A boy in a village of Narail, Bangladesh wearing a lungi with simple twist knot

The lungi (Bengali: লুঙ্গি, Hindi: लुंगी, Urdu, Saraiki, Punjabi, Sindhi:لنگی, Telugu: లుంగీ Oriya: ଲୁଙ୍ଗି, Malayalam: ലുങ്കി, Tamil: லுங்கி, or Saram(சரம் ), also known as a sarong, is a traditional garment worn around the waist in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Horn of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula . It is particularly popular in regions where the heat and humidity create an unpleasant climate for trousers.

Design[link]

Unlike dhutis, which are linear like sheets, lungis are sewn into a tube shape like a skirt. There are also cheaper "open" lungis, in identical dimensions but not sewn into a tube shape. The standard adult lungi is 115 cm in height and 200 cm in length, when open. Children's lungis are available in approximately 2/3 of this size. They are normally woven from cotton and come in a variety of designs and colors. Silk lungis are available for ceremonial purposes such as weddings. The most common styles are either solid-colored or plaid, reflecting the relative ease and cost-effectiveness of producing these patterns on a power loom. Blue is particularly popular, since it fades to pleasant tones in contrast to other colors. Regardless of the design or color, lungis are often lined at the top and bottom with a black/white stripe containing reinforced weaving to prevent fraying.

Usage[link]

A collection of lungis purchased in Dhaka, showing original wrapping

The border of a Bangladeshi lungi, showing the black & white reinforced weave border to minimize fraying

Depending on local tradition, lungis can be worn by men and/or women. They are tied or fastened in various ways, and can be used in different cultural activities, ranging from normal daily life to elaborate wedding ceremonies. For daily purposes, a simple "double twist" knot is most popular, where two points in the upper edge of lungi are brought together and twisted around twice, with the ends tucked in at the waist. However, it is also common for wearers to simply tie a double "pretzel knot" from 2 points on the upper border, which produces a more secure knot. The lungi's length can also be adjusted, for example, by tucking in the lungi at the waist to make it resemble a short skirt.

Regional variations[link]

Bangladesh[link]

Bangladeshi actor Zubair Hasan from Sydney, Australia wearing a traditional lungi and holding up a colorful lungi.

The lungi (Bengali: লুঙ্গি /luŋɡi/) is the most commonly-seen dress of Bangladeshi men, although it is not normally worn on formal occasions. In Bangladesh, lungis are worn by men, almost universally indoors and commonly outdoors as well. Elaborately-designed tartan cotton, batik, or silk lungis are also often presented as wedding gifts to the groom in a Bengali wedding. The typical Bangladeshi lungi is a seamless tubular shape, as opposed to the single sheet worn in other parts of South and Southeast Asia. In Bangladesh, the lungi industry is concentrated in [[Sirajganj], [Kustia],[Khulna]]. Bengali women do not traditionally wear lungis, although non-Bengali tribal women do wear similar garments in some parts of southeastern Bangladesh.

Myanmar[link]

In Myanmar, the lungi is called longyi in Burmese. For men, the lungi is known as a paso (Burmese: ပုဆိုး), and for women, it is known as a htamain (Burmese: ထဘီ). Lungis of different fabrics, including cotton and silk, are worn for informal and formal occasions.

Somalia[link]

In Somalia, the lungi sarong is referred to as a macawis. It is commonly worn by Somali men as casual wear. The traditional color of the macawis is plain white. However, due to trade with the Southeast Asian islands and the Indian subcontinent as well as the location of Somalia on the Spice Route, colourful Southeast Asian-style lungis have been introduced to the country.

India[link]

A lungi clad Oriya man in Baleswar, Orissa

In India, the customs behind wearing lungis varies by state.

In Kerala, the lungi, generally colourful, and available in varying designs, is worn by both men and women. Physical laborers use it as a working dress. A Kerala dhoti in plain white, known as mundu, often bears a golden embroidery, especially in the border length, known as kasavu, which is worn on ceremonial occasions like weddings, festive occasions, etc. Saffron-coloured mundus are also known as kaavi munde. The men generally tuck up their mundus(Kerala dhoti) or lungis with the bottom of the garment being pulled up and tied back on to the waist. This would mean that the mundu (Kerala dhoti) or lungi only covers the body from the waist to the knees.

