Romani music

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Romany musicians.jpg
Gypsy with a Mandolin by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, 1874, oil on canvas - Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo - DSC07308.jpg
Romani musicians at a wedding in the Czech Republic in 2005 (left), Romani musician in France in 1874 painted by Camille Corot (right)

Romani music (often referred to as gypsy or gipsy music, which is sometimes considered a derogatory term) [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] is the music of the Romani people who have their origins in northern India but today live mostly in Europe. [7]

Contents

Historically nomadic, 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: Arabic, Byzantine, French, Germanic, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Persian, Romanian, Slavic, Spanish, Turkish and Jewish musical forms. [8]

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, and dance frequently accompanies Romani music performance. [9]

The quintessentially Spanish flamenco is to a very large extent the music (and dance, or indeed the culture) of the Romani people of Andalusia. [10]

Romani people sometimes also perform Hip hop. [11]

Original Romani music

Original Romani folksongs, not derived from the countries where the Roma live, are relatively rare. This particular folk music 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 and other techniques. [12]

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 key center is often used instead of a major one. The last is singing, where natural vocal abilities are emphasized. [13]

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 Roma, 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. [14]

Most Romani music is based on the folk music of the countries where the Roma 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. [15]

This regional aspect of Romani music is vividly expressed in the documentary Latcho Drom , which follows Romani music from Northern India through Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and France, ending in Spain. [16]

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. [17]

Hungary

Panna Cinka Czinka Panna ciganyprimas.jpg
Panna Cinka

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 [18] of Budapest during the season between 1 May and 31 October.

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. They call the music they play among themselves "folk music". [19]

In the early 19th century, Romani musicians became the representatives of national music. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 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. [20]

Romania

Wandering musicians in the wine gardens of Transylvania (Pennell, 1893) PENNELL(1893) p235 - THE WANDERING MUSICANS IN THE WINE-GARDENS.jpg
Wandering musicians in the wine gardens of Transylvania (Pennell, 1893)

The Lăutari were traditional Romani musicians, playing at various events (weddings, funerals, etc.) [21]

The manele genre which is very popular in Romania is supported by Romani ethnic musicians, too. [22]

It is thought of as having been made by Turkish Romani which brought Oriental influences mixed with Roma music and dance. It is generally thought of as lower class due to being associated with the Roma. [23]

Russia

A choir in Russia was the Sokolovsky choir.

In 1931, a public Romani theatre, Romen Theatre, has been established in Moscow incorporating Romani music and dance into theatrical performances. [24]

Serbia

Roma musical styles spread through Serbia during the Ottoman period. [25]

Spain

The Romani people of Spain (Iberian Kale people) have contributed significantly to the Andalusian musical tradition known as flamenco. And is widely recognised as Romani music considering it was made by Roma as a response to oppression. Flamenco is closely associated to this ethnicity and a significant proportion of famous flamenco artists are Iberian Kale people. [26]

Turkey

Roma are known throughout Turkey for their musicianship. Their urban music brought echoes of classical Turkish music to the public via the meyhane or taverna . This type of fasıl music (a style, not to be confused with the fasıl form of classical Turkish music) coupled with food and alcoholic beverages is often associated with the underclass of Turkish society, though it also can be found in more "respectable" establishments in modern times. [27]

Roma 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 motifs. The rhythmic ostinato accompanying the instrumental improvisation (ritimli taksim) for the belly-dance parallels that of the classical gazel , a vocal improvisation in free rhythm with rhythmic accompaniment. Popular musical instruments in this kind of fasıl are the clarinet, violin, kanun and darbuka. Clarinetist Mustafa Kandıralı is a well known fasıl musician. [28]

Balkans

A typical type of Romani music is known as Tallava. Tallava was originated by the Roma minority in Kosovo in the 1990s. [29] The genre of Tallava was later adopted among the Ashkali group. Tallava is common in Albania. This genre has influences from other music genres such as Greek (Laïko, Arabesque Pop [some heavy duty variety called Skiladiko]) and Bulgarian (Chalga). It also blended with Turkish (Arabesque), Arabic (Arabic pop music), Serbian (Turbo-folk) and Albanian music. [30]

Western Europe

Gypsy Jazz is popular in France. [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romani people</span> Ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin

The Romani people, also known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group who traditionally lived a nomadic, itinerant lifestyle. Linguistic and genetic evidence suggests that the Roma originated in the Indian subcontinent, in particular the region of Rajasthan. Their first wave of westward migration is believed to have occurred sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries. They are thought to have arrived in Europe around the 13th to 14th centuries. Although they are widely dispersed, their most concentrated populations are believed to be in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia.

