"Trenulețul": An analysis on national identity in Moldova's 2022 Eurovision performance

In 2005, Moldova stepped onto the stage of the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time, represented by folk punk band Zdob și Zdub, based in Chișinău. The band’s electric energy placed Moldova in sixth place overall that year, a strong start for the nation. Seventeen years later, the band made yet another return into the spotlight alongside folk musician duo, the Advahov Brothers, performing the song “Trenulețul”. Their song starts off with the roaring punk sound of the guitar, then the rest of the band joins in with their high energy drums and vocals. As a general viewer, the performance is fun, vibrant, and eccentric. However, through an analytical lens, this performance reveals mainstream political ideas and helps construct an idea of what Moldovan national identity is, which as per my previous blog post, is defined through language, history, and ethnicity.  

As informed global citizens and Eurovision viewers, we can use these performances to better understand our world. What narratives are being told through these performances? What narratives are not being highlighted? How do these performances reflect the politics of these countries? To answer these questions, I will dive into the identities of the performers and the backgrounds they come from, as that can inform and provide context for their song. I will then identify how the language use and lyrics in “Trenulețul” indicate a political symbolic meaning, and then unpack the details of the band’s wardrobe and choices in staging. Finally, I will discuss how these aspects of the live performance are examples of essentialism and political messaging.  

Zdob și Zdub and the Advahov Brothers

Zdob și Zdub was formed in 1994 in Moldova with a lot of varying members that have cycled through this band. But at its core is its founder Roman Iagupov, who is the band’s lyricist and vocalist. The band self identifies with the genre of folk punk or hardcore folk and has opened for various rock bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine (Bestiarium, a new Zdob Si Zdub album). Their musical style has evolved from hardcore to adding in traditional Moldovan folk elements to their sound. Zdob și Zdub has performed on the Eurovision stage a total of three times, and uniquely this third time alongside the Advahov Brothers. Vasile and Vitalie Advahov began as a folk music duo in 2005 in Chișinău and has now evolved into a full orchestra (Advahov Brothers, 2026).    

Language and Lyricism  

Each of the three times Zdob și Zdub has performed at Eurovision, they had performed in the languages English and/or Romanian. As Romanian is the primary language in Moldova, this choice in language may be seemingly mundane, but does hold significance. In my preceding blog post, I discussed how language is a defining characteristic of the nation’s national identity and its relation to politics, specifically pointing to the region of Transnistria (a current point of political tension) that is Russian speaking. Zdob și Zdub’s lead singer, Roman Iagupov, was actually born in Russia and into a Russian-speaking family, and the band has an album that is entirely in Russian. The choice to showcase their songs on three separate occasions in Romanian and English is a deliberate one, with the country attempting to steer away from its Soviet past, and looking west.  

The lyrics themselves also relay this narrative without explicitly talking about Russia. “Trenulețul” translates to “train”, and the song tells a story through this metaphor. Interestingly, the song is about a lack of clarity on what defines Moldova as its own country in relation to its neighboring country, Romania, which is displayed in the verses of the song:  

"The train’s going, just like flying; From one country to another; It is going but confused: What's the country? Are they fused? Is it old or is it new? Seems like one, but also two; Both together and apart; Are there two? Or just one part?" (Zdob şi zdub & advahov brothers - moldova).  

The verse reaffirms the question of ethnic identity that I discussed in my previous post, as there are a variety of ways that people living in Moldova self define their ethnicity and how they feel connected to the country itself. The chorus reveals more about Moldova's standing as the vocalist sings, "The train’s route is East to West; Chisinau – Bucharest!" (Zdob şi zdub & advahov brothers - moldova). The band conveys the country's connection to Romania, and specifically a movement from Moldova to Romania. It also implies a movement away from somewhere--from the East. Without saying it, this chorus conveys Moldova's detachment from its Soviet history. It is especially interesting as Transnistria also lies in the eastern part of the country. Both the lyrics and language tell this same narrative by explicitly saying what they do identify with, and implicitly discussing what they do not identify with.  

Costume and Staging  

On stage, the performers are dressed distinctively with a clear blend of traditional with more contemporary fashion. The Advahov Brothers are wearing matching black and white geometric patterned suits, and plain white sneakers. The members of Zdob și Zdub are wearing colors that resemble Moldova’s flag, traditional Moldovan garments with embroidery patterns, and more casual clothing like tee shirts with embroidery patterns printed onto it. The costuming is very reflective of their genre, the combination of traditional with a punky edge to it, and the Advahov Brothers dressed in suits aligns with their more formal orchestral background. Through their embrace of traditional Moldovan clothing, they showcase what defines Moldova as its own independent country outside of being a post-Soviet state.  

The staging tells the same story, as on the LED screens they project vibrant and dynamic embroidery patterns that move almost as if you were looking through a kaleidoscope. Something else significant that is displayed throughout this performance (you can see it most clearly at 2:45 in the video of the live performance) is a specific symbol called the "Tree of Life." This symbol has become the main logo for Moldova's tourism industry alongside the slogan, "Discover the routes of life", and represents integral parts to tourism in Moldova, such as history, culture and tradition, and the economy (Tree of Life – Chisinau). This is important to be noted because as this logo is specifically used by the tourism sector of Moldova, this performance is attempting to brand itself a certain way. With the staging and the costuming together, I interpret this as an invitation for viewers to travel and learn about Moldovan culture from a hegemonic lens. 

Essentialism and Political Messaging  

Throughout this post, I have pointed to various aspects of the performance that display a certain idea of what Moldovan national identity looks like, which can be further explained with the idea of "essentialism". Eurovision researcher Catherine Baker defines essentialism as the idea of emphasizing specific traditions or cultures (in this context, within a nation) while overlooking others (Baker, 2008). This manifests within the performance of “Trenulețul” in various ways, for example the aforementioned element of language use in the song. Romanian and English take the spotlight, while the country's minority languages are marginalized. Another example of this would be the specific filtered lens Moldova's tourism branch offers for non-Moldovans to look through that I had discussed in the section above. Tourism industries do not highlight all sides and perspectives of a nation, and it is clear that Moldova's industry had left a stamp on this Eurovision performance.  

Once put into the current political context, a viewer could see how these examples of essentialism are instruments in political messaging. Moldova's current conflicts are surrounding Transnistria and Russia, as Russia backs this autonomous region of Moldova. It is no coincidence that the language and lyricism turn away from Russia and the general "East" as the country attempts to show its alignment with Romania and Europe as a whole. 

Conclusion  

Through performance art and music, Zdob și Zdub and the Advahov Brothers tell an in depth narrative about their nation. The Eurovision Song Contest has always been an opportunity for countries to self define themselves on a global stage, and each year constructs a new dimension to our understanding of the world. After unpacking the performance of “Trenulețul”, I am left with the question: Is it possible to portray and account for the nuance and multifacetedness of a whole country in a single three minute performance? Although the answer might not be clear yet, it is important to consider the impacts and narratives that each nation brings onto the stage, and to note and question which narratives are being excluded.