Romani music (often referred to as gypsy or gipsy music, which is sometimes considered a derogatory term) is the music of the
Romani people
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sig ...
who have their origins in northern India but today live mostly in Europe.
Historically
nomad
A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...
ic, though now largely settled, the Romani people have long acted as entertainers and tradesmen. In many of the places Romanies live they have become known as musicians. The wide distances travelled have introduced a multitude of influences of:
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
,
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
,
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
,
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
,
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
,
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
,
Slavic,
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
**Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
,
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
,
French,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
, and even Jewish musical forms.
It is difficult to define the parameters of a unified Romani musical style, as there are many differences in melodic, harmonic, rhythmic and formal structures from region to region. Lyrics to Romani songs are often sung in one or more dialects of the
Romani language
Romani (; also Romany, Romanes , Roma; rom, rromani ćhib, links=no) is an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities. According to '' Ethnologue'', seven varieties of Romani are divergent enough to be considered languages of their ...
, and dance frequently accompanies Romani music performance.
The quintessentially Spanish
flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
is to a very large extent the music (and dance, or indeed the culture) of the Romani people of
Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...
.
Apart from Romani music for local use, in Eastern Europe a separate Romani music originated for entertainment at parties and celebrations. This music drew its themes from Hungarian, Romanian, Russian and other sources. Later on it gained popularity in Western Europe, where many Romani orchestras were active, playing sophisticated melodies of East European origin. Probably the most influential Romani musician was
Django Reinhardt
Jean Reinhardt (23 January 1910 – 16 May 1953), known by his Romani nickname Django ( or ), was a Romani-French jazz guitarist and composer. He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most ...
(1910–1953).
Original Romani music
Original Romani folksongs, not derived from the countries where the Romani live, are relatively rare. This particular
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...
is mainly vocal and consists of slow plaintive songs and fast melodies which may be accompanied by dancing. The fast melodies are accompanied with tongue-clacking,
hand-clapping, mouth-basses, clicking of wooden
spoons
Spoons may refer to:
* Spoon, a utensil commonly used with soup
* Spoons (card game), the card game of Donkey, but using spoons
Film and TV
* ''Spoons'' (TV series), a 2005 UK comedy sketch show
*Spoons, a minor character from ''The Sopranos''
...
and other techniques.
There are five main components that are found throughout Romani music of various territories. The first is the use of three voices or parts: the melodic line, the terce and the quint either through vocalization or instruments. The second is syncopation, where the music starts right after a beat while maintaining a consistent rhythm. The third is having the music played in different phrases, meaning that the entrance and exit of different musical themes are felt at different times throughout a song either through rhythm or instruments. The fourth is harmony, where a minor chord is used instead of a major chord. The last is singing, where natural vocal abilities are emphasized.
The development of Romani music dates back to the playing of instruments such as lutes in the late 1400s in Hungary and Italy. Roma would perform with non-Roma as entertainers in any aspect of performance. Eventually, as organized religion gained traction, performance became less emphasized and sometimes prohibited for non-Roma populations, so Roma filled all professional entertainment spots. They also performed at life events such as weddings, baptisms, funerals and circumcisions.
Because there is no one nation state for Romani, they were often forced to create their own living spaces within the countries they settled. Musical and cultural influences were taken from the countries where they lived and incorporated into their own music such as instruments, languages and subject matter of the music itself. Some songs incorporate the Romani language.
Country-related music
Most Romani music is based on the folk music of the countries where the Romani went through or settled. Local music is adopted and performed – usually instrumental – and, slowly, it is transformed into Romani styles, which are usually more complex than the original styles. In its turn, Romani music has greatly influenced the local music. Among these the Hungarian versions have become best known, although examples of Romani music in other countries also endure.
Spain
The
Romani people of Spain
The Romani in Spain, generally known by the exonym () or the endonym ''Calé'', belong to the Iberian Cale Romani subgroup, with smaller populations in Portugal (known as ) and in Southern France. Their sense of identity and cohesion stems f ...
(Iberian Kale people) have contributed significantly to the
Andalusian musical tradition known as
flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
. Although it is not, strictly speaking, Romani music, Flamenco is closely associated to this ethnicity and a significant proportion of famous flamenco artists are Iberian Kale people.
Bulgaria
Due to the significant
Romani population in Bulgaria, this ethnic group's music is very popular. ''Chalgamata'' music is also played by Romani musicians in Bulgaria.
Romania
![PENNELL(1893) p235 - THE WANDERING MUSICANS IN THE WINE-GARDENS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/PENNELL%281893%29_p235_-_THE_WANDERING_MUSICANS_IN_THE_WINE-GARDENS.jpg)
The ''
Lăutari
The Romanian word lăutar (; plural: ''lăutari'') denotes a class of musicians.
