Gil Dobrica
Encyclopedia
Gil Dobrică was a Romania
n singer.
Born in Dăbuleni
, Dolj County
, Gil Dobrică moved to Craiova
when he was 14, where he went to a vocational school and became a lathe
operator. When he was 17, he started singing at the workers' club in the November 7 Factory in Craiova, with a repertoire ranging from jazz
, soul
, rock
to swing.
In the 1970s he came to Bucharest
and started collaborating with the band Sfinx
. During the same period he recorded his most famous song Hai acasă ("Let's Go Home"), a Romanian verse transposition of John Denver
's popular Take Me Home, Country Roads
. Gil Dobrica made his impact in Romanian music history by transposing into Romanian many famous rock and roll, blues and soul songs, including songs by Ray Charles
, Bill Monroe
, Otis Redding
, Little Richard
and others.
He also made a memorable cameo in the popular Nea Mărin miliardar movie (released in 1979 and starring Amza Pellea
).
Gil Dobrică died in Craiova due to severe gout
complications on April 17, 2007.
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 singer.
Born in Dăbuleni
Dabuleni
Dăbuleni is a town of Dolj County, known for the sandy areas surrounding it, since the 1980s have become part of an 80,000 hectares desert, known as the Oltenian Sahara. The town is the only place in Europe where an official Sand Museum exists. It was declared a town in 2004...
, Dolj County
Dolj County
Dolj -Jiu, "lower Jiu", toward Gorj ) is a county of Romania, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova .- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 734,231 and a population density of 99/km²....
, Gil Dobrică moved to Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
when he was 14, where he went to a vocational school and became a lathe
Lathe
A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...
operator. When he was 17, he started singing at the workers' club in the November 7 Factory in Craiova, with a repertoire ranging from jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
to swing.
In the 1970s he came to 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....
and started collaborating with the band Sfinx
Sfinx (band)
Sfinx was one of the most appreciated Romanian rock acts in the 1970s, along with Phoenix.-The early years :The band was formed in 1963, in Bucharest. It was singer and guitarist Octav Zemlicka who had the idea to start the band...
. During the same period he recorded his most famous song Hai acasă ("Let's Go Home"), a Romanian verse transposition of John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
's popular Take Me Home, Country Roads
Take Me Home, Country Roads
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" is a song written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, and Bill Danoff and initially recorded by John Denver. It was included on his 1971 breakout album Poems, Prayers and Promises; the single went to #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
. Gil Dobrica made his impact in Romanian music history by transposing into Romanian many famous rock and roll, blues and soul songs, including songs by Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
, Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
and others.
He also made a memorable cameo in the popular Nea Mărin miliardar movie (released in 1979 and starring Amza Pellea
Amza Pellea
Amza Pellea was one of the most important Romanian actors, being remarked both for his theatre and his film acting.Born in Băileşti, in Oltenia, he attended the Carol I High School...
).
Gil Dobrică died in Craiova due to severe gout
Gout
Gout is a medical condition usually characterized by recurrent attacks of acute inflammatory arthritis—a red, tender, hot, swollen joint. The metatarsal-phalangeal joint at the base of the big toe is the most commonly affected . However, it may also present as tophi, kidney stones, or urate...
complications on April 17, 2007.
External links
- http://www.supliment.polirom.ro/george/NuMaiEGilDobrica.aspx
- http://www.azi.ro/arhive/2006/02/14/calendar.htm
- http://www.formula-as.ro/reviste_339__233__povestea-lui-gil-dobrica%22nu-mi-vine-sa-cred-ca-mai-exist%22...-.html
- http://www.jurnalul.ro/articol_39110/gil_dobrica__in_renovare_dupa_sapte_vieti.html
- http://www.ziare.com/A_murit_Gil_Dobrica-82003.html