While all of us adjusted our clocks one hour backward on Sunday morning to mark autumn’s arrival, over 200 people celebrated the new season later in the day at the fourth edition of the ‘‘Romanian Autumn’’ event.
Indulging in mouth-watering dishes and discovering new music as well as learning more about traditional dances from various regions in Romania, event participants spent a few hours in a friendly and warm atmosphere at the “Centre Culturel” in Cessange.
Attracting Romanian expats in the Greater Region, second generation Romanians living in the Grand Duchy, Luxembourgish people as well as various other foreign nationals, the Sunday evening event was organised by the ‘‘Voci din Carpaţi’’ Romanian choir and the ‘‘Carpaţii’’ Romanian dance group in Luxembourg.
Romanian folklore, cuisine and community
At this year’s edition, participants had the opportunity to discover Romanian folklore through music and dances, taste the country’s traditional cuisine as well as admire the works of a Romanian fashion designer in an exclusive catwalk show.
For those interested in art, a series of paintings depicting Romanian landscapes by artist David Croitor were also on sale on the night.
In addition to this, the soon-to be-launched fashion store ‘‘Concept A’’ in Esch-sur-Alzette also proposed participating ladies a range of exclusive evening gowns and cocktails dresses.
The event kicked off with a choir concert by ‘‘Voci din Carpaţi’’ conducted by Adriana Mitu Drǎgan and Ovidiu Drǎgan which performed a wide variety of works mostly from the Romanian folklore, but also included Pierre Certon’s tune‘‘ La, la, la, je ne l’ose dire’’ and a solo act by Soprano Mǎdǎlina Dorneanu.
A wide range of performances
Other performances on the night included a solo act by Cristian Pǎvǎlucǎ, President of ‘‘L’avant-scène’’ Romanian Theatre Group in Luxembourg, a father-son violin-orgue duo by the Drǎgan family and an array of dances choreographed by Horațiu and Victoria Drǎgan and performed by the ‘‘Carpaţii’’ dance group.
The event’s culinary menu included a traditional meat and vegetable soup called ‘‘ciorbǎ’’, the stuffed cabbage rolls specialty ‘‘sarmale’’ and a home-made soft cheese and fruit dessert.
Towards the end of the night, event participants had the opportunity to try out some Romanian dances in a more informal atmosphere.
The ‘’Romanian Autumn’’ was hosted by the not-for-profit organisation ‘‘Voci din Carpaţi’’ and involved the contribution of some 50 volunteers.
New members sought
Members of the public interested in joining either the choir or the dance group are encouraged to contact the two associations, regardless of their nationality, dance skills or music expertise. So far, two Luxembourg nationals and one Pole have joined the local Romanian choir group.
‘‘We are constantly looking for new members to join our groups. If anyone is interested in learning more about Romanian dances and music, they can do so or may just get involved in the management and running of our events,’’ ‘‘Voci din Carpaţi’’ choir member Marina Tataram told wort.lu.
For more information on the profile of the Romanian choir and dance groups in Luxembourg, please check their website and Facebook page.
An article written by Roxana Mironescu for wort.lu
Please take a look at the published version here.
roxana.mironescu 
Leave a Reply