The term was adopted by members of a professional clan of Romani musicians in the late XVIII century. The term is derived from ''lăută'', the Romanian word for ...
'' were traditional Romani musicians, playing at various events (weddings, funerals, etc.)
The ''
manele
Manele (from Romanian, ''fem.'' ''sg.'' manea; ''pl.'' manele, the plural form being more common) is a genre of pop folk music from Romania.
The manele can be divided into "classical manele" and "modern manele". The "classical manele" are a Tu ...
'' genre which is very popular in Romania is supported by Romani ethnic musicians, too.
Russia
A choir in Russia was the
Sokolovsky choir.
In 1931, a public Romani theatre,
Romen Theatre
Romen Theatre (russian: link=no, Московский музыкально-драматический театр "Ромэн") is the oldest and the most famous of Romani theatres in the world. The theatre is a key object of Romani culture in Ru ...
, has been established in Moscow incorporating Romani music and dance into theatrical performances.
Turkey
Romani people are known throughout
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
for their musicianship. Their urban music brought echoes of classical
Turkish music
The music of Turkey includes mainly Turkic and Byzantine elements as well as partial influences ranging from Ottoman music, Middle Eastern music and Music of Southeastern Europe, as well as references to more modern European and American popular ...
to the public via the ''
meyhane
A ''meyhane'' (from Persian: میخانه translit. ''meykhaneh'') is a traditional restaurant or bar in Turkey and rest of the Balkans, Azerbaijan and Iran. It serves alcoholic beverages like wine, rakı, vodka, beer with meze and traditiona ...
'' or ''
taverna
A taverna (Greek: ταβέρνα) is a small Greek restaurant that serves Greek cuisine. The taverna is an integral part of Greek culture and has become familiar to people from other countries who visit Greece, as well as through the establishmen ...
''. This type of ''fasıl'' music (a style, not to be confused with the
fasıl
The ''fasıl'' is a suite in Ottoman classical music. It is similar to the Arabic '' nawba'' and '' waslah''.
A classical ''fasıl'' generally includes movements such as '' taksim'', ''peşrev'', '' kâr'', '' beste'', '' ağır semâ'î'', '' y ...
form of classical Turkish music) coupled with food and alcoholic beverages is often associated with the
underclass
The underclass is the segment of the population that occupies the lowest possible position in a class hierarchy, below the core body of the working class.
The general idea that a class system includes a population ''under'' the working class has ...
of Turkish society, though it also can be found in more "respectable" establishments in modern times.
Romanis have also influenced the fasıl itself. Played in music halls, the dance music (''oyun havası'') required at the end of each fasıl has been incorporated with Ottoman ''rakkas'' or
belly dancing
Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different f ...
motifs. The rhythmic
ostinato
In music, an ostinato (; derived from Italian word for ''stubborn'', compare English ''obstinate'') is a motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch. Well-known ostinato-based pieces include ...
accompanying the instrumental improvisation (''ritimli taksim'') for the belly-dance parallels that of the classical ''
gazel
''Gazel'' is a form of Turkish music that has almost died out. While in other parts of West Asia, ''gazel'' is synonymous with '' ghazal'', in Turkey it denotes an improvised form of solo singing that is sometimes accompanied by the '' ney'', '' ud ...
'', a vocal improvisation in free rhythm with rhythmic accompaniment. Popular musical instruments in this kind of fasıl are the clarinet, violin,
kanun and
darbuka
The goblet drum (also chalice drum, tarabuka, tarabaki, darbuka, darabuka, derbake, debuka, doumbek, dumbec, dumbeg, dumbelek, toumperleki, tumbak, or zerbaghali; arz, دربوكة / Romanized: ) is a single-head membranophone with a goblet- ...
. Clarinetist
Mustafa Kandıralı is a well known fasıl musician.
Balkans
A typical type of Romani music is known as
Tallava
Tallava or Talava is a music genre originating from Albanian-speaking communities in Kosovo as well as in North Macedonia, with a presence in Albania. Having originated in the Roma community in Kosovo in the 1990s, it evokes regional Balkan musi ...
. Tallava was originated by the Roma minority in
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
in the 1990s. The genre of Tallava was later adopted among the Ashkali group. Tallava is common among Albania. This genre has influences from other music genres such as Greek (Skiladiko) and Bulgarian (
Chalga
Chalga (; often referred to as pop-folk, short for "popular folk" or ethno-pop, short for "ethnic pop") is a Bulgarian music genre. Chalga or pop-folk is essentially a folk-inspired dance music genre, with a blend of Bulgarian music (Bulgarian ...
