George Nicolescu
Encyclopedia
George Nicolescu is a blind
Romania
n musician.
Born in Ploieşti
, Nicolescu has four sisters. He attended the Bucharest
School for Amblyopia
Patients (1957-1959), middle school and high school (1960-1968) and the School for the Blind in Cluj
(1968–1972). Self-taught, he made his singing debut in Cluj and in 1970 won first prize at the Tinereţe pe portativ ("Youth on the Scale
") festival. A few years later, the composer George Grigoriu began to influence him, and the two began collaborating. In 1973, his first hit, "Eternitate" ("Eternity"), was released, and the following year came four hits released on a 45
, under Grigoriu's name.
In 1972 he gained admission to the University of Bucharest
's Faculty of Romance Languages, French-Romanian section. He graduated in 1976 and the following April began teaching French at the School for the Blind in Buzău
, where he remained until 1985. That year, he was hired as a vocal soloist at the Buzău Youth House. After the Romanian Revolution of 1989
, he was engaged for several months (March–November 1990) as a soloist with the ensemble "Optimiştii", a troupe of blind performers.
He retired in 1992, taking part in various shows and singing in restaurants in order to earn a living. In autumn 2002, ten years after retiring, Nicolescu returned to the top of the Romanian charts through a duet with the band UNU'. The hit single was called "Cântec pentru sănătatea ierbii" ("Song for the Grass's Health"). He also performed "Îndrăgostit" ("In Love") with the young singer Jorge. In December 2007, he released the album Muzică uşoară...lăutărească ("Light
Music, Lăutar
-style"), featuring songs by other musicians of his age such as Dan Spătaru, Mirabela Dauer, Gabriel Dorobanţu and Corina Chiriac.
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n musician.
Born in Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, Nicolescu has four sisters. He attended the Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
School for Amblyopia
Amblyopia
Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is a disorder of the visual system that is characterized by a vision deficiency in an eye that is otherwise physically normal, or out of proportion to associated structural abnormalities of the eye...
Patients (1957-1959), middle school and high school (1960-1968) and the School for the Blind in Cluj
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
(1968–1972). Self-taught, he made his singing debut in Cluj and in 1970 won first prize at the Tinereţe pe portativ ("Youth on the Scale
Musical scale
In music, a scale is a sequence of musical notes in ascending and descending order. Most commonly, especially in the context of the common practice period, the notes of a scale will belong to a single key, thus providing material for or being used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical...
") festival. A few years later, the composer George Grigoriu began to influence him, and the two began collaborating. In 1973, his first hit, "Eternitate" ("Eternity"), was released, and the following year came four hits released on a 45
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, under Grigoriu's name.
In 1972 he gained admission to the University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
's Faculty of Romance Languages, French-Romanian section. He graduated in 1976 and the following April began teaching French at the School for the Blind in Buzău
Buzau
The city of Buzău is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Wallachia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.The city's name dates back to 376 AD when the name...
, where he remained until 1985. That year, he was hired as a vocal soloist at the Buzău Youth House. After the Romanian Revolution of 1989
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, he was engaged for several months (March–November 1990) as a soloist with the ensemble "Optimiştii", a troupe of blind performers.
He retired in 1992, taking part in various shows and singing in restaurants in order to earn a living. In autumn 2002, ten years after retiring, Nicolescu returned to the top of the Romanian charts through a duet with the band UNU'. The hit single was called "Cântec pentru sănătatea ierbii" ("Song for the Grass's Health"). He also performed "Îndrăgostit" ("In Love") with the young singer Jorge. In December 2007, he released the album Muzică uşoară...lăutărească ("Light
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
Music, Lăutar
Lautari
The Romanian word Lăutar denotes a class of traditional musicians. Most often, and by tradition, Lăutari are members of a professional clan of Romani musicians , also called Ţigani lăutari. The term is derived from Lăută the name of a string instrument...
-style"), featuring songs by other musicians of his age such as Dan Spătaru, Mirabela Dauer, Gabriel Dorobanţu and Corina Chiriac.
Discography
- Şi cântau mandolinele (1974)
- Ordinea de zi (1984)
- Prefă-te inimă în stea (1989)
- Muzică uşoara...lăutărească (2007)