In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, only men wear this garment, which is not worn in a fashion similar to that of men in Kerala - while Keralites tie it at the RIGHT side the Tamilians tie it to their LEFT. Note - Some of the Muslim communities in Kerala also tie mundu to their LEFT. It is also known as Kaili or Saaram/Chaaram in South Tamil Nadu. The Muslims of Tamil Nadu are found to favor the white colored lungis on formal occasions.

In Punjab (both Pakistani and Indian portions), lungis are worn by both men and women. They are part of traditional dance attire in Bhangra dance groups, but are also popular in rural areas or as home wear.They are generally tied in a different way then in other parts of India and are, as a rule, unstitched and often very colourful.

In Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal lungi is primarily home wear for males of all classes of society. Hindu men generally avoid wearing lungis on the street.

In Orissa Sambalpuri with Sambalpuri pattern and mule based lungis from Khordha are available in addition to normal cotton fabric lungis.

In Haryana it is considered a night dress for men.

Pakistan[link]

In Pakistan, the lungi is worn in the Punjab and Sindh provinces. In the past it used to be very widely worn, but its use has declined considerably in Punjab and is now usually worn by the elderly, as younger people have started wearing the shalwar. Though it is still worn casually by men throughout the Punjab as a form of night dress or as a casual garment worn only within the house during the hot summer months.

Lungis are popular amongst women in Southern Punjab and Sindh, where many lungis bear a certain type of embroidery or pattern. In Sindh the lungi is the most common dress amongst the lower castes and agricultural workers, whereas the upper classes (mostly of Baloch and Rajput descent) wear the wide, baggy Balochi style shalwar.

In the Jhangvi dialect of Punjabi, it is called Majhli but its use with the passage is declining and is being replaced by Shalwar.

Yemen[link]

In Yemen, the garment is called a Futah and is worn by males of all ages.

Oman[link]

In Oman, the garment is called a Izaar. A white Izaar is worn underneath the Thobe and coloured Izaar maybe worn by fishermen and during times of menial labour without Thobe.Sometimes a shorter knee long Izaar is worn on top of the other as part of traditional dance attire.

Saudi Arabia[link]

In Saudi Arabia, the garment is called a Izaar.The tribes people of the southwestern regions like Asir generally wear their own weaved Izaar, similar to those used by tribes in Northern Yemen. They are often black in colour, unstitched and may have tassels. Other Saudis may wear imported Bangladeshi, Indian or Indonesian plaid or striped izaars as a comfortable home wear or for sleeping.It is common in coastal areas. It is also worn by fishermen.

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore[link]

In these regions the Malay wear the Sarong, which also similar to the Lungee. However, the term Lungi is not used.

References[link]

External links[link]

• A Tamil village man in Lungi and Dhalappa
• How to tie a Lungi

See also[link]

• Indian Dress
• Kilt
• Kanga
• Lungee
• Longyi
• Dhoti
• Mundu
• Sarong

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2011)

Tudor Gheorghe (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈtudor ˈɡe̯orɡe]; born August 1, 1945) is a Romanian musician,^[1] actor and poet known primarily for his politically charged musical career and his collaborations with well known figures of late 20th century Romanian poetry. Tudor's recording work is often associated with anti communist activism and has received much critical acclaim during the years. The son of an Iron Guard member, he was forced to take a 4 year break from music by communist authorities after a series of concerts in which he performed songs with politically charged content by renowned Romanian author Ion Luca Caragiale.

He was listed as number 76 on the 2006 100 Greatest Romanians of All Time. Born on August 1, 1945 in Podari, Dolj County, Tudor Gheorghe had a rough childhood as his father was arrested on political grounds and sent to prison in Aiud. His own concerts were banned during the last years of communism.

"Every time I listen to him - and this happens often - Tudor Gheorghe confirms my hunch that Romanian poetry can move mountains" (Marin Sorescu)

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

References[link]

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Miah Persson, born 27 May 1971 in Örnsköldsvik, is a Swedish soprano, active internationally and in recordings.

Career[link]

Miah Persson grew up in Hudiksvall, singing in choirs and taking part in amateur drama productions. After studying social sciences and law at university in Stockholm, she undertook musical studies at the Kulturama, Operastudio 67 and, from 1996, at the University College of Opera also in Stockholm.^[1]

She made her operatic debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at Confidencen in 1998.

