Zavaidoc, who became an emblematic name of interwar Romanian lăutărească music, was one of the most powerful voices that shaped the country’s musical culture. Born in Pitești on March 8, 1896, under the real name Marin Teodorescu, the artist grew up in a family where music had been passed down for generations. 

Origins of an extraordinary talent

His father, the renowned fiddler Tănase Teodorescu, and his mother, Constanța, instilled in him from childhood a deep love for song. He was not the only one who inherited this gift, his brother Vasile and his two sisters, Maria and Zoe, all showed remarkable musical ability.

Although life had prepared for him a natural path into the world of lăutărie, fate placed a harsh trial in front of him. Orphaned of his father during adolescence, when he was only 14–15 years old, Marin suddenly found himself responsible for supporting his family, even though he was the youngest of the siblings. This early responsibility would shape his character as well as the way he related to music, transforming it into support, refuge, and profession.

A name born from war

In 1916, the young Marin left for the army, and two years later he volunteered for the front in World War I. It was here that he would receive the name that would later make him famous: Zavaidoc. His commander, General Traian Moșoiu, a great admirer of Romanian folk songs, heard him sing during one of the rare moments of rest on the front. 

Impressed by the liveliness and strength of his interpretation, Moșoiu called him “Zavaidoc,” a term derived from the old word “zavaidoacă,” meaning “high-spirited,” “temperamental,” “full of life.” The nickname became the name of an artist who would inspire generations.

His experience at the front was not only a period of hardship, but also the moment when the artistic personality of the man who would become the most famous fiddler of interwar Bucharest began to take shape. Zavaidoc transformed the soldiers’ pain, longing, and hope into song, giving voice to emotions many did not dare to express.

The brothers’ band and the road to fame

After the end of the war, the Teodorescu family founded the Zavaidoc Brothers’ taraf, a musical ensemble that would become known throughout the country. Zavaidoc was the lead singer, his brother Vasile played the violin, and their sister Zoia played the accordion. 

Soon, Zoia’s husband, the Greek musician Tănase Perlidius, an accomplished clarinetist, joined the ensemble, completing a group with a distinctive and recognizable sound.

The taraf quickly rose to perform on the biggest stages of Romania, filling concert halls to the brim. Zavaidoc’s unique style, a blend of romance, lăutărească music, and folk melodies delivered with rare sensitivity, won over audiences regardless of region, age, or social status.

One of the band members, violinist Florea Voinicilă, later recalled the moments when Zavaidoc sang the piece “Maria neichii, Marie.” “People cried… and I still cry now,” he said, evoking the extraordinary emotional power of the performer. “He raised the whole hall to its feet… He was a decent man, grounded, loved by the public and by women.”

International fame and a stunning refusal

In 1937, Zavaidoc had the opportunity to represent Romania at the Paris World Exhibition, an event that gathered renowned artists from all over the world. His voice echoed through major Parisian halls, and his authentic style, untouched by passing trends, earned the admiration of the international public.

During his years of glory, his exceptional reputation brought him a surprising offer: the famous tenor of the Romanian Opera, Dumitru Mihăilescu Toscani, tried to convince him to pursue a career as an opera tenor. Toscani believed his voice had the lyrical force best suited for elite opera stages.

However, Zavaidoc chose a different path. He gracefully refused the offer, preferring to remain faithful to lăutărească music and the romantic songs that had conquered his heart. He believed his true calling was to sing for ordinary people, in places where music lived directly, spontaneously, in an immediate connection with the public.

The king of Bucharest’s restaurants

The 1930s turned him into the absolute star of Bucharest’s restaurants, a city where nightlife flourished under lamplight and elegant venues thrived with music, dance, and stories. The presence of Zavaidoc’s taraf guaranteed success: restaurant owners competed for the privilege of hosting him, and when it was his turn to perform, all tables filled immediately. Customers stayed until morning, eating and drinking endlessly, asking for song after song.

His earnings were enormous: Zavaidoc became one of the highest-paid musicians of the era. His daughter, Constanța, later recalled that at one point he had “three cars with drivers,” who could consume anything during the performances, all paid by “dad.” His generosity was famous: he gave clothes to poor passersby, supported his nieces, and helped music students at the Conservatory.

Personal life: love, passion, and moments of crisis

Although admired by many women and enjoying tremendous success, Zavaidoc married late, at age 43, to a young woman named Constanța, 15 years younger than he was. Together they had three children: two daughters, Constanța and Niculina, and a son symbolically named Zavaidoc.

The birth of his first child filled him with indescribable joy. He was so happy that he rode across Pitești in a sleigh full of champagne bottles, clinking glasses with anyone he met. But female admiration did not stop after marriage. In Pitești, admirers often appeared at his door hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

In 1943, after receiving orders to join a unit in Târgoviște, his love life reached a moment of crisis. There, Zavaidoc fell in love with a young woman named Tuca, a relationship so intense that it nearly destroyed his marriage.

Decline after the war

The bombings of 1944 struck Bucharest mercilessly, and Zavaidoc’s house was completely destroyed. Left without a home, he took refuge with his family in Caracal. By day, they hid in shelters from the air raids; by night, he continued to sing wherever he could, seeking in music a brief escape from the horrors of war.

He later lived in Roșiorii de Vede, where a restaurant owner hired a 20-person orchestra especially to accompany him. Although still loved by the public, his financial and personal reality grew increasingly difficult. After the death of his sister Zoia, one of the closest people in his life, he collapsed emotionally.

Moving to Câmpulung Muscel and then to Turnu Măgurele did not bring the peace he needed. Without a house, without stable income, and suffering from worsening health problems, Zavaidoc became seriously ill. His blood pressure rose to 28, leaving him completely blind.

The tragic end of a genius of Romanian music

He spent his final days in Bucharest’s “Filantropia” Hospital, where illness and hardship had brought him to a desperate state. On January 13, 1945, Zavaidoc died, on the same day as his daughter Niculina—a tragic coincidence that left the whole family in mourning.

He was buried at Cernica Monastery, the resting place of many Romanian cultural personalities. His death left an enormous void in Romanian music, for he had been not only a talented fiddler but also a voice that became the symbol of an era.

The legacy of an inimitable artist

Today, Zavaidoc’s name is associated with a golden age of Romanian music. His sensitive interpretation, his unique way of conveying emotion, the strength and warmth of his voice remain important landmarks in the oral history of the Romanian people. His songs were not mere romances, they were stories of a world filled with passion, sorrow, joy, and longing.

Zavaidoc sang for soldiers in trenches, for intellectuals in elegant restaurants, for villagers, and for the country’s elites. He refused the glory of the opera stage for the authenticity of lăutărească music. He lived intensely, gave generously, and died poor, yet he remains in the collective memory as the greatest fiddler of interwar Bucharest.

We also recommend: The history of the Cireșica Restaurant, the favorite place of interwar Bucharest, where you went “to eat batoc fish and listen to Zavaidoc”