). It also blended with Turkish (
Arabesque
The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...
), Arabic (
Arabic pop music
Arabic pop music or Arab pop music is a subgenre of pop music and Arabic music.
Arabic pop is mainly produced and originated in Cairo, Egypt; as Egyptian music genre is by far the most widespread within the region.
Also Beirut, Lebanon, and Gul ...
), Serbian (
Turbo-folk
Turbo-folk (sometimes referred as pop-folk or popular folk) is subgenre of contemporary pop music with its origins in Serbia, that initially developed during the 1980s and 1990s, with similar music styles in Bulgaria (chalga), Romania (manele ...
) and
Albanian music
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
.
Hungary
![Czinka Panna cigányprímás](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Czinka_Panna_cig%C3%A1nypr%C3%ADm%C3%A1s.jpg)
The Rajkó Orchestra and Folk Ensemble is known for preserving Hungarian Roma music, dance and costume culture since 1952. Their work carries on the traditions of century-old generations. Their performances can be seen at a number of venues, among others at the Danube Palace of Budapest during the season between 1 May and 31 October.
Another notable Roma music formation is Ando Drom. Established by Jenő Zsigó in 1993, the Ando Drom Foundation serves to promote Romany art, encourage young talent and to allow the Romany encounter their own culture within the community, through the productions of the band Ando Drom, among others, a group pioneering the reinterpretation of Romany music and dance. Their music is contemporary in nature. Besides authentic Romany folk songs, they play a kind of urban Romany music which gives a voice to the present-day reality of the community. They avoid reconstructing the manners of old musicians and singers or their style.
Traditionally there are two types of Romani music: one rendered for non-Romani audiences, the other is made within the Romani community. The music performed for outsiders is called "gypsy music", which is a colloquial name that comes from
Ferenc Liszt
Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...
. They call the music they play among themselves "folk music". Although Romani musicians in
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
were mentioned in books since the 15th century, musicianship as an occupation didn't become widespread among the
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
until the latter half of the 18th century. The Roma started to develop an ethnic music culture from the 1970s and they obtained national minority status in
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
. Two famous Romani musicians of the 18th century were Mihály Barna and
Panna Cinka
Panna Czinka ( hu, Czinka Panna, sk, Panna Cinková) (1711(?) – 1772) was a famous Hungarian-Romani violinist.
Czinka was born in Sajógömör, Hungary (modern-day Gemer, Slovakia) to a Romani family of musicians. Her father was a court m ...
. The band of the latter had two violins ("prim" and "kontra"), a
cimbalom
The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
, and
double-bass.
The boom of Romani music in the last decades of the 18th century was triggered by the
Hungarian nationalist movement. New genres started to evolve in music, and dance. Romani bands performed in more places, such as parks, promenades. Patronized by
aristocrats
Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'.
At the time of the word' ...
, Romani musicians started to learn more about
Viennese classicism
The First Viennese School is a name mostly used to refer to three composers of the Classical period in Western art music in late-18th-century to early-19th-century Vienna: Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Sometimes ...
and European musical culture. The unique harmonization of Hungarian "gypsy music" started to differ from its Balkanian counterpart. This was one major factor of the Western European success of Hungarian "gypsy music". This music was exotic, but still accessible for the masses. Another contributory factor for success was the tradition of playing without scores. This further popularized the Romani musicians since they learned and play music by ear. Romani bands first consisted of strings,
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
and
duda
) (Polish, Ukrainian Carpathians)
*Diple (Dalmatian Coast)
*Tulum (Turkish and Pontic)
*Tsambouna (Dodecanese and Cyclades)
*Askambandoura (Crete)
*Gajdy (Polish/Czech/Slovak)
*Gaita ( Galician)
*Surle (Serbian/Croatian)
*Mezoued/Zukra (Northern A ...
. Later on harp was replaced with
cimbalom
The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
. The harmonies accompanying the melodies became more dominant in their music.
Duda
) (Polish, Ukrainian Carpathians)
*Diple (Dalmatian Coast)
*Tulum (Turkish and Pontic)
*Tsambouna (Dodecanese and Cyclades)
*Askambandoura (Crete)
*Gajdy (Polish/Czech/Slovak)
*Gaita ( Galician)
*Surle (Serbian/Croatian)
*Mezoued/Zukra (Northern A ...
was replaced by clarinet and
tárogató
The tárogató (''töröksíp'', ''Turkish pipe''; plural ''tárogatók'' or, anglicized, ''tárogatós''; ro, taragot or ''torogoata'') refers to two different woodwind instruments commonly used in both Hungarian and Romanian folk music. The ...
