Romanian Classic of the Day: 3 Sud Est - Amintirile (1999)

In 1997, two choreographers, Mihai Budeanu and Viorel Sipos, decided to start a musical project, but first they needed somebody to sing. They stumbled upon Laurentiu Duta, a talented young singer who could reach the high notes that usually only women could reach, and with him they began performing. Their first debut as a group was when Laurentiu sang at a music festival in Mamaia, Romania and Mihai and Viorel were his back-up dancers. After a few of these events, they officially formed the band 3 Sud Est, the name of which simply refers to the fact that they were 3 guys from the Southeast of Romania. They smashed through the charts with their first single Ai Plecat, which managed to remain on the charts for a year to come. And from there, it was all uphill until 2007, when the band released their final single Vorbe Care Dor and their Best Of Album and moved on with their solo careers and their families. Amintirile, which translates to “Memories,” was their fifth and most successful released single.