10 Seconds: Tereza Catarov
"Thank you George for inviting me to share my favourite 10 seconds . It was more of a challenge than I thought it would be."
1. Gabi Lunca - Vai, ce rău mă simt acuma (1'29" - 1'39")
"It's by one of the greatest Romanian singers who ever lived, Gabi Luncă. She is considered one of the queens of the Romanian genre known as muzică lăutărească, a traditional Romanian urban folk music tradition characterised by highly expressive singing and instrumental playing, elaborate ornamentation, improvisation, and a strong emphasis on emotion and virtuosity.
This particular song is a lament. It’s less about telling a story and more about giving an emotional expression to pain. From the very first moment, from the very first note that Gabi sings, I can hear all the grief and pain in the world. And somehow, that has such a healing, almost cathartic effect, something that, to me, only a true lăutar like Gabi can provide.
Traditionally, Romanian lăutari were professional musicians who performed at social gatherings and celebrations. They were known for being able to read the room almost instantly and, in some contexts, create or adapt a song on the spot for the person sitting in front of them, turning their particular emotions, experiences, or suffering into music and, in doing so, melting their heart."
2. Rosa Passos & Margareth Menezes - Eu Vim da Bahia (2’31” - 2’41”)
"The second song that comes to mind is a live recording by the Brazilian singer Rosa Passos, who is another of my favourite singers. Here she is performing “Eu Vim da Bahia,” written by Gilberto Gil. I’m always amazed by the way Rosa plays with rhythm. It almost drives me insane, in the best possible way! And her voice colour is just so beautiful. It feels like a warm hug, while at the same time she pulls you into this mesmerising dance through her phrasing and rhythmic choices."
3. Taraf de Haïdouks - Un țigan avea o casă/ A Gypsy Had a House (1'39" - 1'49")
from Taraf de Haïdouks - Band of Gypsies (2001)
"The third pick is a Romanian song called “Un țigan avea o casă,” performed by Taraf de Haïdouks. My favourite 10 seconds are from 1:39. The instrument you hear is the țambal, a traditional Romanian instrument usually responsible for the rhythmic aspect of the music, together with the bass, but which can also take on a solo and improvisational role."
4. Yiorgos Bereris - Quiet Hopes Taksim (0’59” - 1’09”)
from Yiorgos Bereris - Sea in Common (2026)
"The fourth song I picked is by the Greek pianist and composer Yiorgos Bereris. Yiorgos is also the pianist on my debut album, Koren. This particular piece comes from his latest album, Sea in Common, and is a duo with the amazing violinist Yivonne Melissa. The song is called “Quiet Hopes Taksim”, and it is an improvised piece.
What amazes me most about Yiorgos is the way he listens. He doesn’t just listen to the notes someone is playing, he seems to listen to everything underneath them. The emotion, the hesitation, the intention, the direction someone is trying to take the music. Sometimes it feels as though he can hear what the other person is about to say before they have even found the words for it themselves. Yivonne has one of the most beautiful violin sounds I have ever heard. There are moments when it genuinely feels like she isn't playing the violin at all, but speaking through it and again like some of the other examples I brought here, has this immense capacity of melting hearts."
5. Alex Simu Quintet - Armenian Street (1’51” – 2’01”)
from Alex Simu Quintet - Echoes of Bucharest (2019)
"By the great Romanian composer and clarinetist Alex Simu. For me, this entire piece feels like a beautiful journey.
My 10 seconds start at 1:51, but to really feel the intensity of those few seconds, you have to listen to what comes before them. The clarinet begins to climb, slowly building tension with an ascending scale, while the piano plays these beautiful arpeggios underneath. Everything keeps moving upwards, creating this feeling that something is about to happen, until suddenly the first theme of the song returns. And when it does, all that tension melts away. There is this incredible sense of arrival and release almost like finally being able to breathe after holding your breath for too long. For me, that is what music is all about: tension and release, the journey and finally coming home."
6. John Coltrane - Naima (0'00" - 0'10")
from John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1960)
"“Naima” by the great John Coltrane, and my favourite 10 seconds are actually the very first 10 seconds of the song. There is no waiting around, no introduction, no playing about. From the very first note, Coltrane is blowing my mind and soul away with one of the most beautiful melodies ever written. There is something almost impossible to explain about those opening notes. It’s one of those moments where you hear a melody and immediately feel that you are listening to something timeless"
7. Bill Evans - Nardis (3’16” – 3’26”)
from Bill Evans - Explorations (1961)
"My favourite moment comes right at the beginning of his solo, at around 3:16. What still mesmerises me is how Bill can open up an entirely new world with just two notes. It’s such a simple idea, but the way he places those notes rhythmically makes them feel completely alive. He leaves space between them, plays with where they fall against the pulse, and somehow makes the rhythm feel as important as the notes themselves. It's a beautiful reminder that you don’t need a lot of notes to create something profound. Sometimes it’s about where you place a note, when you choose not to play, and how you make the listener wait for the next one.
This is also one of my favourite solos I have ever transcribed."
8. Ella Fitzgerald - You're My Thrill (1’06” - 1’16”)
from Ella Fitzgerald - Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! (1961)
"The eighth one is by the great Ella Fitzgerald. Ella is the reason I decided I want to sing and to study jazz. I was quite young when I took that decision, I was only five and had no idea what would that imply (hah), but something in hearing Ella’s voice captured me instantly.
Recently I bought a vinyl with Ella and listened to this song called “You are my thrill”. It was like hearing Ella for the first time all over again. I had this strange feeling that she was there with me in the room, as weird as it might sound. If you listen to the recording, you might understand what I mean, because you can hear every breathe that she takes, every moment when she opens and closes her mouth, every human aspect that Ella brings. Which is such a rare thing to feel...unfortunately. We have become so used to perfectly edited, polished, and processed recordings that sometimes we lose the feeling of the human being behind the sound."
9. Bulgarian National Radio Choir - Kalimanku Denku (0’23” - 0’33”)
"The close harmony, the melismatic melodies, the intensity and emotion, everything feels completely out of this world. The voices somehow become one enormous instrument, and yet you can still hear the individuality within them.
I don't really know how to explain what happens to me when I hear this music. I just know that it reaches somewhere very deep, before words even have a chance to catch up."
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