manele
what it is
Manele (singular: manea) is a music style from the Balkans, mainly derived from Turkish, Greek, Arab or Serbian love songs. It is the cultural product of the romanian gypsy community, but is also present and widespread in Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, parts of Turkey and with expatriates and emigrants originally from these regions. The genre is closely related to Bulgarian chalga (manele brought by Romanian visitors to Bulgaria is referred to as “Romanian chalga”), Serbian turbofolk and Greek laïkó, all being a mixture of local folk, Turkish and Gypsy influences over a pop tune.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make manele a playlist
turn these 13 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is manele?
Manele (singular: manea) is a music style from the Balkans, mainly derived from Turkish, Greek, Arab or Serbian love songs. It is the cultural product of the romanian gypsy community, but is also present and widespread in Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, parts of Turkey and with expatriates and emigrants originally from these regions. The genre is closely related to Bulgarian chalga (manele brought by Romanian visitors to Bulgaria is referred to as “Romanian chalga”), Serbian turbofolk and Greek laïkó, all being a mixture of local folk, Turkish and Gypsy influences over a pop tune.
What are good manele albums to start with?
Try Jenifer buci de fier by Raihold, Altceva...! by Susanu, Au inimă! by Brandy, and Muzică orientală by Îngerii negri.
Who are some women making manele?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/manele/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making manele, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-23