As a member of the Royal Swedish Opera her roles have included Barbarina and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Pamina in The Magic Flute (Mozart), Sandrina in La finta giardiniera, Dorinda in Orlando (Handel), Tebaldo in Don Carlos (Verdi), Frasquita in Carmen (Bizet), Gabrielle in La vie Parisienne (Offenbach), Gretel in Hansel und Gretel (Humperdinck) and Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier (Richard Strauss).^[2]

In addition to these roles, at other opera houses Miah Persson has sung Brigida in Cimarosa's Gli sposi per accidenti (Studio Lirico, Cortina, Italy), Hero in Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict (Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris and Baden-Baden), Costanza in Scarlatti's La Griselda (Staatsoper, Berlin), Nannetta in Verdi’s Falstaff (Aix-en-Provence), and Governess in Britten's The Turn of the Screw (Frankfurt).^[2] Other recent roles include Arianna in Creta in 2009, and in 2010 she sang her first Anne Trulove at Glyndebourne.^[3]

She made her concert debut at the Salzburg Festival in 2003 and her operatic debut there in 2004 (Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier) and returned in 2005 (Sifare in Mitridate).

Her Royal Opera House Covent Garden debut was in 2006 (Susanna) and the same year at Glyndebourne Festival sang (Fiordiligi). In 2009 she made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier. She has also appeared with the London Gabrieli Consort and Players and at the Carnegie Hall New York, San Francisco Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

At the Proms she has sung in the Brahms' Requiem, Così fan tutte and Mahler's Symphony No. 2, and has also given song recitals at the Wigmore Hall in London. Her broadcasts on Swedish Radio include Britten Les illuminations, songs by Grieg and Sibelius, songs and arias by Mozart, and Respighi's Christmas Cantata.

Her husband is the tenor Jeremy Ovenden; they have a daughter and a son.^[3]

Recordings[link]

Miah Persson's discography includes Mahler Symphony No. 4 with Ivan Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra, Mozart Mass in C minor KV427, Le nozze di Figaro, Cosi Fan Tutte, Mitridate, Rossini songs, Haydn The Creation, The Seasons, the Requiems of Fauré and Duruflé, Handel Rinaldo, Bach Magnificat and Cantatas BMV 105, 179 & 186, Michael Haydn Sancti Hieronymi, Fernström Songs of the sea, and songs by Rangström, Stenhammar, Sjögren, Nystroem.

References[link]

Renata Tebaldi (Pesaro, Italy, 1 February 1922 – San Marino, 19 December 2004) was an Italian lirico-spinto soprano popular in the post-war period. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved opera singers of all time,^[1] she primarily focused on the verismo roles of the lyric and dramatic repertoires.

Renata Tebaldi with a friend

Early years[link]

Tebaldi was born Renata Ersilia Clotilde Tebaldi in Pesaro, the daughter of a cellist, Teobaldo Tebaldi, and Giuseppina Barbieri, a gifted singer who had wanted a singing career but eventually became a nurse instead. Very soon, the parents split up and Renata, together with her mother, moved to the latter's home town, Langhirano in the Province of Parma.

Stricken with polio at the age of three, Tebaldi was unable to take part in strenuous activities and instead became interested in music. She was a member of the church choir in Langhirano and her mother sent her to piano lessons with Signorina Passani in Parma at the age of thirteen; she worked with boundless diligence, practising four or five hours a day and dreaming of a career as a concert pianist. She also sang everything she heard. Her main source of inspiration was listening to the radio. It was not until her piano teacher took the initiative that Renata was sent to Italo Brancucci, a singing teacher at the conservatory of Parma. She began studying a short time later at the conservatory, taking lessons with Ettore Campogalliani for three years. Renata had to concentrate on scales and voice training for two years before she was allowed to learn the first songs towards the end of her second year of training.

Carmen Melis[link]

She went off to spend a Christmas holiday with her father's brother, her uncle Valentino, at Pesaro. There, as operatic destiny would have it, Valentino owned a small café where the famous former diva Carmen Melis came to buy pastries. Melis was a teacher at the Pesaro Conservatory. Valentino talked to Melis about his niece, and the diva finally consented to audition the young girl. Melis had been a soprano prima donna at La Scala in Milan and had sung with Caruso and Titta Ruffo.

