Florin Salam
Background information
Birth nameFlorin Stoian
Also known asFlorin Salam, Regele manelelor, Al vostru F.S., Regele distracției
Born (1976-09-03) 3 September 1976
Bucharest, Romania
OriginRomania
GenresManele
Occupation(s)singer
Instrument(s)voice, accordion, electric guitar, bass
Years active2000.-present
LabelsNek Music, Big Man, Amma Record, Atlantic

Florin Stoian (born 1 October 1979), better known by his stage name Florin Salam, is a Roma manele singer, and a musician from Bucharest.

Beginnings

On the 1st of October, 1979, he was born. Salam was born into a family of lăutari.[1] During his adolescence, he sang together with his father and uncle's ensembles.

After his father got too old to sing, Salam took his place, singing with his uncle under the name of Florin Fermecătoru'. Thus, he became a singer highly appreciated by fans of the genre.[1] In the meantime, Salam befriended bandleader Dan Bursuc. He helped Salam to record his first single, called "Ce gagică șmecherită" (English: Such a picky chick), in 2002. He played an important part when the smash hit "Of, viața mea" (English: Oh, my life) was released in 2000, sung by Adrian Minune and Costi Ioniță. At the end of 2002, Salam changed his stage name from "Fermecătorul" (English: charming) to the Arabic "Salam" (English: peace, cf. Hebrew shalom). His first song was a great success, and for this reason he continued to record songs and market them with the help of Dan Bursuc. In this way he released his first album of manele which was surprisingly well received by fans of the genre; the album sold more than 40,000 copies. Likewise, Costi Ioniță recorded one of his albums which enjoyed a high success, the album entitled "Doar cu tine" (English: Only with you). The album was recorded in Constanța where Costi Ioniță has his own recording studio.

His friendship with Dan Bursuc brought only advantages, so he met artists of this genre, artists like Vali Vijelie, Nicolae Guță and Daniela Gyorfi.[1]

In 2008 he performed a song together with pop singer Paula Seling and the Bucharest Symphonic Orchestra. The show host described their performance as a reconciliation between manele and mainstream pop music; in the same respect, the song's lyrics raised the problem of ethnic intolerance.

In October 2011, Salam collaborated with the Bosnian musician Goran Bregović, along with whom he recorded "Hopa Cupa" and "Omule", songs which were included in the album Champagne for Gypsies. The album is "in reaction to the extreme pressure that Gypsies (Roma) have been experiencing lately across Europe".[2]

Salam is the vice-president of Asociația Artiștilor, Muzicanților și Lăutarilor Romi din România (English: The Association of Romani Artists, Musicians and Lăutari from Romania). In December 2005, he was announced as the best manele performer of the year. According to the daily paper Libertatea, politician Mădălin Voicu and footballer Marius Niculae count among his fans.

Saint Tropez and subsequent success

External videos
video icon Florin Salam - Saint Tropez on YouTube
video icon Șușanu feat. Salam - Ești bombă on YouTube
video icon Florin Salam și Claudia - Mergem mai departe on YouTube

In February 2013, Salam recorded "Saint Tropez". The song had an unexpected success, with the official video gathering more than 70 million views on YouTube, inasmuch as he was accused that he copied the song from Bulgarian singer Azis.[3] His video became popular and was ranked in most-viewed videos on Romanian YouTube in 2013, after Andra's song, "Inevitabil va fi bine".[4] Since then, Stoian has several concerts in the country and abroad, where large communities of Gypsies live.

Among the most resounding collaborations have included those with Claudia Păun and Nicolae Șușanu, enjoying great success in the country. His smash hit "Ești bombă" (English: You're a bomb), released in July 2013 in collaboration with Șușanu, was viewed by more than 27 million people on YouTube. The songs launched with Claudia ("Ce bine ne stă împreună" – How well we stand together, "Ce frumoasă e dragostea" – How beautiful is love, and "Mergem mai departe" – We go further) feature themes like unfeasible love or desire to be near a loved one, as themes with great appeal to the public.

Today, as Florin Salam, he collaborates with record labels Nek Music and Big Man.

