.ca, 403-670-0460.

Pan flute virtuoso returns to Canada

Here's a new question for Trivial Pursuit fans: Name the world-famous musician
who was
exiled from Romania for dedicating his music to God, played Carnegie Hall twice,
has more
than 90 platinum and gold records, met Pope John Paul II three times, was
featured on a
recent Quentin Tarantino movie soundtrack, and will soon be touring across
Canada?
After nearly a decade-long absence, Romanian pan flute virtuoso Gheorghe Zamfir
returns
to Canada this month for a seven-city tour with the Athenaeum String Quintet.
The
program features Vivaldi's Four Seasons, jazz standards, and well-known
favourites.
Born in Gaiesti, Romania in 1941, Zamfir learned to play gypsy songs on the
accordion
while tending his family's herd of goats. His extraordinary talent was
discovered when he
was assigned to pan flute class in music school. He subsequently studied piano
and
conducting at the Conservatory of Bucharest, conducted one of Romania's greatest
folklore ensembles, Ciocarlia (The Skylark), for many years, and began touring
in 1968.
"Along with Ravi Shankar, Zamfir was one of the first world music artists to
tour," says
Calgary concert promoter Bryan Taylor. "Zamfir single-handedly popularized the
national
instrument of Romania, Colombia, Peru, Greece and Japan. For a musician based in
classical and world music genres, his commercial success was amazing. His
records were
released to North American markets in 1981 with great success. Zamfir now has a
180-
disc catalogue."