Romanian musician Nicolae Voiculeț, disciple of famous Romanian pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir, played Romania’s National Anthem at the Caraiman Cross on Wednesday.
The event was organized on the National Anthem Day at the initiative of the artist and it was joined by two choirs: The Choir of the Brașov County Military Police Inspectorate and the “Mountain Princes of Covasna” Choir. It benefitted from the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Bușteni City Council and the Romanian Military Police.
The action was part of the national tour D.O.R., which translates as “longing” and is also an abbreviation of the Romanian equivalent for “God Protects Romania”.
“For more than 20 years, I have played the Romanian national anthem, Rise up, Romanian folk, in all my concerts around the world with tears in my eyes but also with great hope and honour in my heart!”, Nicolae Voiculeț wrote on Facebook.
“For me, the national anthem is not a simple song to be performed at certain moments, it is a prayer for the memory of those who gave their lives for Romania and a hymn for the dignity the Romanian nation!”
Nicolae Voiculeț took this initiative “to promote national identity and great national values, to promote Romanian tourism, awaken the nation’s conscience, and honour the heroes and those who fought to protect Romania”.
40 artists performing the anthem at 2,291-meter altitude on Caraiman Peak from the Bucegi Mountain Range was a first.
The Caraiman Cross is 39.5 meters tall and it is the highest cross in the world which is situated on a mountain peak. It was built between 1924 and 1928 in the memory of the 30,000 Romanian soldiers fallen in the fights on the Prahova Valley during the First World War.
The First World War is also called in Romania the Reunification War as it was followed by the recognition of the country reuniting all territories inhabited by a historical majority of the Romanian population.
“The Cross is Christ’s weapon, with which He turns the world into paradise! The Cross shows that love is more powerful than death! Whoever gets close to the Cross gets closer to God”, the pan flute player has written on Facebook.
Nicolae Voiculeț is 52 and was born at the foot of the Bucegi Mountain Range, in the city of Sinaia. His father, a priest, spoke five foreign languages perfectly. He inspired the artist’s faith in God and his permanent wish to discover himself spiritually in music and tradition.
Photo credit: Screenshot from Facebook / Nicolae Voiculeț
