Ioan Gyuri Pascu
Ioan Gyuri Pascu | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Ioan Ghiurico (Gyurika) Pascu |
Also known as | Gyuri Pascu Ghyuri Pascu |
Born | Agnita, Sibiu County, Romania | August 31, 1961
Died | September 26, 2016 (aged 55) Bucharest, Romania |
Genres | Rock music, rhythm and blues, jazz, folk revival, folk rock, reggae, reggae fusion, parody music |
Occupation(s) | Musician, comedian, stage actor, film actor, television actor, writer, schoolteacher, restaurateur |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, harmonica, mandolin, piano |
Years active | 1977–2016 |
Labels | Tempo Music |
Ioan Gyuri Pascu (Romanian pronunciation:
Noted for his impressions and musical acts within Divertis' political satire shows, Pascu was also a successful actor, appearing in film productions such as Lucian Pintilie's An Unforgettable Summer and Cristian Mungiu's Occident, and portraying known characters in Romanian theater in various stage adaptations. He also wrote sports columns and was a writer of Christian literature.
He received an offer from Walt Disney Pictures, and he provides the voice of King Louie in 2006 for the Romanian version of the film, The Jungle Book.[1]
Biography
Early life
Pascu was a native of
Pascu began to study piano when he was nine years old, and sang
At age fourteen, Pascu's voice changed. He was still a soprano in the choir, but had to use his
Pascu was also interested in the Cenaclul Flacăra concerts, an outlet for American folk-inspired and folk rock, tolerated under communism.[4] He became familiar with Western music acts such as Olivia Newton-John and Queen, and active in the UTC's cultural brigade, wrote and performed his first folk-rock numbers.[4]
Trandafirii Negri and Fundal
In May 1978, Pascu attended an International Workers' Day celebration in Mediaș, where he befriended brothers Septimiu and Horia Moldovan, who were in the same band as pop singer Elena Cârstea.[2][4] According to Pascu's official site, they played Western rock hits for him, including Deep Purple's "Child in Time" and Uriah Heep's "July Morning".[4] Between 1978 and 1980, Pascu sang with the Moldovans' band Trandafirii Negri, and was invited to perform with them at wedding parties and similar festivities.[2][4] With the money he earned, he purchased his first acoustic guitar directly from the factory in Reghin, and taught himself to play drums.[2][4] He composed one of his first published songs, "Melancolie" ("Melancholy"), in 1979.[4]
In 1980, Pascu applied for
In 1982, their military term over, Pascu and Fundal returned to Mediaș, where Pascu was discovered by
University years and Divertis debut
In 1984, Pascu moved to Cluj-Napoca, and was admitted into the Cluj University Faculty of Letters, studying Romanian and Spanish. He had applied for the similar faculty at the University of Bucharest twice, but failed the entry exam.[2] Soon after admission, he joined the university's theatrical company Ars Amatoria și Fiii, mentored by literary critic Ion Vartic.[2][4][5][6] He performed radio comedy and parody theater during this time,[6] and was involved in Vartic's Echinox literary club.[8] Pascu continued his interest in sports, particularly soccer, and was a noted fan of the college soccer team FC Universitatea Cluj.[9]
In 1986, while Ars Amatoria was touring Bucharest with an adaptation of Ion Luca Caragiale's plays, Pascu met and befriended members of the comedic ensemble and student group Divertis,[2][4][6] which performed subtle political satire against Nicolae Ceaușescu's communist rule.[6][10][11] Pascu had been a Divertis fan since 1982[6] and recalled, "I met with the Divertis boys after a show. They liked me [and] asked me to join the group".[2] His first performance with Divertis took place in 1987, at Izvoru Mureșului resort in Harghita County.[2][4][6] Pascu resumed his musical career, and also in 1987, was invited by Partoș to sing at a summer festival in Deva.[4]
In 1988–1989, upon graduation, Pascu taught Romanian language and
With the end of communism, Pascu diversified his career as an entertainer. After performing a solo music recital in February 1990, he renewed his contract with Divertis, and toured the country with them.