Hungary has made many contributions to the fields of folk, popular and classical music. Hungarian folk music is a prominent part of the national identity and continues to play a major part in Hungarian music. The Busójárás carnival in Mohács is a major folk music event in Hungary, formerly featuring the long-established and well-regarded Bogyiszló orchestra. Instruments traditionally used in Hungarian folk music include the citera, cimbalom, cobza, doromb, duda, kanászkürt, tárogató, tambura, tekero and ütőgardon. Traditional Hungarian music has been found to bear resemblances to the musical traditions of neighbouring Balkan countries and Central Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Albania</span>

The music of Albania is associated with the country of Albania and Albanian communities. Music has a long tradition in the country and is known for its regional diversity, from the Ghegs in the North to the Tosks in the South. It is an integral part of the national identity, strongly influenced by the country's long and turbulent history, which forced Albanians to protect their culture from their overlords by living in rural and remote mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Čoček</span> Balkan musical genre and dance

Čoček is a musical genre and dance that emerged in the Balkans during the early 19th century. It features prominently in the repertoire of many Romani brass bands.

Balkan music is a type of music found in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. The music is characterised by complex rhythm. Famous bands in Balkan music include Taraf de Haïdouks, Fanfare Ciocărlia, and No Smoking Orchestra.

Chalga is a Bulgarian pop-folk music genre. Chalga or pop-folk is essentially a folk-inspired dance music genre, with a blend of Bulgarian music and also primary influences from Greek, Serbian, Turkish and Arabic, as well as American hip-hop.

Manele is a genre of pop folk music from Romania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanfare Ciocărlia</span> Romanian Balkan brass band

Fanfare Ciocărlia is a twelve-piece Romani Balkan brass band from the northeastern Romanian village of Zece Prăjini. They are known for their fast, high-energy music with complex rhythms and high-speed staccato clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet solos.

Gurbeti are a sub-group of the Romani people living in Cyprus and North Cyprus, Turkey, Crimea, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and the former Yugoslavia whose members are Eastern Orthodox and predominantly Muslim Roma. The Gurbeti make up approximately two thirds of the population of Roma in Mačva, many of whom work in agriculture. In Kosovo, other Romani groups viewed the Gurbeti negatively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romani society and culture</span> Cultural traits of the Romani people

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 were unclear, recent studies show Kashmir in Northwest India is the most probable point of origin. Their language shares a common origin with, and is similar to, modern-day Gujarati and Rajasthani, borrowing loanwords from languages they encountered as they migrated from India. In Europe, even though their culture has been victimized by other cultures, they have still found a way to maintain their heritage and society. Indian elements in Romani culture are limited, with the exception of the language. Romani culture focuses heavily on family. The Roma traditionally live according to relatively strict moral codes. The ethnic culture of the Romani people who live in Central and Eastern Europe developed through a long, complex process of continuous active interaction with the culture of their surrounding European population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romani dance</span> Dances of the Romani people

This is a list of dances of the Romani people.

The Turkish Roma, also referred to as Turkish Gypsy, Türk Çingeneler, Turski Tsigani, Turkogifti (τουρκο-γύφτοι), Țigani turci, Török Cigányok, Turci Cigani,Turko-Romani are Turkified and assimilated Muslim Roma (Horahane) who have adopted Turkish culture over the centuries, including adopting the Turkish language and used to speak the Rumelian Romani language. They adopted Turkish culture in order to establish a Turkish identity to become more recognized by the host population and have denied their Romani background to express their Turkishness. During a population census, they declared themselves as Turks instead of Roma. While they have always been allowed to live in Turkish communities as Turks, they face economic discrimination and have conflicting views among Turks while Christian Romani do not consider themselves as part of Romani society. They are cultural Muslims who adopted Sunni Islam of Hanafi madhab and religious male circumcision at the time of the Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate and Ottoman Empire.

<i>Latcho Drom</i> 1993 French film

Latcho Drom is a 1993 French film directed and written by Tony Gatlif. The movie is about the Romani people's journey from north-west India to Spain, consisting primarily of music. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

The term Romani style refers to the way Eastern European music is played in coffeehouses and restaurants, at parties, and sometimes on-stage in European cities. Music played in this style differs from actual Romani music played by Romani and Sinti people, many of whom regard the term "gypsy" as a slur when applied to their community.

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Romani Americans are Americans who have full or partial Romani ancestry. It is estimated that there are one million Romani people in the United States. Though the Romani population in the United States has largely assimilated into American society, the largest concentrations are in Southern California, the Pacific Northwest, Southwestern United States, Texas, Louisiana, Florida and the Northeast as well as in cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, and St. Louis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungarian-Slovak Roma in the United States</span>

Hungarian-Slovak Roma or Balshade immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century, many from Košice, Slovakia. They settled in the cities of Braddock, Homestead, Johnstown, and Uniontown, Pennsylvania; Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio; Detroit and Delray, Michigan; Gary, Indiana; Chicago, and New York City and Las Vegas. The Hungarian-Slovak Roma were a community of settled Roma, and in the United States were well known for playing music for the Central European immigrant communities in which they settled. These Roma were known for playing in cafes and restaurants, the name associating these Romani as Bashaldé was made up in late 20th century, and in Hungary they are called Romungro Romani; portions of them were also known as Romungre. In the early 1900s the Roma in Braddock, Pennsylvania, purchased an entire block of homes, making them the largest population of settled Roma in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulgarian wedding music</span>

