A ‘cioban’ is a Romanian word meaning ‘shepherd’, originally from the Persian ‘çoban’. Ciobănel is the diminutive of cioban.
In Romania, as well as near the Alps, Pyrenees, Caucasus, and the rest of the Carpathians, shepherds would perform a biannual migration to and from the higher altitude prairies (summer) to the delta of the local river (Danube, Rhône, etc), called the transhumance (French origin word). During this long journey from lower river valleys, shepherds would have ample time to create and play music as they journeyed over hundreds of kilometers.
Transhumance had a precise organization – sheep cannot march for more than 20 days without stopping near rivers (i.e. having water access). Thus, festivities were created around the every-20-day stops where shepherds would sell wool, milk, and cheese in local markets. The transhumance was also viewed as a rite of coming of age for young boys – a spiritual itinerary allowed them to develop social connections as well as prove themselves from an artistic point of view, either through song, woodwork, or music in the many long nights with other fellow young boys. Often, those itineraries follow fall lines in mountain ranges, as the sheep prefer steep uphill/downhill in valleys.
Thus, the song’s name presents its underlying character: a folk song shepherds would play in the valleys, in order to have natural resonance. The jumpy timbre and repetition of a simple theme highlights the more down-to-Earth nature of the piece and its simpler context, not necessarily for an audience.
The sheet music for it can be found here.
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