Category Archives: Czech Republic

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro Festival

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Khamoro Festival

In the last week of May, the largest Romani festival in the world, Khamoro – translated from Romani as “little sun” – took place in Prague. Over the course of seven days, visitors could experience and taste Romani culture – traditional music, gypsy jazz, theatre, panel debates and a book launch. The festival also drew attention to the unequal conditions faced by Romani people in the Czech Republic.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro Program

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Khamoro Program

Visitors can expect real Romani cimbalom, authentic flamenco and for the first time in its almost thirty-year history, Romani musicians from Greece will perform at the festival,” Nikolas Ferenc, a spokesman for the Khamoro festival, told the Romea.cz news server.

Yesterday evening was opened by the band of violin virtuoso Ivan Herák, one of the most sought-after Romani primas in our country. His cymbalom band features Romani artists with musical training, including singer Erika Nováková.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro Festival and Roma Music

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Khamoro Festival and Roma Music

Roma music is a melting pot of all genres, it is diverse and fascinating, says linguist and musician. Ondřej Skovajsa, a literary historian, ethnomusicologist and chairman of the Giľora association, which records and makes contemporary Roma songs accessible in audiovisual form, as well as linguist and musician Martin Gális speak about music and Romanes. The end of May belongs to the Khamoro World Festival, which is a traditional celebration of Roma culture. But do young Roma still speak Romanes in everyday communication?

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro

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Khamoro

The festival is organized annually by Slovo 21 and Studio Production Saga s.r.o. It opened with the traditional “Khamoro party”, which was held at Gauča na Výstaviště, where fans of modern Romani music can look forward to Tessie & Band, Tomas and Ritmo Gitano. There were also two concerts in the Jazz Dock – the first one will take place on May 26 and will feature the Milan Angelo Trio. On May 27, he will be replaced by the Dario Napoli Trio, whose frontman is the phenomenal Italian guitarist Dario Napoli, who draws inspiration from the legacy of Django Reinhardt.

This year’s Khamoro World Romani Festival will not be without traditional Romani music. Visitors can enjoy it on May 29th and 30th in the La Fabrika space.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro Kick Off

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Khamoro Kick Off

Thrilling rhythms, strong voices and a unique atmosphere – that’s how the 27th year of the world’s largest Romani festival Khamoro will kick off tonight. The opening concert on the open-air stage in Gauč at Prague’s Výstaviště will feature contemporary Romani music performed by Tereza “Tessie” Ondičová, the band Ritmo Gitano and singer Thomas from 7:30 p.m.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Prague Exhibition

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Prague Exhibition

The exhibition “Rohatí / The Horned Ones” is on display at Prague’s Artivist Lab until June 7, combining the works of Monika Kováčová and Adrián Kriška. The art installation connects blacksmithing and textile creation with queer identity, Romani tradition and the mythology of resistance. The opening took place on April 7 as part of the celebrations of International Roma Day.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro Festival and Chaplin

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Khamoro Festival and Chaplin

The film Chaplin I Spirit of the Tramp tells the story of the Roma identity Charlie Chaplin. It will have its Czech premiere in Prague: during the Khamoro Roma Culture Festival on May 27 at the Atlas Cinema and on May 30 at the central Municipal Library.

The film captures the family’s search for the Romani roots of the famous actor, director and screenwriter, whose character The Tramp has become one of the most iconic symbols of world cinema. The documentary is based on the testimonies of members of Chaplin’s family, especially his son Michael. But it also draws from a unique family archive. Viewers will get to know previously unpublished materials and get to know Chaplin from a new perspective.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Roma Spirit

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Roma Spirit

From Wednesday (May 21), people can submit exceptional personalities, strong stories and concrete solutions for the Roma community to the 17th edition of Roma Spirit.

