Drăgan Maria

About

Maria Drăgan, born on August 23, 1947, in the village of Bălăurești, Nisporeni district, was a remarkable performer of Moldovan folk music, with an impressive repertoire of over 500 songs, including doinas, laments, romances, and melodies taken from artists such as Maria Tănase or Ioana Radu. Her artistic debut took place in 1965, as a soloist of the ensemble at the Buiucani House of Culture in Chișinău, with a tour in Italy, followed by admission to the "Mugurel" Orchestra of the State Philharmonic, where she shone under conductor Valeriu Negruzzi until 1974. She received the Special Prize at the 1971 Moldavian SSR Art Festival, toured the USSR, and participated in films such as "Musical Pictures" (1970) and "Journey to Nehvoraisk" (1971), recording only 12 songs at Radio Moldova, including the famous "Oh, poor little turtledove." Her career continued with collaborations with the "Lăutarii" Orchestra (1975-1976), the "Bucuria" band alongside Ion Suruceanu, the "Beciul Vechi" restaurant, and the "Ciocârlia" Orchestra of the Trade Unions Palace, but the breakup of "Mugurel" and health problems marked a premature decline. Her powerful voice, with a wide range and colorful timbre, along with her unmistakable stage presence, captivated the audience, although the communist regime limited her recordings and promotion. Today, her legacy is celebrated through the "Vai, sărmana turturică" Festival-Competition in Bălăurești, the "Maria Drăgan" Foundation (established in 1996), and the audio cassette released posthumously in 1999, and her name is borne by streets and institutions in Chișinău and Nisporeni. Maria Drăgan's personal life was marked by a