The World's Marco Werman introduces Bulgaria's Romica Puceanu. The Romanian singer has been called the Balkan Marlene Dietrich and the Billie Holiday of Bucharest.

This is the voice of Romica Puceanu. She's been described as the "Balkan Marlene Dietrich." But she's even more widely known as "the Billy Holiday of the East." That's in part because she was a contemporary of Billie Holiday's.

And also, like Billy Holiday, Romica Puceanu sang about the ups and downs of daily life.

Especially in the poor suburbs of the Romanian capital, Bucharest.

Puceanu became the most popular singer of this style of Gypsy music known as Lautauri. On this newly released archival CD, Puceanu performs with The Gore Brothers.

The Gore Brothers already had a successful band when they came across Puceanu...

They later found out she was a cousin. She sang many gigs with them over the years.

Although many of the songs she performed have a mournful quality to them, it seems Puceanu had a sense of humor as well. She's reported to have shown up for studio sessions with a teapot, containing cognac.

Puceanu continued to perform until 1996, when she died in a car accident on the way back from singing at a wedding. She was 70 years old.

The CD is called "Romica Puceanu & The Gore Brothers: Sounds from a Bygone Age, Volume 2."