In 1992, with Mircea Rusu, Pascu released the extended play recording Ar putea fi ("It Could Be").[4] In partnership with his girlfriend Daniela Marin, he founded Tempo Music, which claimed to be Romania's first independent music label.[2][4] Pascu also founded his own band, The Blue Workers.[4]
First musical and comedic hits
Pascu recalled that during the 1990s, Divertis had to perform dozens of consecutive encores while on tour, which interfered with the group's regular
In 1993, Pascu experienced his first significant success in music with the album Mixed Grill and the single "Țara arde și babele se piaptănă" ("The Country Is Burning and Old Women Are Combing Their Hair", referencing a Romanian proverb).[4][6] A poll conducted by the journal Evenimentul Zilei nominated the track as the best song of 1993, and the nationwide station Radio Contact awarded Pascu its "Composer of the Year" title.[4][6] Mixed Grill marked Pascu's brief experimentation with a fusion of rock and reggae. Hits such as "Gizzi" and "Mi-am luat colac" ("I Got Me a Lifebuoy") led some to consider him one of the pioneers of Romanian reggae, years ahead of acts like El Negro and Pacha Man.[7] The mix of genres became characteristic of Pascu's work in music: "When I was writing records, I figured that, should someone, say, be playing my record at a party, they would have several kinds to choose from, and they would not grow bored. But it's not because of that, I think that's how inspiration visits me, that this is how I write. I won't stick to any one musical genre."[6] In addition to the piano, guitar and drums, Pascu also began playing the harmonica.[6]
Soon after marrying Daniela Marin in August 1993,[4][13] Pascu was invited by director Lucian Pintilie to star in his film An Unforgettable Summer, alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Claudiu Bleonț and Marcel Iureș. Pascu, who referred to filming on location as his mock-honeymoon,[4] received good reviews for his performance.[14]
Over the following years, Pascu and The Blue Workers released two EPs, the
In 1995, after a series of festivals where he sang together with The Blue Workers, Pascu had a solo recital at Brașov's Golden Stag Festival,[4] and was awarded the Best Album trophy by the music magazine Actualitatea Muzicală, for Mașina cu jazzolină.[17] He was also the opening act for Western rock groups touring Romania: the British bands Jethro Tull, Beats International and Asia, and Germany's Scorpions.[4] As a television actor, Pascu was also taking part in the development of Romania's advertising industry. He was chiefly remembered in pop culture as the spokesman for Connex, one of the first mobile phone operators in Romania, with the catchphrase Alo, Maria? ("Hello, Maria?").[18]
In February 1997, Pascu released the album Gânduri nevinovate ("Innocent Thoughts"). According to his website, it can be considered as Pascu's "first less commercial record."[4] Pascu's daughter, Ana Iarina, was born later in the same month.[4]
After 1997, Pascu prioritized his activity as a music promoter and producer. Between 1998 and 2000, he and his wife helped launch successful pop and
From Occident to Felix și Otilia
Also in 2000, Pascu began working with filmmaker Cristian Mungiu. He wrote the soundtrack to Mungiu's short film Zapping and appeared with Mircea Diaconu in Mungiu's medium-length film Corul pompierilor.[4] They collaborated in Occident, which featured music composed by Pascu and his supporting role as "Gică", opposite Alexandru Papadopol ("Luci"). This contribution earned Pascu critical accolades. Film critic Alex. Leo Șerban referred to Pascu's "memorable" performance as Papadopol's "cynical, good for all neighbor",[19] and cultural journalist Eugenia Vodă suggested that the "authentic by definition"[20] Pascu added "diaphanous touches" to Mungiu's black comedy.[21]
Two years after Occident's premiere, Pascu released the album Stângul de a visa ("The Left to Dream"), which was less of a commercial success and as Pascu noted, was inconsistent with the editorial policies of commercial radio. According to his website, it was not promoted by the mainstream radio stations, and sold most of its copies during live performances.[4] In a 2009 interview, Pascu argued, "Every time I had songs to pitch, [the stations] would say: 'they're good, but they don't fit in with our policies.' [...] If commercial radio stations were to count, I haven't had put out a record since 1993."[6] He also thanked the file sharing community for circulating copies of his music, even though he lost some royalties.[6] Pascu voiced his opposition to the singing competitions phenomenon, stating that as a one-time member of the Mamaia Festival jury, he had a "bittersweet" experience of Romanian pop politics.[22]
Pascu toured the country to mark the celebration of his 20th year in music, mostly performing in provincial clubs. He continued to give occasional concerts (including as an opening act for
He released the solo albums O stea ("A Star")
Pascu parted with Divertis in 2007. At the time, he indicated that he could no longer handle their tight schedule.[3][5] The break was not total, though, since Pascu continued to appear on Animat Planet.[3] In a 2007 interview, reflecting on that show's impact, he stated, "I'm not much of a fan of political humor. I simply like the impromptu kind of humor [...]. If [the joke] happens to be political, it is because that is what we have to do in this series."[2] In 2012, he asserted that his break with political humor was definitive, and against the consensus in Divertis—in 2007, Pascu noted there was already a disagreement between him and Toni Grecu.[22] Shortly after his departure, a conflict between Grecu and the other Divertis actors broke Divertis into competing halves.[14]
Pascu released the album La jumătatea vieții ("Halfway through Life") at Cluj-Napoca recital, in November 2007.
