Aurel Budisteanu

Aurel Budisteanu, Musician, Brussels

Fifteen years ago, George Nae came to Belgium from Romania. Today, he is a familiar face to many in the streets of Brussels. His accordion songs lighten up the commute of many travellers in the subway station. Others might know him from his accordion performances in various Roma bands, under the pseudonym or Aurel Budisteanu.

Aurel comes from a family with a long tradition in music. Two of his uncles, a composer and a violinist, were big names in the Romanian music scene. His father wanted him to continue this long tradition and gave him a small accordion and the possibility to take music classes with the famous gypsy musician Andréi Masloi. When he was fifteen, he continued his musical education at the art school in Bukarest. There, he started playing at parties and weddings, and performed in restaurants. When the economy in Romania started to decline, Aurel decided to migrate to Belgium with his wife. Their two children stayed in Romania.

Life in Brussels was tough, as there was hardly any money for food or clothing. To survive, he started performing in the subway and on the streets. Gradually, Aurel acquired a network of friends, with music as a universal language. After a while however, the Belgian Railway Company put limitations on street musician performances. Aurel decided to participate in an exam that would give him a license to keep performing in the streets. His exceptional talents as an accordionist made sure he received this license. And after a course in business management, he became self-employed. His biggest breakthrough was in 2007, when the Brussels academy for folk music offered him a job as a music teacher. Now, Aurel is present in many layers of the Brussels music scene. Next to his daily performances in the street, he also performs with his band ‘Rapsodie’ at various festivals, wedding parties, restaurants, etc.

“I feel good in Belgium. I got an honest opportunity, and I took it”.