Costel Busuioc
Encyclopedia
Costel Busuioc is a Romanian tenor
, Busuioc settled down in Madrid
, Spain
in 2006, where he started working as a bricklayer
in order to support his family back home. Busuioc has sang opera aria
s and Christian music
since he was a teenager; he used to be a cantor
in several Transylvania
n churches.
. "Babel
's children"). Of the 4,000 people who had initially signed up for the contest, Busuioc was pronounced the winner on 13 March 2008, after passing a tie-break stage the same day – he first sang the air Libiamo ne' lieti calici
from Traviata by Verdi
and then Puccini
's Nessun dorma
(from the opera Turandot
), which won him the contest. The offered prize brought Busuioc a contract with Sony BMG; it was stated that the record label is currently arranging that Busuioc's family move to Madrid.
. Busuioc actually had musical lessons in Timişoara
for three years, but his schedule was so tiresome that he could hardly find the time to practice.
Busuioc was nicknamed the "Pavarotti
of the Carpathians
" for his vocal capabilities, given that his formal training is minimal. The songs and arias he chose to sing during the Hijos de Babel contest demanded a tenor B (only a semitone
below the tenor C) several times.
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
Background
Starting as a poor worker and shepherdShepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
, Busuioc settled down in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
in 2006, where he started working as a bricklayer
Bricklayer
A bricklayer or mason is a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork. The term also refers to personnel who use blocks to construct blockwork walls and other forms of masonry. In British and Australian English, a bricklayer is colloquially known as a "brickie".The training of a trade in...
in order to support his family back home. Busuioc has sang opera aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
s and Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
since he was a teenager; he used to be a cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
in several Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
n churches.
Hijos de Babel
While in Spain, a friend insisted that he take part in an audition for the local immigrant-oriented talent contest called Hijos de Babel (spSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. "Babel
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
's children"). Of the 4,000 people who had initially signed up for the contest, Busuioc was pronounced the winner on 13 March 2008, after passing a tie-break stage the same day – he first sang the air Libiamo ne' lieti calici
Libiamo ne' lieti calici
Libiamo ne'lieti calici is the most famous duet from Verdi's La traviata, one of the most well known fragments of opera around the world, and an obligatory performance for any great tenor. The song is categorised as a Brindisi, which encourages alcoholic drinking...
from Traviata by Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
and then Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
's Nessun dorma
Nessun dorma
Nessun dorma is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto , who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot...
(from the opera Turandot
Turandot
Turandot is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini, set to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni.Though Puccini's first interest in the subject was based on his reading of Friedrich Schiller's adaptation of the play, his work is most nearly based on the earlier text Turandot...
), which won him the contest. The offered prize brought Busuioc a contract with Sony BMG; it was stated that the record label is currently arranging that Busuioc's family move to Madrid.
Instruction and capabilities
The story of Busuioc had a large impact back in RomaniaRomania
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...
. Busuioc actually had musical lessons in Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
for three years, but his schedule was so tiresome that he could hardly find the time to practice.
Busuioc was nicknamed the "Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
of the Carpathians
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
" for his vocal capabilities, given that his formal training is minimal. The songs and arias he chose to sing during the Hijos de Babel contest demanded a tenor B (only a semitone
Semitone
A semitone, also called a half step or a half tone, is the smallest musical interval commonly used in Western tonal music, and it is considered the most dissonant when sounded harmonically....
below the tenor C) several times.