Writing debut and Pro TV projects
At the age of forty, Pascu began publishing
Pascu was also asked to appear in a
In April 2009, Pascu provided the comedic intermezzos at UNITER Awards Gala, but his performance received mixed reviews.[33] Three months later, he was the opening act for American folk artist Suzanne Vega at her Bucharest show.[15][34] Pascu noted that he had honored the invitation only after consulting with his daughter, a Vega fan, and that he adapted his electric guitar songs to the "unplugged" setting, playing the mandolin.[15]
In autumn, he reunited with most of his Divertis colleagues after they moved from Antena 1 to Pro TV.[22][35] He appeared in a Metropolis Theater production of The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky, with veteran Ștefan Radof in the lead role. The play opened to good reviews, and Pascu's presence, along with that of other comedic actors (Alexandru Bindea, Tudorel Filimon), was considered an unusual directorial touch to Gorky's tragedy.[36] Pascu and his Blue Workers performed at the Sibiu Jazz Festival.[37] Late in 2009, Pascu and his wife agreed to a divorce.[13][38]
In April 2010, Pascu sparked criticism in the media when he agreed to perform at a Timișoara rally of Gregorian Bivolaru's Yoga movement (MISA). Bivolaru's legal troubles and allegations regarding MISA's sexual policies were the center of public debates; when contacted by reporters, Pascu stressed that it was a regular gig and stated, "Those people have never harmed me and I have no reason to be avoiding their company."[39] Pascu's activities for that year included other live concerts, including one held during the Bookfest event of June.[40] In November, he was a guest at the Mircea Baniciu tribute concert, entertaining the public with musical impressions of folk singers Nicu Alifantis and Victor Socaciu, and performing Pasărea Colibri classics.[41] Pascu also purchased his own drinking establishment and live music venue, a Bucharest tavern he named Gyuri's Pub, which hosted performances by the Moldovan folk singer Radu Captari. A collaborator of Pascu on solo music projects during spring 2010,[42] Captari sang and played the guitar while riding a horse.[43]
2010 stroke and Divertis split
In late 2010, it was reported that Pascu had suffered a stroke and was recovering at the University Hospital of Bucharest.[13][44] Romania's media speculated that the stroke was caused by the stress of his divorce, although Pascu had stated that the separation was amiable.[13] His career was jeopardized by the stroke, so Pascu decided to quit drinking alcohol.[22] Pascu resumed artistic life, studying for the part of Cadâr in Victor Ion Popa's comedy Take, Ianke and Cadâr. The production went on a tour of Romanian theaters in the early months of 2011.[45]
Pascu returned to Land of Jokes, the comedic series produced by one half of Divertis for Pro TV, where he played the lead character Nemuriciul (a spoof on
The new comedy troupe took the name Distractis, since "the Land of Jokes brand was left with Pro TV",[47] and in August 2011, signed with TVR 1.[22][49] Media analyst Iulian Comanescu stated about the move, "The [Distractis] program managed a fifth place in ratings. It is the beginning of the end for one of the most upright and best loved brands in Romanian television."[50]
In October 2011, Pascu returned to Cluj-Napoca as a celebrity host for the inauguration of Cluj Arena, home ground of the soccer club Universitatea.[9][51] He traveled to Seattle and performed at a fund-raiser for a new Romanian Orthodox cultural center in America.[22] In early 2012, he centered his musical activity on Suceava County, working with local singer-songwriter Lian Cubleșan. Their collaboration resulted in the ballad album Tropa, Tropa... €uropa!, released on January 20 at Câmpulung Moldovenesc, where Pascu and The Blue Workers performed a concert.[52] Pascu appeared with his Occident colleague Mircea Diaconu on the short film Loto, playing the role of a car salesman.[22]
Discography
- Ar putea fi (EP, 1992)
- Mixed Grill (studio album, 1993)
- Mașina cu jazzolină (studio album, 1994)
- Casetă pentru minte, inimă și gură (studio album, 1996)
- Gânduri nevinovate (studio album, 1997)
- Lasă (muzică de casă) (studio album, 2000)
- Stângul de a visa (studio album, 2002)
- Prinde o stea (studio album, 2003)
- Jocul de-a joaca (studio album, 2004)
- 12 ani, 12 balade (greatest hits album, 2005)
- La jumătatea vieții (studio album, 2007)
- Tropa, Tropa... €uropa! (with Lian Cubleșan; studio album, 2012)
References
- ^ "Artist Ioan Gyuri Pascu dies aged 55".
