Solo la frunza de nuc

May 9, 2016 9:33 PM

Romanian walnut-leaf singing

BONUS VIDEO with extra joy and happiness

posted by teponaztli (20 comments total)

Bless you, sir.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 10:00 PM on May 9, 2016 [5 favorites]

He is emoting the way a vocalist does, not the way that musicians in one of these bands does. , that's super interesting. Also, that band is magnificent.
posted by girl Mark at 10:45 PM on May 9, 2016

This adorable lady shows how it's done (kind of).
posted by TwoToneRow at 11:01 PM on May 9, 2016

Romania is a culture that's hard to get a bead upon. Their cuisine, compared to their neighbor to the west, Hungary, is, to be frank, boring. They are democratic, European, and advanced technologically and culturally. This walnut leaf thing?

Benjamin Frankling took the annoying thing where you run your finger around the rim of a wine-glass, and made an instrument of it. The Glass Harmonica.

Up your weird game, Romania! Hosting the only slavic romance language may no longer be enough.
posted by Slap*Happy at 11:09 PM on May 9, 2016 [3 favorites]

Putting reverb on the leaf was a goddamn master stroke.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:11 PM on May 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

Holding the walnut twig to show off that he's playing one-handed, to boot. The backing band's cowboy hats? Their almost reverential aplomb to his lilting manner? So much to unpack here...
posted by progosk at 11:47 PM on May 9, 2016 [5 favorites]

That's pretty nifty. As a child I learned how to hold a blade of grass between my thumbs and use it as something of a whistle/bird call. I wonder if this is somewhat similar? But it's done one handed, and much more melodically. I'll have to play around with some leaves tomorrow and see if I can make any noises.
posted by JiBB at 12:39 AM on May 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Today is a good day.
posted by 1066 at 1:21 AM on May 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

This superhero needs a backstory. How he got this amazing power, who designed the cape, how his hair protects him from attacks, &c. Lafrunzaman! (I'm assuming he can part the seas with that sound, and woo young maidens off their front porches into his arms.)
posted by chavenet at 2:00 AM on May 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Another (capeless) superhero, on on ivy, demonstrating the maiden-spell.
posted by progosk at 2:11 AM on May 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

I can make a tuneless honk with a blade of grass, sometimes, so this was impressive.
posted by Dip Flash at 4:11 AM on May 10, 2016

Here's a previously using fish scales, also from Romania.
posted by sneebler at 5:48 AM on May 10, 2016

I think he's holding the walnut twig because they get kinda slobbery and soft after a few minutes and he just grabs a new leaf off the twig.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 6:10 AM on May 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

So did anyone else as a kid fold wax paper over a comb and blow on it and make a sound similar to this? And did anyone else have to stop after 2-3 seconds because the vibrating feeling against their lips drove them crazy? And is anyone else having flashbacks to that feeling from just listening to this? 'Cause I am.
posted by benito.strauss at 8:29 AM on May 10, 2016

Some people are simply destined for meme immortality.
posted by Nerd of the North at 12:14 PM on May 10, 2016

In case anyone forgot, the Numa Numa viral video was also originally Romanian.
posted by olopua at 12:18 PM on May 10, 2016

This is awesome and wonderful.
posted by nubs at 1:53 PM on May 10, 2016

"Can I get a bit more monitor on the leaf?"
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:13 PM on May 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

It appears Romanians like to take their what-the-fuckery with a heaping side of let's-get-serious-now.
posted by Foam Pants at 4:17 PM on May 10, 2016

"Romanian walnut-leaf singing."

I don't even want to click on the link because it cannot possibly live up to the vision my imagination produces.
posted by emilypdx at 5:56 PM on May 10, 2016 [1 favorite]