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The group "Secret" was founded in october 1989,by Adriana Angela Buciu (keyboards),former component of a band called "Noaptea" ("The Night").The line-up changed throughout the years,but it is constant since 1993.In January 1990,bass player Angela Vulpescu ,in June 1990 guitarist and violinist Cristina Puia(former player of "Kappa"),in november 1990 guitarist Mirela Paun,and in april 1993 vocalist Claudia Dumitru (previosly in "Formula 5")joined the group.They appeared for the first time in a TV rock show in January 1990,with the best Romanian Rock bands(comemorating the victims of the Revolution in December 1989),with a heavy metal track,"Soare" ("The Sun").The first international tour was in France,in April-May 1990,with concerts in 7 cities and a special appearance at the "Chanson et Rock" festival.In June 1990,Adriana Angela Buciu,who played the keyboards,became the group's drummer.The vacant role was filled by a second guitarist,Mirela Paun.After touring extensively in Romania in 1990 and 1991(biggest festivals-like Rock'90,'91,'92,Fun Radio Rock'90,Sanrock'91,in which they won many awards,including a few for best instrumentalists),the band was invited in Italy for concerts in Rome and Palermo,where they were highly acclaimed for their live performances.In February 1992,the group won the award "Miglior Rivelazione Rock dell'Anno" ("Best Rock Revelation of the Year") after their live broadcasted performance.They apeared on the stage of "Castello Club" in Rome (included in the world tours of Europe,Guns'n'Roses and Nirvana).In a second tour in Italy in the same year,they played at the "Colle Vecchio Festival" and represented Romania at Expo'92 in Genova,with a performance broadcasted live via satellite around the world. A RAI (Italian Television) producer helped them to record their first album (in the very first professional rock studio in Bucharest-Migas Real),in october 1992,which was named "Strict Secret",including 10 tracks,with heavy metal sound and socially oriented lyrics (composed and written by the group),as well as a soulful ballad which topped the Romanian charts ("Dor de Lumina"-"Reach for the Light"),and two covers of Iron Butterfly("In a Gadda da Vida") and Deep Purple("Smoke on the Water").In 1993 the last of the components,vocalist Claudia Dumitru joined the group.A new tour,this time in Turkey (with Romanian based New Orleans Blues guitarist A.G. Weinberger),got them to play with Turkish folk music hero Baris Manco.They played in clubs as well as on stadia, in front of an audience of 60,000 people.In February 1994,after participating at "3 in 1 Rock" concert in Rome,the group was contacted by an experienced manager,Angelo Baj,who became their producer.After touring in Lombardy with another Romanian band called "Iris"(which appeared on MTV Europe),they played at 3 concerts for girl groups,in Germany (Berlin and Munich) and Switzerland (Zurich).Returning in Italy in 1995,the band played in a giant concert in Piazza San Giovanni in Rome,in front in 150,000 people (live broadcasted on Italia 1 TV),along with Zucchero,Paul Young and Def Leppard.They signed a contract with a new indie label called "CNI" (Compagnie Nuove Indie),specialised in world music,recording a second album (digitally,in a studio in Rome) which was internationally released.This album included 8 tracks,most of them based on Romanian traditional ethnic songs,orchestrated with rock instruments.The track "Disco Dance" was chosed for a film soundtrack. In december 1996,they released the album in Romania at the International Music Fair,concerting in the Hard'n'Heavy Cafe in Bucharest,and also performing in a live TV festival organized by a private television , Tele 7 abc (involved in tours of Rod Stewart,Michael Jackson and Eros Ramazzoti).In February-March 1997,they toured Italy again,and in May 1997 they went to Turkey for concerts at a Students' Festival.In the summer 1997,the band was specifically invited to compose music for the soundtrack of "Hammam-Il Bagno Turco" ("The Turkish Bath"),an Italian movie who won the Golden Globe Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998.Impressed by the band's sound at the Jesolo Beach Boom Rock Festival ,the producers of MTV Europe filmed a video for the "R.B.J.T" track.A new tour in Romania in autumn 1997,ending with a performance for the New Year's Eve in Bucharest.After a few months of pause,in which Adriana and Claudia founded a project of their own (which two years later,with another lineup, represented Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest),opening the Hollywood Rock Tour (in 15 Romanian cities),the group toured Italy repeatedly in autumn 1998 and spring 1999,beginning the recording sessions for their third album,without ethnic influences,but with a very alternative sound.The album is due to be released soon,after the girls end their prolonged holidays,well deserved after more than ten years of activity.In the meantime,they finished their college (Cristina as a lawyer, Adriana and Angela as chemists,Mirela as a journalist and Claudia as a a manager).Waiting for the album,we quote Adriana who says: "We're aware of the fact that we shock a lot of people,being girls and playing rock music.But it is even a greater satisfaction for us when we are noticed and remembered for our music.We want the audience to recognize us after the first chord,and exclaim "It's The Secret!". |
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