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa (in Romanian) "Gyuri Pascu, un artist de succes" (interview with Ioan Gyuri Pascu), in Evenimentul Zilei, April 29, 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n (in Romanian) Corina Pavel, "Ioan Gyuri Pascu" (interview), in Formula As, Nr. 786, September 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw (in Romanian) Ioan Gyuri Pascu (official site) Archived 2008-04-09 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved May 5, 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l (in Romanian) Patricia Marinescu, "Ioan Gyuri Pascu s-ar întoarce la Divertis, dar nu face față", in Gardianul, February 20, 2008
- ^ HotNews.ro, June 30, 2009
- ^ a b c (in Romanian) Victor Popescu, " 'I've never been to Jamaica/But this is the country I lika' " Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine, in Cotidianul, February 5, 2009
- ^ (in Romanian) Irina Petraș, "Ioan Groșan sau Nordicul om din Est rătăcit în centrul lumii" Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine, in Tribuna, Nr. 192, September 2010, p.5
- ^ a b (in Romanian) Laurențiu Boariu, "Un nou stadion, trei generații", in Monitorul de Cluj, October 12, 2011
- ^ Dilema Veche, Nr. 136, September 2006
- ISBN 973-669-175-6
- ^ (in Romanian) Ramona Vintilă, "Astăzi e ziua ta... Virgil Vochină" Archived 2012-08-19 at the Wayback Machine, in Jurnalul Național, July 23, 2009
- ^ România Liberă, December 15, 2010
- ^ Dilema Veche, Nr. 244, October 2008
- ^ a b c (in Romanian) Mihai Gavrilă, Sînziana Boaru, "Ioan Gyuri Pascu: 'Fetița mea m-a convins să cânt la Suzanne Vega' ", in Adevărul, July 16, 2009
- ISBN 963-9116-95-5
- ^ Octavian Ursulescu, "Global Music Pulse. Romania", in Billboard, July 22, 1995, p.43
- Dilema Veche, Nr. 375, April 2011; Florin Dumitrescu, "Publicitate. Conu' Chirița în balon (I)", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 16, June 2000
- ^ (in Romanian) Alex. Leo Șerban, "Un road-movie imobil – Occident", Editura LiterNet (originally published in Libertatea, September 2002); retrieved May 12, 2011
- ^ (in Romanian) Eugenia Vodă, "Spectatorule, fratele meu!" Archived 2016-04-14 at the Wayback Machine, in România Literară, Nr. 40/2002
- ^ (in Romanian) Eugenia Vodă, "Cum se înmulțesc bananele" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, in România Literară, Nr. 26/2002
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j (in Romanian) Anca Simionescu, "Ruptura Divertișilor. Cum s-a destrămat cel mai mare grup de umor din istoria României după o prietenie de 30 de ani", in Evenimentul Zilei, January 6, 2012
- ^ (in Romanian) Dan Boicea, "Felix și Otilea vând umor în Piața Divertis" Archived 2012-07-18 at archive.today, in Adevărul, August 10, 2005
- ^ (in Romanian) Alina Erimia, "La Gala 'Cei mai iubiți români ai anului 2003', Adrian Mutu si Horațiu Mălăele i-au dat țeapă Andreei Marin" Archived 2016-06-02 at the Wayback Machine, in Curierul Național, January 12, 2004
- ^ (in Romanian) Radu Paraschivescu, "Cronica TV. Sorry pentru Lori (semnat: tricolorii)", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 278, July 2005
- ^ (in Romanian) "Antimonden. Recital – Gyuri Pascu, la balet", in Jurnalul Național, June 15, 2006
- ^ (in Romanian) Adrian Ivanițchi, "Mon amour @ proetnica.ro" Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine, in Tribuna's Documenta supplement: ProEtnica 2006, September 2006, p.1
- ^ (in Romanian) Dana Depta, "Ioan Gyuri Pascu, La jumătatea vieții" Archived 2011-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, in Clujeanul, November 23, 2007
- ^ (in Romanian) Doinel Tronaru, " 'O noapte furtunoasă', în comunism", in Evenimentul Zilei, February 5, 2008
- ^ (in Romanian) Cronicar, "Actualitatea" Archived 2016-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, in România Literară, Nr. 39/2007; Utopia impusă profile Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, at the NCRR Film Theater Archived 2017-07-08 at the Wayback Machine; retrieved My 12, 2011