Roma Spirit showcases successful Roma people, but also projects that help those living in excluded communities. “It is very difficult to choose the right actors so that they can be the right finalists. I think that everyone who submits applications has won in their own way,” said Alexander Daško, the Slovak government’s plenipotentiary for Roma communities.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Khamoro Festival

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Khamoro Festival

From May 25 to 31, Prague will once again become the capital of Romani culture. One of the largest and most recognized Romani festivals in the world – Khamoro 2025 – brings a varied program full of music, discussions, film and literature to the streets, libraries, theatres and clubs. The festival is traditionally organized by the Slovo 21 organization, and this year, visitors can look forward to performances by artists from the Czech Republic and abroad.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia and Roma Resistance

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Czechia and Roma Resistance

A memorial service was organized by the Roma and Sinti Association in the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Association of Christian Aid Brno. Its aim was to honour the memory of the Roma victims of Nazism and to commemorate the heroic uprising of the Roma and Sinti in the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, which took place on May 16, 1944 – 81 years ago.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lety Commemoration

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Lety Commemoration

Two articles on the commemoration in Lety last week end. Both stress the fact that hatred against Roma is on the rise again.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lety Museum

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Lety Museum

The Roma and Sinti Holocaust Memorial in Bohemia was opened in Lety by the Museum of Roma Culture last April. According to the museum’s director, Jana Horváthová, the memorial’s indoor exhibition was visited by about 10,000 people in its first year of operation last year. And she emphasized that among them were numerous school trips.

“But the Museum of Romani Culture cannot function alone in this matter (education). A national education policy is essential. It is absolutely essential that the topic of Romani history and culture be included in the framework educational programs, that it be taught in schools at least from the second level (elementary school). It is not yet,” said Horváthová.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lety: Commemoration

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Lety: Commemoration

The traditional commemorative ceremony honoring the memory of the Holocaust and its Romani and Sinti victims took place at the site of what was previously called the “Gypsy Camp” in Lety u Písku on Sunday, may 11th.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Lety: Commemoration

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Lety: Commemoration

On Sunday, May 11, 2025, at 12 noon, a traditional commemoration of the Roma and Sinti Holocaust victims will take place in Lety u Písku, which will take place at the site of the former so-called gypsy camp. The annual gathering commemorates the tragic fate of hundreds of Roma men, women and children who were deported from this place to extermination camps. The commemoration will also be possible to watch live this year thanks to the first Roma internet television, ROMEA TV, which will offer a live broadcast from the site.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Politics in Czechia

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Politics in Czechia

The umbrella platform of Roma and pro-Roma organizations RomanoNet and the civic members of the Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs sharply condemned the behaviour of Marek Cavali, the candidate of the STAČILO! movement in the Ústí nad Labem Region, who, according to the media and witnesses, has been threatening, insulting and dishonouring his opinion opponents for a long time. His behavior is being responded to by a joint statement from almost two dozen Roma organizations and individuals, according to whom Cavali’s actions create an atmosphere of fear and damage trust in the public representation of the Roma.

Bad, that this has no consequences…

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Amnesty on Czechia

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Amnesty on Czechia

The annual Amnesty International report on Czechia has just been published… It takes note of the incomplete compensation of the victims of forced sterilization among other things.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Trio Romano

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Trio Romano

The Roma band Trio Romano, which has been appearing regularly at the Balkan Fiesta for several years, will perform again this year – this time at the tenth anniversary edition of this event. The Fiesta will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 8:00 PM at Café Nona on Národní třída in Prague. It will also be the last year under the roof of the New Stage of the National Theatre.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Having a Dream

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Having a Dream

The second year of the Having a Dream project will take place on May 3, 2025 in Pardubice. Nine inspiring Roma personalities, including three ROMEA scholarship holders, will perform on stage. The aim of the event is to support education, personal development and intergenerational dialogue. The event is held under the auspices of the Deputy Governor of the Pardubice Region, Pavel Šotola, and the Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs, Lucie Fuková. Visitors can look forward to panel discussions, workshops, cultural performances and a ceremonial procession through the city centre.

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