Maria Tanase

Maria Tanase was a Romanian singer who was famous for her renditions of both traditional Romanian folk songs and more modern pop music. Born outside of Bucharest, she studied at a Romanian music school, the Scola Primara. In 1934 she joined the Carabus Theatre intent on embarking on an acting career, and studied under the well-known Romanian actor Constantin Tanase. She performed in a few of the company's productions, but it took her four more years before she began attracting attention. She made several recordings that year but they were destroyed by the Iron Guard, an anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi fascist political organization with its own private militia that wielded great power in pre-war Romania. Although the "official" reason for the destruction of the recordings was that they "corrupted" Romnanian folk history, it was believed by many that the real rason was that Tanase was known to associate both professionally and personally with many leading Jewish journalists, artists and musicians. During World War II she performed in "camp shows" for Romanian soldiers with other Romanian singers and actors. She also performed for the country's ruler, King Michael I, and other political leaders during the Christmas season of 1943. She continued performing and recording until shortly before her death from cancer in 1963.