- ^ (in Romanian) Claudiu Groza, "Ioan Gyuri Pascu revine pe scena clujeană" Archived 2011-08-23 at the Wayback Machine, in Clujeanul, March 11, 2008
- ^ (in Romanian) "Vine poliția!, la Pro TV", in Evenimentul Zilei, September 25, 2008
- ^ (in Romanian) Iulia Popovici, "Criza strînge rîndurile în teatru", in Observator Cultural, Nr. 472, April 2009; Cristina Rusiecki, "Învârteli și plictiseli" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, in Cultura, Nr. 222, May 2009
- ^ (in Romanian) "Suzanne Vega și Ioan Gyuri Pascu au cântat pe aceeași scenă" Archived 2016-08-09 at the Wayback Machine, in Jurnalul Național, July 18, 2009
- ^ (in Romanian) Diana Popescu, "Gyuri Pascu se întoarce în echipa Divertis, pe post de 'călător în timp' ", in Gândul, August 20, 2009
- ^ (in Romanian) Ion Bogdan Lefter, "Fișier de spectacole: Trei montări cu Ștefan Radof (plus o secvență/și de Livius Ciocârlie)" Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine, in Tribuna, Nr. 169, September 2009, p.29
- ^ (in Romanian) Virgil Mihaiu, "Sibiu 2009. Întâlnire la înalt nivel cu jazzul" Archived 2011-10-02 at the Wayback Machine, in Tribuna, Nr. 160, May 2009, p.31
- ^ (in Romanian) Valentin Bâlă, "Soția lui Ioan Gyuri Pascu cere, în instanță, custodia fiicei lor", in Adevărul, January 15, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) Gerhald Ernst, Liliana Năstase, "MISA caută 'satisfacția' la Casa Armatei din Timișoara cu Dan Puric și Ioan Gyuri Pascu", in Adevărul, April 19, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) "Bookfest 2010, o ediție reușită" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, in Revista 22 online edition, June 15, 2010
- HotNews.ro, November 13, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) Luciana Friedmann, "JCC București. Sub impresia unei voci..." Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine, in Realitatea Evreiască, No. 338–339 (1138–1139), April 2010, p.12
- ^ (in Romanian) Loredana Toma, "Radu Captari a intrat călare în club", in Evenimentul Zilei, November 18, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) "Ioan Gyuri Pascu a suferit un atac cerebral", in Evenimentul Zilei, December 15, 2010
- ^ (in Romanian) A. Roșu, "Ioan Gyuri Pascu, la Pitești, în Take, Ianke și Cadîr", in Curierul Zilei, January 10, 2011; Iulian Bunilă, "Gyuri Pascu vine mâine la Buzău cu Take, Ianke și Cadâr", in Adevărul, Buzău evening edition, February 20, 2011; Nicoleta Chelaru, "Ioan Gyuri Pascu revine la Focșani cu Take, Ianke și Cadâr", in Adevărul, Focșani evening edition, February 20, 2011
- ^ (in Romanian) Ioan Gyuri Pascu s-a întors pe platourile de filmare "Land of Jokes", Pro TV release, March 29, 2011; retrieved May 12, 2011
- ^ a b (in Romanian) Raluca Moisă, "Din toamnă râdem cu trupa Distractis", in Adevărul, June 14, 2011
- ^ (in Romanian) Diana Marcu, "Gyuri Pascu despre fiica sa, Iarina, concurentă la Românii au talent: 'Vineri participă la Olimpiada de pian, faza pe Capitală' ", in Gândul online, March 22, 2011; retrieved January 25, 2012
- ^ (in Romanian) "Distractis, aripa Ioan Gyuri Pascu a grupului Divertis, la TVR" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, in Jurnalul Național, August 31, 2011
- Dilema Veche, Nr. 412: Dosar: Anul Vechi, January 2012
- ^ (in Romanian) Robert Gal-Pal, "Universitatea Cluj, umilită la meciul de inaugurare a noului stadion", in Adevărul, Cluj-Napoca edition, October 12, 2011
- ^ (in Romanian) Dan Coman, "Lian Cubleșan și Ioan Gyuri Pascu își lansează, astăzi, la clubul Aquarius, albumul înregistrat împreună", in Monitorul de Suceava, January 20, 2012
External links
- Ioan Gyuri Pascu at IMDb
- (in Romanian) Official Site
- (in Romanian) Gyuri's Pub (official site)
- (in Romanian) Tempo Music (official label)
- (in Romanian) Interview on Radio Lynx Romania