The 20th Jubilee Festival of Roma Song and Culture has begun in Ciechocinek. The festival feature musicians from several countries as well as dance, and food.
On Krupówki, one of the main street in Zakopane, there are apparently more and more Roma bands from Poland but also from neighbouring Slovakia. Music on the street pleases some tourists but apparently bothers the city’s residents. The bands play too loudly and without permits. In order to put an end to this practice, Krupówki is constantly patrolled by the City Guard, and the players. The local city guards are now fining musicians.
A recording of a concert of a Roma band was published on Instagram. The crowd gathered in front of the band. The spectacle was going on as usual, until suddenly the sounds of sirens of an approaching police car resounded in the background. The Roma reacted immediately. They took their instruments and set off.
Apparently, in Zakopane in the Polish Tatra mountains, there are many Roma bands playing.
On the Holiday Square in Kruševac, the Roma Cultural Center organized a special program “Under the Christmas Star”.
The evening brought together a large number of Roma music lovers, as well as a large number of children who enjoyed the music on the ice rink.
An interview with Zea, a Romni whose grand-mother was the wirter Elena Lacková and who is an actress and singer.
Patrik Bartko, one of the leading Czech guitarists and a member of Marek Ztracený’s band, gave an interview to the first Romani internet television channel ROMEA TV. In the pre-Christmas interview, he talked about his musical life, the influence of family tradition and how his music connects with Romani culture.
The musical performance “Sing to me, because I want” directed by Weronika Kowalska and under the artistic supervision of director Małgorzata Bogajewska will present Roma songs in original arrangements. – The co-creator of the performance is Teresa Mirga, a fantastic Roma singer. Before we started preparing for the concert, we went to visit Teresa and asked if it was appropriate for non-Roma to sing Roma songs, and in new arrangements. “A song is for sharing. We create a community, let’s draw from it each other” – said Teresa, and we created the motto of the concert from her words – says Małgorzata Bogajewska.
A video emerged of two politicians of the ultra-conservative PiS party dancing on Roma music. Nota bene, the party is not particularly well inclined towards Roma…
“This Friday, December 13, at 7Arte we welcome you for a musical evening with Gipsy Groove, a fantastic group known for their dynamic music that combines traditional Roma sounds with reggae, ska, and funk,” the announcement states. The event takes place in Mitrovica, Kosovo.
The 15th annual Gypsy Fest took place in Bratislava. It is the fourth largest Roma festival in the world. It was unusually held in November.
Gypsy Fest is not just a music festival. The organizers also try to show the public positive examples from among the Roma.
Last spring, only his classmates from the conservatory in Rimavská Sobota and friends from Detva in Slovakia knew him. But then in May he published a song with a video clip on the Internet and everything changed.
He is Rom, queer, and sings about the difficulties he is facing in a small Slovak town.
With a part of this musical opus, the International Day of Roma Language and Culture was marked by the ensemble “Egnatia”. The program included poetry in the Romani language as the chosen form for its promotion.
At the end of October, the Concert of Legends took place in the Gong Theater in Prague. The event was organized by the Viva association with the financial support of the Prague 9 district. Traditional music accompanied by Josef Šenki’s cymbalum band was accompanied by Roma artists.
The composer, singer and musician Gejza Horváth gve an interview about the event.
The trio known as Rudeboys Radio, consisting of Otec Mirec, Spunkey and Romski, are known in club culture for their dynamic performances. In their sets, the guys combine several musical genres such as hip-hop, baile funk, R’n’B and house.
Father Mirec, Spunkey and Romski also told us about their DJ career, which brought them to the forefront of the club scene not only in Slovakia, but also abroad. They revealed their view of the current situation in Slovak culture, which has recently faced many challenges. They revealed how they perceive the change in atmosphere and control by the authorities, which often interfere with the freedom of the club scene.
The Roma Academic Club organized a discussion in the Regional and Study Library in Murska Sobota while reading Roma literature entitled Sar zapisje Romi [How Roma write]. An exhibition titled Me som _ Jaz sem [I am] was also on display. The traditional mini Roma Olympics took place in Murska Sobota, where children could try out several sports. Maribor’s Kralji ulice association orgnised an excursion to Murska Sobota for Romnja. With the recording of the concert, one will remember the musician Igor Misdaris, the singer of the band Šukar.
An article about Gilda Horvath, journalist, musician, and Romani activist.
Several articles in the Slovak press commemorate the singer L’jubo Virág who died at the age of 68.
Gopalas Michailovskis is a Rom from Lithuania who went to high school and who studied opera, one of his great loves.
Listen to what he says about opera and listen to how Gopalas Mikhailovsky sings opera in Romanes.
“Slovak singer, musician, composer and lyricist Ľubo Virág died yesterday,” reports Roma television TV Romana. The singer has been struggling with serious health problems for the last few years. Ernest Šarközi from Gypsy Devils sent him a message to heaven: “Ľubka, rest in peace.”
Te ovel o drom anda leste puterdo.
The Žilina State Chamber Orchestra led by conductor Adrian Kokoš, the Sendreiovci band and the Čerchenóra choir will meet on stage in the program Sláva Solovica: Roma Songs. This is a mix of classical music and Roma tunes and improvisations.
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