Popicu’s musical events are perfectly natural. Isn’t this the answer - to contrive a new brand of folklore, far more relaxed, imaginative and convincing than the superficial kind you so often see in the media? It’s hard to say. With every new project, Popicu tries to recreate local customs and to capitalize on the spontaneity of Maramures’s musicians and dancers. But you cannot tell how a new genre will be born: spontaneity, even when diluted on stage, may give rise to a new convention. And what Popicu is doing inevitably involves changing the way music is played. Whatever the risks involved, he sees no other way of supporting of the traditions of the Maramures village - and I wonder who could do better. Popicu is not a typical peasant, because his expression of tradition is conscious and militant. Without rejecting modernity, he wants to bring all the conflicting aspects of his life together around a core of traditional beliefs and practices, which he highly esteems. His goals and beliefs may be discussed from one theoretical perspective or another; but if you listen to his recordings, you will feel you are taking part in a real village party. And after all, Popicu will go his own way.
