Nai (pan flute)

The Nai is the Romanian pan flute. In this panpipe the tubes are slightly curved. It should not be confused with the Nayflöte.

History

The Nai came from Turkey to Romania until 1944, it has preserved thanks to the Romanian gypsy folk their existence through the centuries. After the political change in 1944 they came as folk instrument into oblivion. But the Folklore Institute, founded in 1949 in Bucharest transferred to the then single panflutists Fănică Luca the mandate to save Nai before sinking. Fănică Lucas pupils have the Nai spread all over the world and expanded the repertoire and technique. Today, the Nai is played in all music genres ( from classical to jazz ).