Discography (2012–present)

SongEnglish translationDate releasedLabel
"Sunt cel mai norocos din lume"I'm the luckiest in the world22 March 2012Amma Record
"Jumătate pentru mine"
(feat. Georgiana)
Half for me12 April 2012Nek Music
"Mai frumoasă ca o floare"
(feat. Biju)
More beautiful than a flower28 May 2012Big Man
"Fac ce vrea inima ta"
(feat. Liviu Guță)
I do what your heart wants1 June 2012Big Man
"Lume rea"
(feat. Roxana Prințesa Ardealului)
Bad world2 June 2012Big Man
"Nici o sută, nici o mie"
(feat. Mitzu din Sălaj)
Not a hundred or a thousand11 July 2012Big Man
"Ce frumoasă e dragostea"
(feat. Claudia)
How beautiful is love17 August 2012Nek Music
"Brazilianca"Brazilian woman13 December 2012Nek Music
"Tu ai să plângi"
(feat. Cristi Dorel)
You'll cry18 December 2012Zoom Studio
"Îți cumpăr lalele"
(feat. Nek & Asu)
I'll buy you tulips21 December 2012Nek Music
"Nimeni"
(feat. Răzvan de la Pitești)
Nobody22 December 2012Big Man
"Saint Tropez"1 February 2013Nek Music
"Ia-mă, ia-mă"Take me, take me11 February 2013Kompact Sound
"De-ar trece viața mai ușor"If life would pass easier17 February 2013Nek Music
"Frumusețe de femeie"
(feat. Ninel de la Brăila)
Beauty woman26 February 2013Amma Record
"Doar dragostea"
(feat. Găbiță de la Craiova)
Only love16 March 2013Nek Music
"Cine te-a trimis pe tine"Who sent you5 April 2013Nek Music
"Viața e plină de culori"
(feat. Mihaela Staicu)
Life is full of colors10 April 2013Nek Music
"Bruneta"
(feat. Katy de la Buzău)
The brunette19 May 2013Amma Record
"Să nu te cerți cu frații"
(feat. Mitzu din Sălaj)
Don't brawl with brothers4 July 2013Nek Music
"Ești bombă"
(feat. Șușanu)
You're a bomb9 July 2013Big Man
"De tine m-am îndrăgostit"I'm in love with you29 July 2013Nek Music
"La vârsta mea îmi permit orice"
(feat. Leo de Vis)
At my age I can afford anything28 August 2013Nek Music
"Dacă tu nu ești"If you're not31 August 2013Amma Record
"Nebunia anului"
(feat. Raluca Drăgoi)
The madness of the year17 October 2013Big Man
"Ce ai cu viața mea"What you have with my life21 October 2013Nek Music
"Orice om are o poveste"Everyone has a story11 November 2013Nek Music
"Besame mi amor"Kiss me my love21 November 2013Amma Record
"Mia mia mi amor"My my my love29 November 2013Nek Music
"Cât aș vrea să mai fiu cum eram"How I like to be as I was10 December 2013Amma Record
"O noapte cu mine"
(feat. Leo de Vis)
A night with me19 February 2014Nek Music
"Alege-mă în viața ta"Choose me in your life20 February 2014Nek Music
"Hai iubito"Come on baby11 March 2014Nek Music
"Cum să nu o iubesc"
(feat. Bogdan de la Oradea)
How can I not love her11 April 2014Nek Music
"De-aș mai avea o mică șansă"If I'd have a small chance18 April 2014Nek Music
"Îmi stă bine în brațe la tine"
(feat. Katy de la Buzău)
I look good in your arms18 April 2014Nek Music
"O mie de nopți"
(feat. Nicoleta Ceaunică)
A thousand nights19 April 2014Nek Music
"Fiți pe fază"
(feat. Nek)
Stay tuned22 May 2014Nek Music
"Vino lângă mine"
(feat. Mr. Juve)
Come next to me20 August 2014Nek Music
"Mișcă-te ca o felină"
(feat. Costi de la Timișoara)
Move like a feline10 October 2014Nek Music
"N-aș putea să iubesc banii"I couldn't love the money13 October 2014Nek Music
"Hei mami"
(feat. Șușanu)
Hey mommy28 October 2014Big Man
"99 de probleme"99 problems31 October 2014Zoom Studio
"Saka laka"1 November 2014Nek Music
"Mergem mai departe"
(feat. Claudia)
We go further12 November 2014Nek Music
"Cu tine mi-e bine"
(feat. DeSanto)
With you I'm fine14 November 2014Zoom Studio
"Viața mea e și bună și rea"My life is good and bad25 November 2014Big Man
"Gura lumii e rea"The word of mouth is bad28 November 2014Zoom Studio
"Bailando"Dancing4 December 2014Nek Music
"Indianca mea"
(feat. Ninel de la Brăila & Mr. Juve)
My Indian woman6 December 2014Amma Record
"Un nebun așa ca mine"A fool like me10 December 2014Nek Music
"Sanki, sanki"21 December 2014Zoom Studio
"Nu vreau nimic"
(feat. Nicoleta Ceaunică)
I want nothing23 December 2014Nek Music
"Cine altcineva ca mine"Who else like me25 December 2014Zoom Studio
"Din câte stele sunt pe cer"From how many stars are in the sky29 December 2014Big Man
"A ieșit soarele din nori"The sun came out from the clouds30 December 2014Nek Music
"7 zile"7 days17 January 2015Nek Music
"Am să scriu într-o carte"I'll write in a book30 January 2015Nek Music
"Cuba, Cuba"10 February 2015Nek Music
"Poza ta nu mă sărută"Your photo doesn't kiss me21 February 2015Big Man

