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.
Gipsy Kings are a musical group founded in 1979 in Arles, France. The band, whose members have Catalan heritage, play a blend of Catalan rumba, flamenco, salsa, and pop. They perform mostly in Spanish but also mix in Catalan, French, and languages of southern France, such as Occitan.
José Monje Cruz, better known by his stage name Camarón de la Isla, was a Spanish Romani flamenco singer. Considered one of the all-time greatest flamenco singers, he was noted for his collaborations with Paco de Lucía and Tomatito, and the three of them were of major importance to the revival of flamenco in the second half of the 20th century.
Caló is a language spoken by the Spanish and Portuguese Romani ethnic groups. It is a mixed language based on Romance grammar, with an adstratum of Romani lexical items, through language shift by the Romani community. It is said to be used as an argot, or a secret language, for discreet communication amongst Iberian Romani. Catalan, Galician, Portuguese, and Spanish caló are closely related varieties that share a common root.
The Romani in Spain, generally known by the endonym Calé, or the exonym gitanos, belong to the Iberian Romani subgroup known as Calé, with smaller populations in Portugal and in Southern France. Their sense of identity and cohesion stems from their shared value system, expressed among gitanos as las leyes gitanas.
Human rights in Spain are set out in the 1978 Spanish constitution. Sections 6 and 7 guarantees the right to create and operate political parties and trade unions so long as they respect the Constitution and the law.
The Diccionario de la lengua española is the authoritative dictionary of the Spanish language. It is produced, edited and published by the Royal Spanish Academy, with the participation of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language. It was first published in 1780, as the Diccionario de la lengua castellana and subsequent editions have been published about once a decade. The twenty-third edition was published in 2014; it is available on-line, incorporating modifications to be included in the twenty-fourth print edition.
Pedro Pubill Calaf, better known as Peret, was a Spanish Romani singer, guitar player and composer of Catalan rumba from Mataró (Barcelona).
The Romani diaspora refers to the presence and dispersion of Romani people across various parts of the world. Their migration out of the Indian subcontinent occurred in waves, with the first estimated to have taken place between the 1st and 2nd century AD. They are believed to have first arrived in Europe in the early 12th century, via the Balkans. They settled in the areas of present-day Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Croatia, Moldova, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Hungary, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia, by order of volume, and Spain. From the Balkans, they migrated throughout Europe and, in the 19th and later centuries, to the Americas. The Roma population in the United States is estimated at more than one million.
Roberto Sánchez-Ocampo, better known by his stage names Sandro or Sandro de América, was an Argentine singer and actor. He is considered a pioneer of Argentine rock for being one of the first rock artists to sing in Spanish in Latin America. He edited 52 official records and sold eight million copies although other sources state that he sold over 10 million. Some of his most successful songs are "Dame fuego", "Rosa, Rosa", "Quiero llenarme de ti", "Penumbras", "Porque yo te amo", "Así", "Mi amigo el Puma", "Tengo", "Trigal", and "Una muchacha y una guitarra". The single "Rosa, Rosa" sold two million copies, being his most recognizable and famous song. Another of his hits, "Tengo" was given 15th place among the 100 best Argentine rock songs by both MTV and Rolling Stone magazine. In Latin America he was often compared to Elvis Presley at the height of his popularity.
The Great Gypsy Round-up, also known as the general imprisonment of the Gypsies, was a raid authorized and organized by the Spanish Monarchy that led to the arrest of most Roma in the region and the genocide of 12,000 Romani people. Although a majority were released after a few months, many others spent several years imprisoned and subject to forced labor. The raid was approved by the King Ferdinand VI of Spain, and organized by the Marquis of Ensenada, and set in motion simultaneously across Spain on 30 July 1749.
There is a significant Roma population in Mexico, most being the descendants of past migrants. According to data collected by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography in 2000, they numbered 15,850, however, the total number is likely larger. In Mexico, they are commonly known as gitanos or rom.
There is a small Roma population in Uruguay, most being the descendants of previous migrants. According to data available they number c. 400.
There is an important community of Romani people in Colombia consisting 8000 Colombians of Romani descent and are scattered throughout the country. In 1999, the Colombian government recognized the Romani people as one of Colombia’s ethnic minorities, so they can access educational, health and legal convenience. Thus, the Romani language has remained to be recognized as a minority language.
Beatriz Micaela Carrillo de los Reyes is a Spanish politician and social activist. She is as member of the 13th Congress of Deputies integrated within the Socialist Parliamentary Group, representing Seville.
Romani feminism or Gypsy feminism is the feminist trend that promotes gender equality, the fight against social inequalities and the defense of the integration of women in different movements in society, making these processes compatible with the preservation of culture and values of the Romani people.
The Gypsy Bride is a Spanish television series directed by Paco Cabezas adapting the novel of the same name by Carmen Mola that began airing on 25 September 2022. It stars Nerea Barros as the lead character Inspector Elena Blanco.
Sara Giménez Giménez is a Spanish Roma lawyer who stands out for her fight for the integration of the gitano community into society. She also fights against the inequalities suffered by minorities based on race or sexual orientation. She became a member of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance in 2018 and joined the board of Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) the following year.
Silvia Agüero is a Spanish Roma feminist writer and human rights activist who recovers the memory of the oppression of gitano people.
Teresa San Román Espinosa was a Spanish anthropologist who developed scientific activities between 1967 and 2010, mainly on Gypsy people.
