| Zdob şi Zdub | |
|---|---|
Zdob şi Zdub before the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf. |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Chişinău, Moldova |
| Genres | Ska punk, Rapcore, gypsy punk |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Website | http://www.zdob-si-zdub.com |
| Members | |
| Roman Iagupov Mihai Gîncu Sveatoslav Starus Andrei Cebotari Valeriu Mazîlu Victor Dandeş |
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| Past members | |
| Anatol Pugaci Igor Buzurniuc Alexandru Gîncu Valeriu Pugaci |
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Zdob şi Zdub is a Moldovan band, based in Chişinău, whose work for the last several years has combined elements of hip-hop (especially sampling), hardcore punk and comical lyrics with traditional Romanian folk music. The name is onomatopoeic for the sound of a drum beat. In English the name is sometimes rendered "Zdob shi Zdub," and this is how their work is catalogued at iTunes and elsewhere. The band represented Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kiev, Ukraine, on May 21, 2005, finishing 6th. It also represented Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, on May 14, 2011, finishing 12th.
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The band was formed in 1994 and has gone through various line-ups. The group's initial sound was rather hardcore, and the lyrics were mostly in Russian. They played at "10 Years After Chernobyl" Action in Chişinău and warmed up for Rage Against the Machine at the Learn to Swim II Festival in 1996. The recording of that festival includes their "В доме моем" ("V dome moiom", "In My House") in Russian and "Hardcore Moldovenesc" in Romanian.
Around 1998, their sound began to change, embracing traditional Romanian music and with lyrics entirely in Romanian.
On August 14, 1999, Zdob şi Zdub played as part of the Russian MTV-Party, held on Red Square in Moscow, along with Russian bands "Gorky Park" and "IFK" and U.S. band Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The band has toured extensively, mostly in Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Romania, but also in Germany (1998) and the Netherlands (2000), and more recently in Serbia, Hungary, and Italy. On January 31, 2001, in Moscow, "Zdob şi Zdub" performed with musician and film director Emir Kusturica and his "No Smoking Orchestra".
The video of their song "Bună Dimineaţa!" ("Good Morning"), a tongue-in-cheek evocation of the agro-romanticism of the Stalinist-era Soviet Union and its satellites was awarded Romanian video clip of the year (2001) at the "Televest" Festival in Timişoara, Romania. The following year they won the equivalent MTV Romania Video Music Award for "Ţiganii şi OZN" ("The Gypsies and the UFO").
In 2003, the band's song "Everybody in the Case Mare" was featured over the opening and closing credits of the short film "Călătorie la oraş" ("A Trip to the City") by Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu.
On February 26, 2005, the band won a national pre-selection contest to claim the right to represent Moldova in its first ever appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest, with their song "Boonika Bate Toba" ("Grandmamma is beating da drum-a"). On May 19 they performed fourth in the running order of the semi-final and came up sixth in the grand final on May 21.
On September 30, 2007 the band appeared on Michael Palin's New Europe shown on BBC 1 in the UK.
Also in 2007, a mashup music video billed as "Black Eyed Peace [sic] ft Zdob şi Zdub—Don't Mess with Inima Mea" began appearing on the Internet, mixing the song "Don't Phunk with My Heart" by The Black Eyed Peas with elements from the song "DJ Vasile" by Zdob şi Zdub.
On February 26, 2005, the band won a national pre-selection contest to claim the right to represent Moldova in its first ever appearance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, with their song "Boonika Bate Toba" ("Grandmamma is beating da drum-a"). On May 19 they performed fourth in the running order of the semi-final and ended up in 2nd place with 207 points. Qualifying for the grand final on May 21, they drew starting position 7. After voting, they claimed 6th place with 148 points.
In February 2011, the band once again won the right to represent Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 held in Dusseldorf. The song they performed was "So lucky". The band performed in the second semi final on May 12, in position 7. After voting they achieved 10th place with 54 points, qualifying them for the grand final on May 14. They performed in the 15th position in the grand final and ended up in 12th place with 97 points at the end of voting.
The following listing is by no means a comprehensive list of who has ever played in Zdob şi Zdub. Early line-ups were very fluid, and many Moldovan musicians have been known to "sit in" for recording sessions or for individual concerts.
Former members:
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None |
Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 |
Succeeded by Arsenium & Natalia Gordienko with "Loca" |
| Preceded by SunStroke Project & Olia Tira with "Run Away" |
Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 |
Succeeded by Incumbent |