Personal life

Salam was married to Ștefania in September 2007, in Antalya, Turkey; the best man was manele singer and close collaborator Adrian Minune. The wedding cost was not less than 500,000 euros. On 12 April 2009, Ștefania (aged 27) died from kidney failure, aggravated by a kidney infection. Moreover, she had long suffered from hepatic cirrhosis.[5]

After his wife's death, Salam had no partner, until 2013, when he met Oana, a young woman from Ploiești.[6] But their relationship did not last more than a few months. As of 2014, he was in a relationship with Roxana Dobre, who had previously posed for Playboy magazine. They intended to marry,[7] and Roxana was pregnant with a girl.[8]

Relations with moneylenders

Early in his career, Salam was financially supported by brothers Sile and Nuțu Cămătaru,[9] renowned moneylenders.[10] After his wife's death, he succumbed to gambling, with accumulating debts, as a situation that pushed him to borrow money from moneylenders. In August 2013, Stoian was aggressed by three debt collectors in front of the Rin Grand Hotel in Bucharest, who were trying to recover by force money given to Florin with usury.[9] Moreover, Salam was investigated by DIICOT for drug use.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Viața lui Florin Salam". FamousWhy (in Romanian). 22 November 2010.
  2. "Champagne for Gypsies (2012)". Goran Bregović.
  3. A.C. (14 February 2014). "Florin Salam după ce a fost acuzat că a furat piesa "Saint Tropez": "Lumea e invidioasă că am scos eu cel mai frumos videoclip. Eu am făcut versurile melodiei. De 3 luni n-am mai călcat în România"". WOWBiz (in Romanian).
  4. Mădălina Cerban (11 December 2013). ""Inevitabil va fi bine", lider pe YouTube. Ce videoclipuri au accesat românii". Mediafax.ro (in Romanian).
  5. "Florin Salam e în doliu! Soția lui a murit la 27 de ani". Știrile Pro TV (in Romanian). 14 April 2009.
  6. "Florin Salam și-a găsit jumătatea! Cine este noua iubită a manelistului". Antena 1 (in Romanian). 18 December 2013.
  7. "Florin Salam și Roxana Dobre și-au ales nașul! Sile Cămătaru îi va cununa pe cei doi îndrăgostiți!". Antena Stars (in Romanian). 30 September 2014.
  8. "Florin Salam şi Roxana Dobre vor avea o fetiţă". România TV (in Romanian). 25 March 2015.
  9. 1 2 Dobrescu, Petre (1 August 2013). "Florin Salam e prizonierul interlopilor". Libertatea (in Romanian).
  10. "Poliția a ridicat peste 70.000 euro din casele "Cămătarilor" și "Sportivilor". Nuțu Cămătaru - săltat de acasă, Sile Cămătaru - reținut alături de alți 40 de infractori". Antena 3 (in Romanian). 22 February 2013.
  11. [He did a concert at albania at lacihttp://www.libertatea.ro/detalii/articol/adrian-minune-vali-vijelie-florin-salam-politie-chicago-531250.html "Dosarele grele ale maneliștilor celebri! Minune, Salam și Vijelie au avut probleme cu legea"]. Libertatea (in Romanian). 7 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
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