Melis was to become Tebaldi's most important teacher: the next day, and for the remainder of her holiday, Tebaldi worked with Melis; when she returned to Parma, the improvement was so drastic that no one believed it was the same voice. It was then that she determined to move to Pesaro permanently, where she lived with her father's family and took classes with Melis both at the conservatory and privately. Melis organised a scholarship for her and Tebaldi made her first public appearance singing "Ebben? Ne andrò lontana" from Catalani's La Wally at the theatre in Urbino. At the age of 22, Tebaldi made her debut as Elena in Boito's Mefistofele in Rovigo. She performed several more times in Parma – in La Bohème, L'amico Fritz and Andrea Chénier and started working, again through Melis, with the conductor and singing teacher Giuseppe Pais in Milan 1944. An audition for Carlo Gatti, the Scala's director, came to nothing as there were hardly any performances anymore during the war years. She made her debut as Desdemona in Trieste alongside Francesco Merli and caused a stir.

Arturo Toscanini[link]

Her major breakthrough came in 1946, when she auditioned for Arturo Toscanini. Toscanini was favorably impressed, calling her "voce d'angelo" (angel voice). Tebaldi made her La Scala debut that year at the concert which marked the reopening of the theatre after World War II. She sang the "Prayer" ("Dal tuo stellato soglio") from Rossini's biblical opera, Mosè in Egitto, as well as the soprano part in Verdi's Te Deum. She was given the operatic roles of Margherita and Elena in Mefistofele and Elsa in Lohengrin in 1946. The following year, she appeared in La Bohème and as Eva in Die Meistersinger. Toscanini encouraged her to sing the role of Aida and invited her to rehearse the role in his studio. She was of the opinion that the role of Aida was reserved for a dramatic soprano, but Toscanini convinced her and she made her role debut at La Scala in 1950 alongside Mario del Monaco and Fedora Barbieri in a performance conducted by Antonino Votto. This was the greatest success in her still young career and was to launch her international career.

Her voice was used for Sophia Loren's singing in the film version of Aida (1953).

International career[link]

She went on a concert tour with the La Scala ensemble in 1950, first to the Edinburgh Festival and then on to London, where she made her debut as Desdemona in two performances of Otello at Covent Garden and in the Verdi Requiem, both conducted by Victor de Sabata.

Tebaldi and Callas[link]

By the early 1950s, Tebaldi was firmly entrenched at La Scala. But a new star had appeared on the scene – Maria Callas. In 1950 Callas was taken on at La Scala as substitute Aida for an indisposed Tebaldi. Matters came to a head in 1951 when both were with an Italian company touring South America. Perhaps unwisely, the two of them were engaged to appear in the same concert. Afterwards Callas accused Tebaldi of breaking a no-encore agreement, when she delivered not one but two extra arias. The squabble continued when Callas criticised Tebaldi's interpretation of Violetta in Traviata, which Tebaldi has to transpose down, and suggested that she give up the role.^{[citation needed]} The in-fighting continued during the rest of an acrimonious tour.^{[citation needed]} The culmination of this rivalry came in an article in Time magazine where Callas was quoted as saying that comparing herself to Tebaldi was like comparing champagne with Coca-Cola.^[2] However, witnesses to the interview stated that Callas only said "champagne with cognac" after which a bystander quipped, "No, with Coca-Cola", but the Time reporter attributed the comment to Callas.^[3]

Although she had a very powerful voice, Tebaldi always considered herself a lyric soprano. Even though the young Tebaldi successfully performed roles in operas and works by (among others) Rossini, Spontini, Mozart, Handel and Wagner she eventually centered her career on verismo and late Verdi roles, roles not as well suited to Callas' voice. Callas, in contrast, considered herself a dramatic coloratura soprano and started her career in the heaviest roles, but soon after, concentrated on the bel canto repertoire, which were not a good fit for Tebaldi's vocal range and technique. How much of the rivalry was real, and how much whipped up by fans and the press, is open to question. Some also believe that the entire rivalry was instigated by their respective recording companies in order to boost sales, and that they were instructed to play along. According to Time magazine, when Callas quit La Scala, "Tebaldi made a surprising maneuver: she announced that she would not sing at La Scala without Callas. 'I sing only for artistic reasons; it is not my custom to sing against anybody', she said."^[4] Nevertheless, Tebaldi apparently felt that the public perception of a rivalry was ultimately good for both their careers, since it aroused so much interest in the two of them.

In the end, however, there was a reconciliation. After Tebaldi had inaugurated the 1968 Met season with Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, Callas, who by that time had given her last opera performance, went backstage to congratulate Tebaldi. It was the last time the two sopranos were to meet.

