“My music is the breath of my soul” – this is Paula Hriscu’s motto, and this absolute commitment permeates all her music. Born in Brad, on the breathtakingly beautiful slopes of the Apuseni Mountains in Western Transylvania, Paula is one of Romania’s young stars of traditional folk music. Beautiful and charismatic, she is known for her uncompromising sense of authenticity and her original repertoire, based on serious research in remote Transylvanian villages.
Paula came to music rather late in life, at 22, overcoming a serious health problem that changed her life. Her first album, released in February 2020 and entitled “Nu-i bai că-s micuță/ It doesn’t matter that I’m short”, created quite a stir and drew praises from some of the greatest names of the Romanian traditional folk scene. But Paula’s breakthrough came in December 2020 when she stole the limelight with a superb interpretation of a previously unknown Transylvanian carol, “M-o trimis mama la capre/ My mother sent me with the goats”, which she sang together with renown tenor Bogdan Mihai. In April 2021, there came another hit, the religious song “Ce folos / What’s the use”.
A daring artist who doesn’t shy away from experimentation, Paula has also collaborated with artists from other genres, including hip-hop and pop. She is currently working on two new albums, one of carols and the other of religious songs, which will be released by the end of 2024.
