Music of Transylvania

Transylvania, a historical province in present-day Romania, has been historically and culturally more closely linked to Central Europe than Southeastern Europe, and its music reflects those influences. Inhabited by Romanians, Székelys and other Hungarians, Germans, Serbs, Slovaks, Gypsies, and others, Transylvania has long been a center for folk music from all of these different cultures. Bartók and Kodály collected many folk songs from Transylvania early in the 20th century. Kodály's Székelyfonó (The Spinning Room) uses folk tunes from the area. In our days, Deep Forest included folk songs from Transylvania on their albums.

Violin, kontra and double bass, sometimes with a cimbalom, are the most integral ensemble unit. They are used to play a wide variety of songs, including numerous kinds of specific wedding songs.