Maria Tanase, the daughter of a horticulturalist, was born in the suburbs of Bucharest in 1913. The traditions of the countryside were still strong in these suburbs, the local inhabitants being mainly farmers, seasonal workers (such as those working for Tanase's father's nursery), country tradesmen, and travelling salesmen. Even today in Rumania, vegetable and fruit markets play a central role in city life, leaving many urban areas with a pronounced rural character. Maria's father employed a workforce of young women who knew all about running a garden for its produce, whether vegetables, fruits or flowers. In keeping with Rumanian tradition, it is women rather than men who are trained for this kind of employment. Coming as they did from all over Rumania, these women brought the diverse folk traditions of their hometowns and villages with them. The little Maria was eager to learn each new song that she heard and her first repertoire was an impressive collection of these very songs. Many of them give expression to the loneliness that the womenfolk feel when their husbands leave home, often for months on end, to sell their produce in the cities. Songs like "Trenule, masina mica" or "Agurida" are a poignant mixture of bitterness and humour in the face of such loneliness.