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Romania through international eyes

Vivid Questionnaire - Radu Draganescu

October 2005

Fresh from being hailed as one of the successes of Budapest’s annual Sighet Festival, Zum’s keyboard player Radu Draganescu is this month’s subject. Zum’s next date will be at the Arcub Jazz Festival, on 24th October.

Vivid: So, how’s life?

I’m a positive person, so life is beautiful!

Do you, or have you, ever had a nickname, and if so, what?

I’ve had a few … “Zigot” for example, in the army. None have stuck though.

What is your earliest memory?

It was autumn and getting dark. I was with my grandmother and we went to buy some sweets. At that time, we had Pepsi and Cico (a sort of Orangina) as refreshment. I preferred Cico. I was about five.

What were you like at school?

I was a good student. I had the best time in high school.

Are you a good dancer?

I love to dance when I’m feeling free.

What is the last good book you read?

I don’t have too much time to read, and I’m ashamed of that. However I like buying books and bought some at the recent book fair. I guess all my spare time is spent playing piano and thinking about my new album.

What was the last CD you bought?

I’m always on the lookout for weird sounds and tunes, but I’m not your average music buyer. I’m not in tune with the redone, remixed music of today. A DJ is a DJ, playing records. Live music is something else.

If you went on ‘Mastermind,’ what would your special subject be?

Probably music.

Do you collect anything?

I have quite a record collection too. And then there is of course my keyboards. I also have a small collection of icons painted by a friend.

Would you sunbathe naked?

I do, every summer in Vama Veche.

How was Vama Veche this summer?

Years ago we had great times there. Now its superficial, commercial and expensive.

Would you bungee-jump?

A very hard question. I’d like to, but something keeps my feet on the ground. Sometimes in my dreams I have a fear of falling, which I’d like to confront.

Where did you spend your most recent holiday?

In Budapest, when we played at the Sziget Festival.

If you could holiday anywhere, where would it be?

I’d like to spend more time in a village near Hateg (Deva), where I own a small house.

If you could live anywhere, where would you live?

I haven’t travelled that much, but I like my country, and somehow, I also like Bucharest a lot.

What is your greatest personal sporting achievement?

I like skiing and tennis, but I just do them for fun.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

The first meal cooked by my second girlfriend on the third day of our four-year relationship.

Describe the best party you ever went to.

My friend Ingo in Sibiu always used to have good parties, with very good music and drinks, jazzy, clubby tunes, and in the morning Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Deep Purple, Miles Davis or Ravel would be playing.

What is your most recent extravagance?

I’m always adding to my studio equipment. The last thing I bought was an orchestra sound package.

When was the last time you cried?

This morning, when I received the phone bill.

What is your favourite musical instrument?

I like many instruments because each one inspires a different attitude. The cello’s sound is close to a human voice, the kind of instrument you can talk to.

What are you best at doing?

Music. But no matter what I do, I try to do my best.

What would you personally like to achieve in the future?

I just want to put out good records, and perform some nice concerts with my group.

Which five words best describe you?

Musical, freed, loving, sweet-toothed and milk-loving!

What do you like least about yourself?

Sometimes I feel I could do more, and time is short.

What do you like least about yourself physically?

The fact that I don’t have big hair, you know, like Ronnie James Dio.

Is the glass half-full, or half-empty?

Of course, it’s half-full.

If you were not doing your current job, what might you do?

At school I liked physics and astronomy, and I still like looking at the stars.

Who is your favourite Spice Girl?

David Beckham. The moment he left Manchester he became a Spice Girl.

Where were you on 31st December, 1989?

I performed in a TV show in Piata Revolutiei.

What do you do passionately?

Perform live music.

What is your most prized possession?

My musical equipment.

What possessions to you always carry with you?

I’m not happy to admit it, but I have to carry my mobile phone (a Nokia 6800).

What might you be reincarnated as?

I’d hope as a cat, considering how well they are treated by my mother.

What was the most you have ever paid for a hairdresser?

A few years ago it was the minimum amount for a simple haircut, now it’s zero because I’ve bought a shaver to keep it really short.

What was your first car?

A combi-model Trabant, in 1992, from my grandfather. It lasted a good five years but every girlfriend I had ended up pushing it.

You can’t do that with girls any more.

See, that’s what democracy brings!

What do you do in hotel rooms?

Nothing special. Sleep, and wait for the next day to arrive.

What is your favourite all-time television show?

One of my favourite shows is Bands Reunited on VH1. There’s always something special about being in a band.

What is your all-time favourite work of art?

I like the work of many artists, but I was definitely impressed by Andrei Rubliov, the Andrei Tarkowski film, when I saw it the first time.

Who is your favourite James Bond girl?

Probably Halle Berry. She was good in Monster’s Ball, too.

Have you had any interesting jobs before this?

I worked in a metal workshop in Germany, which enabled me to buy my first keyboards.

Have you got any pets?

I’ve got three cats: Panda, Filip and Peticutza.

What is your favourite website?

It’s my own website www.zum.ro - but the subscription is overdue and I haven’t had time to go to the bank to pay it. I’ll do it today, I think.

Have you ever written a letter to a newspaper or magazine?

I sent a fax once to a newspaper trying to find some kittens a home. The fax was published and I got quite a response. I ended up sending some of them to Braila by train in a cardboard box.

Have you ever been arrested?

I was part of the Revolution, on 21st December 1989, but managed to avoid getting killed.

When was the last time you were in a fight?

When I was a small child, at school, over nothing in particular.

Who is the sexiest person in the world?

Life is more than looking at Playboy. I mean, come on!

Who is the sexiest person you know?

My friend Wolfi because every night at the seaside we walk together and have a lot of fun.

Describe your most recent dream.

I usually dream when I’m awake, and they involve music, which I’m relating here.

Do you talk in your sleep?

No, and I’m happy with that.

When did you last have too much to drink?

Last November or December I think. The next day was horrible.

What was the best rock concert you were at?

This summer I was very impressed by an old rock group called Saxon, who I saw at the Sighet Festival. I also recall a very good jazz concert, probably 8-10 years ago, with Airto Moreira, a brilliant percussionist.

If you had three wishes, what would they be?

My only wish is that God continues to love me the way He has done until now.

If a film was made of your life, who would best play you??

Bambi (the little deer) because both of us have hairy legs.

What is the best thing about living in Romania?

The beautiful landscape, the wonderful girls, the gorgeous sarmale and a lot of tuica.

What Romanian would you most like to meet?

Wolfi, my friend who lives in Germany.

What question would you most like to answer?

Put it this way: I'd love to be able to answer all the questions Sonia, my three-year-old daughter asks. Nearly all of them begin with, "Why..."