Singing lyrics like that would present a challenge to any singer in order to prevent them from becoming the worst sort of melodramatic drivel. Not being able to understand Romanian, the only way I have of judging Oana Catalina Chitu's performance is by the quality of her voice, and the manner in which she delivers the songs. In what I think is a wise decision she has opted for taking a subdued approach. Instead of pulling out all the stops and allowing her voice to soar all over the place she stays within the lower register most of the time and allows the emotion that's naturally inherent in the music to shine through.
She has a lovely rich and dark voice that allows one to luxuriate in the textures of what she's singing, without ever feeling that you're being swamped by an emotional overload. Like an opera or jazz singer she uses her voice not as a means of giving the lyrics intellectual meaning but as an instrument that adds another layer of emotional meaning to what her accompanying musicians are creating. I can honestly say that I've never heard sadness and melancholy sound as beautiful as I did while listening to Oana Catalina Chitu singing the thirteen tracks on Bucharest Tango.
For those of you familiar with Eastern European, or many styles of Gypsy music, the sound of the instruments that accompanies Ms. Chitu won't surprise you as they include what you'd expect from this type of ensemble; their version of the hammered dulcimer, the cymbalon, accordion, violin, guitar, bass, and percussion. Hearing these instruments playing tangos might take a little getting used to, but as is the case with the overall sound, once your ears have adjusted, it sounds fine.
Bucharest Tango featuring Oana Catalina Chitu is a collection of tangos like you've never heard tango played before. Rid yourself of any preconceptions as to what you think the music ought to sound like and it won't be long before Oana's wonderful voice and the powerful music of her band will have you completely captivated and under their spell. It's often been claimed that the tango has magic powers and this disc confirms that belief.
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