Ion Dumitrache (16 December 1950 – 2 April 2021), artistically and commonly known as Nelu Ploieșteanu, was a Romanian lăutar, singer and fiddler of lăutărească music.
[2] He moved to Bucharest in 1970[1] and worked for 6 months at the Ion Vasilescu Magazine Theater.
[2] His artistic career expanded in 1979[1] when Dumitrache went on a tour to France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
[2] He also collaborated with famous actors such as Gheorghe Dinică or Ștefan Iordache[1] and sang for the Ceaușescu family and for the former Presidents of Romania Ion Iliescu and Traian Băsescu.
The latter was Mihăiță Dumitrache, who suffered from spastic quadriplegia and died on 21 April 2018 at the age of 32.