Taraf (musical band)
Taraf is a small folk music ensemble from Romania or Moldova, usually consisting of 3-8 musicians. Instruments include the violin, cello, tambourine, accordion, harmonica and cimpoi. A taraf also often includes an instrument typical to the region: a kobza and cimbalom a trumpet and flute, a Tárogató, a clarinet, or a 2-3 stringed lute sometimes called a "zongora". Players may also use instruments improvised from grass, birch bark, mussel shells, and leaves.The group Taraf de Haïdouks, introduced to the West in the 1990s, brought the word to international fame.
