Romanian pan flute performer Damian Draghici's farewell concert- as he announced it himself- was one to remember. Together with worldwide famous British violinist Nigel Kennedy and a band of US performers, plus a team of Romanians, Draghici put on an exceptional show on May 8 in Bucharest. If it were not for the rainy and windy weather during the concert evening, perhaps the audience would have been even more involved, as the show would have deserved.

The two-part concert, called 'Classic meets Jazz' and organized by the Bright Light foundation, featured a first session of international songs, interpreted by Kennedy on the violin and Draghici on panflute, with the mix US band. Songs like Bottle of Beaujolais, Ederlezi, 4th Glass, Third Stone from the Sun entertained the crowd – a mix of old and young music lovers who came to enjoy an evening of fine music. “For a moment, it felt we were not in Romania anymore,” as one of the Romania-Insider.com friends who attended the concert put it.

A second session followed, filled with Romanian folk songs, tribute to Maria Tanase, George Enescu, Grigoras Dinicu, Fanica Luca and Georges Boulanger, which sounded beautifully on Kennedy's violin. A team of Romanian artists accompanied the two on violin, accordion, cymbal and cello. One of the highlights of this part was a beautifully interpreted Ciuleandra, one of Maria Tanase's songs.

The music was not the only entertaining part of the show. Both Kennedy and Draghici interacted with the audience and with each other in a less formal way, which turned the evening in a meeting of friends, and the feeling was spread among the audience as well.

For the last three days, the two have been rehearsing in Bucharest for this concert, and the British guest said he enjoyed Romania, also hinting at the fact he enjoyed Romanian wines, among others. Drinking was an unofficial theme of the evening, with many of the songs centered on this theme, and the performers themselves mentioning it a couple of times. Kennedy's colorful language, his beer bottle on stage and the jokes made on the expense of the US band and even of his friend Damian Draghici brought even more color and joy to the evening.

Were it not for the bad weather, the concert might have been even livelier – on the public side – and could have lasted even longer than the two extra songs the audience asked for at the end of the concert.

More about Damian Draghici here. More about Nigel Kennedy on his website. Listen to some songs below.

Corina Saceanu, corina@romania-insider.com