The Horn-Violinist of Govanhill: Meet the man keeping Queen's Park musical
by Natalie Whittle
Vasily Teglas has been playing music since he was a boy. Now, in his 71st year, most days he sets off from home with a suitcase carrying a loud speaker and a horn-violin. He unpacks by a bench in Queen’s Park, and plugs the traditional Romanian instrument – a string bridge attached to a gramophone-style trumpet – into the amp. Then the park starts to fill with what has become a familiar lockdown sound as Vasily plays a mix of Romanian, Scottish and pop music, including a distinctive rendition of the 2019 chart-topper, ‘Dance Monkey’.
Greater Govanhill joined him on the bench (observing social distancing) and asked a few questions (with the help of a passing young translator).
How long have you lived in Scotland?
I’ve been here for 10 years, but I’ve also lived in Romania for some of that time. I wanted to help my wife at home – she is 80 years old, and we are very poor. I’m making money for my family. But now I can’t afford to go home – I don’t have enough to go back, it would cost hundreds of pounds.
When did you learn to play music?
I am from a town called Beius (in Bihor county, north-west Romania). I learnt to play the violin aged seven, and then I joined an orchestra as a teenager. This – the horn-violin – is a special instrument from my town.
How do you choose what to play?
I play what people like the most – I see people giving the thumbs up to ‘Dance Monkey’, and one or two people have started dancing. I play anything people ask me to play – Romanian or Scottish music mostly.
What do you make of the coronavirus?
It has made things harder. I don’t have much money for food, and the virus has made it harder to work. Playing the violin all day can be tiring!
We asked Jani Lang of Ando Glaso, what exactly is a horn trumpet?
“The instrument is called vioara cu goarna in Romania. It originates from a design by John Matthias Augustus Stroh who invented the instrument at the very end of the 19th century. As during this era, amplification and recording equipment weren't developed, Stroh designed these instruments to be used for large events or recordings. But the sound of these instruments didn't suit classical music, and they vanished as amplification and recording technology evolved. Although slightly different in design, the Stroh violins remained popular amongst Roma musicians in the Bihar region of Romania where these instruments assimilated into the local traditional music. A large percentage of Glasgow's Romanian Roma population come from Bihar and amongst them there are real masters of this rare instrument.”
Natalie Whittle is a journalist based in Glasgow; she runs The Glasgow Papers website and The Outwith Agency in Govanhill