. The instrumentation was impacted by Western classical influences, so the most popular form was: two violins (''prímás'' and ''kontrás''),
cimbalom
The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
, double bass. Bigger bands had clarinet, cello, and later another violin (''tercprímás'').
In the early 19th century, Romani musicians became the representatives of national music. During the
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 or fully Hungarian Civic Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 () was one of many European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. Although th ...
in Hungary, Romani bands played their music for soldiers before and after the battle to encourage and entertain them. After the loss of the war, these musicians gained a lot of respect from the country. Romani music became the symbol of desired freedom. A new genre called
magyar nóta evolved by around the middle of the century. The composers of the time wanted to sound more like Western European music by extending the folksong form and adopting some elements of Western style. This genre was also performed by Romani musicians, thus it started to be labelled as "gypsy music" as well. The most famous Romani composer of this century was
Pista Danko (1858–1903).
Western Europe
The sophisticated music of the Romani orchestras that visited Western Europe became popular in the second half of the 19th century and had its heyday from the 1920s onwards to about 1960, although this music remains popular still today. The tours of ''rajkó''-orchestras – featuring young Romani-musicians – added much to its popularity. The rajkó boys were both endearing and
virtuoso
A virtuoso (from Italian ''virtuoso'' or , "virtuous", Late Latin ''virtuosus'', Latin ''virtus'', "virtue", "excellence" or "skill") is an individual who possesses outstanding talent and technical ability in a particular art or field such as ...
, a combination that enchanted the public.
The
cimbalom
The cimbalom (; ) or concert cimbalom is a type of chordophone composed of a large, trapezoidal box on legs with metal strings stretched across its top and a damping pedal underneath. It was designed and created by V. Josef Schunda in 1874 in ...
, unknown to the Western audience, added its characteristic sound to the violins played in a Romani style. Romani virtuoso like Bela Babai,
[''Gypsy Love'', Bela Babai, "King of the Gypsy Violin", and his orchestra. Columbia Records CL636] Lajos Veres, the many members of the Lakatos family and others became famous. Nowadays the names of
Roby Lakatos
Roby Lakatos (born 1965) is a violinist from Hungary who combines jazz, classical, and Hungarian Romani music
Romani music (often referred to as gypsy or gipsy music, which is sometimes considered a derogatory term) is the music of the Roman ...
, Buffo Sandor and Sandor Jaroka still are household names for the Western connoisseurs of this type of music. In Viena in the early 2000s there started a Balkan Boom, the Balkan Fever Festival was established by Richard Schuberth, an austrian author and admirer of the balkanic cultures, who promoted Romani artists who live in Viena, just as Martin Lubenov from
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, Adrian Gaspar from
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
or Hidan Mamudov from
Macedonia.
Since 2014, an E.U.-supported project named Music4Rom has highlighted the importance of the Romani music in classical music.
Jorge Chaminé
Jorge Chaminé (born 30 April 1956) is a Portuguese operatic baritone.
Biography
Of Spanish and Portuguese parentage, Chaminé was born in Porto. He began his musical studies (piano, voice, cello, guitar, choral and orchestra conducting) at a ...
is one of the founders of this project. The values promoted by Music4Rom include recognition, understanding of others, creativity, tolerance and admiration. The project promotes Romani values to build intercultural bridges, social inclusion and children's education through music.
Mainstream classical western music, including Johannes Brahms' clarinet quintet, has incorporated Romani musical practices.
See also
*
Flamenco
Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
*
Romani jazz
*
Romani punk
*
Lăutari
The Romanian word lăutar (; plural: ''lăutari'') denotes a class of musicians.
The term was adopted by members of a professional clan of Romani musicians in the late XVIII century. The term is derived from ''lăută'', the Romanian word for ...
*
Romani anthem
"Gelem, Gelem" is a song composed by Žarko Jovanović, often used as the anthem of the Romani people. The title has been adapted in many countries by local Roma to match their native orthography and spoken dialect of the Romani language.
Names
...
*
Romani society and culture
The Romani people are a distinct ethnic and cultural group of peoples living all across the globe, who share a family of languages and sometimes a traditional nomadic mode of life. Though their exact origins are unclear, central India is a not ...
*
Pretty Loud
*
Romany hip hop
References
Bibliography
*Broughton, Simon, "Kings and Queens of the Road". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East'', pp 146–158. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books.
*Balint Sarosi, "Zigeunermusik" (Gypsy music), Budapest 1970, in English, German, Hungarian
External links
Romani muzika (blog)The largest archive of Romani music on the Internet – 100,000 Romani songsRomani music live. A musical tour through Romania
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