Bulgarian wedding music is a genre of Svatbarska muzika or a "wedding music" style that evolved in the late 1960s in Bulgaria. Its popularity has spread in Europe and North America. This style of music is performed elaborately in weddings in a festive atmosphere, and also on other happy occasions. It was not given state privilege initially by the socialist regime of Bulgaria as it was considered folk music. The music is a fusion of "an eclectic array" of Bulgarian, Romani, Turkish and Macedonian music and is very popular in the southern Balkan region. Following the end of the People's Republic of Bulgaria in 1989, the popularity of wedding music has soared.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallava</span> Music genre in Albania

Tallava or Talava is a music genre originating from Albanian-speaking Roma 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 musical styles and has become popular in Albania and North Macedonia. It is identified as part of the wider pop-folk genre of the Southeastern Europe, which includes Chalga from Bulgaria, Skiladiko from Greece, Manele from Romania and turbo-folk from Serbia.

Romani cuisine is the cuisine of the ethnic Romani people. There is no specific "Roma cuisine"; it varies and is culinarily influenced by the respective countries where they have often lived for centuries. Hence, it is influenced by European cuisine even though the Romani people originated from the Indian subcontinent. Their cookery incorporates Indian and South Asian influences, but is also very similar to Hungarian cuisine. The many cultures that the Roma contacted are reflected in their cooking, resulting in many different cuisines. Some of these cultures are Middle European, Germany, Great Britain, and Spain. The cuisine of Muslim Romani people is also influenced by Balkan cuisine and Turkish cuisine. Many Roma do not eat food prepared by a non-Roma.

References

  1. ↑ Dalzell, Tom (2007). The new Partridge dictionary of slang and unconventional English (Reprint. ed.). London [u.a.]: Routledge. p. 943. ISBN   978-0415259378.
  2. ↑ Merriam-Webster's pocket guide to English usage . Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster. 1998. p.  178. ISBN   0877795142.
  3. ↑ Garner, Bryan A. (2009). Garner's modern American usage (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 405. ISBN   978-0195382754.
  4. ↑ Baskin, [by] H.E. Wedeck with the assistance of Wade. Dictionary of gypsy life and lore. New York: Philosophical Library. ISBN   0806529857.
  5. ↑ Garner, Bryan A. A dictionary of modern legal usage (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 400. ISBN   0195384202.
  6. ↑ Bolaffi, Guido (2002). Dictionary of race, ethnicity and culture (1. publ., [Nachdr.]. ed.). London: Sage. p. 291. ISBN   0761969004.
  7. ↑ Encyclopedia of Music in the 20th Century. p. 268.
  8. ↑ PhD, Bruce D. Heald (27 November 2012). Gypsies of the White Mountains: History of a Nomadic Culture. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   978-1-61423-804-1 . Retrieved 4 December 2023– via Google Books.
  9. ↑ "What is Romani music?". Tumblr. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  10. ↑ Sturman, Janet (2019). The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culture. SAGE Publications. ISBN   978-1-4833-1774-8 – via Google Books.
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  12. ↑ Zigeunermusik, Balint Sarosi, Budapest 1970, in English, German and Hungarian edition, see chapter 3
  13. ↑ "Rroma MusicDie Musik der RromaLa Musique des Rroma". Rroma.org. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  14. ↑ Wilkinson, I.K. (2009). Gypsy music. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online.
  15. ↑ The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 1.
  16. ↑ Romani music at IMDb
  17. ↑ Silverman, Carol (24 May 2012). Romani Routes: Cultural Politics and Balkan Music in Diaspora. OUP USA. ISBN   978-0-19-530094-9 . Retrieved 4 December 2023– via Google Books.
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  19. ↑ "The music of the Roma in Hungary [Rombase]". rombase.uni-graz.at. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  20. ↑ "Csemer Géza: Fejezetek a magyar cigányzene történetéből". www.sulinet.hu. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  21. ↑ Manele in Romania: Cultural Expression and Social Meaning in Balkan Popular Music.
  22. ↑ Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 11.
  23. ↑ Balkan Popular Culture and the Ottoman Ecumene: Music, Image, and Regional Political Discourse.
  24. ↑ Gypsy Music: The Balkans and Beyond.
  25. ↑ Koskoff, E. (2008). The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. Vol. 1. New York; London: Routledge. p. 472. ISBN   978-0-415-99403-3.
  26. ↑ Piotrowska, A.G. (2013). Gypsy Music in European Culture: From the Late Eighteenth to the Early Twentieth Centuries. Northeastern University Press. p. 81. ISBN   978-1-55553-838-5.
  27. ↑ The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: The Middle East.
  28. ↑ Broughton, Simon; Ellingham, Mark; Trillo, Richard (4 December 1999). World Music: Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Rough Guides. ISBN   978-1-85828-635-8 . Retrieved 4 December 2023– via Google Books.
  29. ↑ Samson 2013, p. 79.
  30. ↑ Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 11.
  31. ↑ Rice, Timothy; Porter, James; Goertzen, Chris (25 September 2017). The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music: Europe. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-351-54426-9 . Retrieved 14 December 2023– via Google Books.

Bibliography

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