The Met[link]

Tebaldi made her American debut in 1950 as Aïda at the San Francisco Opera; her Metropolitan Opera debut took place on January 31, 1955, as Desdemona opposite Mario del Monaco's Otello. For some twenty years, she made the Met the focus of her activities. For the 1962/1963 season, Tebaldi convinced the director of the Met, Rudolf Bing, to stage a revival of Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur. The opera had not been staged since the turn of the century, but Bing was convinced that it would be a great success for Tebaldi, and for Franco Corelli, who sang the role of Maurizio. Unfortunately, Tebaldi was not in top vocal form. Alarmed, she took a thirteen-month hiatus from the stage. She later returned as Mimi to great acclaim.

She sang more at the Met and far less elsewhere. She had developed a special rapport with the Met audiences and became known as "Miss Sold Out". She sang there some 270 times in La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Manon Lescaut, La Fanciulla del West, Otello, La forza del destino, Simon Boccanegra, Falstaff, Andrea Chénier, La Gioconda and Violetta in a production of La traviata created specially for her. She made her last appearance there as Desdemona on 8 January 1973 in the same role in which she had made her debut eighteen years earlier.

Later years[link]

By the end of her career, Tebaldi had sung in 1,262 performances, 1,048 complete operas, and 214 concerts.

Tebaldi never married and had no children. In a 1995 interview with The Times, she said she had no regrets about her single life. "I was in love many times," she said, flashing her dimpled smile. "This is very good for a woman." But she added, "How could I have been a wife, a mother and a singer? Who takes care of the piccolini when you go around the world? Your children would not call you Mama, but Renata."^[1]

Tebaldi retired from the stage in 1973 and from the concert hall in 1976. She spent the majority of her last days in Milan. She died at age 82 at her home, in San Marino. She is buried in the family chapel at Mattaleto cemetery (Langhirano).

Museum[link]

Since February 2010, the 15th century Castle of Torrechiara – Langhirano – has hosted within its rooms a permanent exhibition dedicated to Renata Tebaldi. This “Castle for a Queen” unveils the many sides of this great “diva”, whose artistic and personal life remain on display. The items showcased followed her over the arc of time as she spread the world-class tradition of Italian lyrical art…all the way from the beginning of her career and throughout her artistic achievements. The exhibition is presented by the Renata Tebaldi Committee in collaboration with Superintendence of Environmental Heritage and Landscape of the province of Parma and Piacenza, the Regio Theatre Foundation of Parma and the Municipality of Langhirano and with the patronage of the province of Parma.

Selected Recordings[link]

• Madama Butterfly (Giacomo Puccini): Tullio Serafin conducting the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, with Carlo Bergonzi, Fiorenza Cossotto, Enzo Sordello. Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. (1958) (Decca Records).
• La Bohème (Giacomo Puccini): Tullio Serafin conducting the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, with Carlo Bergonzi, Gianna D'Angelo, Ettore Bastianini. Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. (1959) (Decca Records).
• Manon Lescaut (Giacomo Puccini): Francesco Molinari-Pradelli conducting the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, with Mario Del Monaco, Mario Boriello, Fernando Corena. Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. (1954) (Decca Records).
• La Wally (Alfredo Catalani): Fausto Cleva conducting L'Orchestre National de l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo, with Mario Del Monaco, Piero Cappuccilli, Justino Diaz. Coro Lirico di Torino. (1968) (Decca Records).
• Cavalleria Rusticana (Pietro Mascagni): Alberto Erede. With Jussi Björling and Ettore Bastianini. Recorded live at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in 1957. (London Records)
• Tosca (Giacomo Puccini): Francesco Molinari-Pradelli) conducting the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, with Mario Del Monaco and George London. Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. (1959) (Decca Records).
• Tosca (Giacomo Puccini): Gianandrea Gavazzeni conducting the La Scala Theatre Orchestra, with Giuseppe di Stefano and Tito Gobbi. La Scala Theatre Chorus. Recorded live at La Scala in 1959. Opera d'Oro.

References[link]

Notes[link]

Websites[link]

• Tebaldi, Renata -- Encyclopædia Britannica

External links[link]

• Official Site
• Renata Tebaldi a New Tribute
• International Jose Guillermo Carrillo Foundation
• A Tribute to Renata Tebaldi (including discography)
• YouTube - Renata Tebaldi is Madama Butterfly Tebaldi sings "Un Bel Di Vedremo" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly in this 1959 video.
• Discography (Capon's Lists of Opera Recordings)