19th century print of Roma musicians

Typically nomadic, the Roma have long acted as wandering entertainers and tradesmen. In all the places Roma live—in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and northwest India— they have become known as musicians. The wide distances travelled have introduced a multitude of influences, starting with Indian roots and adding Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Slavic, Romanian, German, French, Spanish and Celtic touches. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Tzigane redirects here; for the composition by Maurice Ravel, see Tzigane (Ravel). ... Europe at its furthest extent, reaching to the Urals. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Dark green region marks the approximate extent of northern India while the regions marked as light green lies within the sphere of north Indian influence. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require restructuring. ... Moosiqi Asil or Persian music is the traditional and indigenous music of Persia and Persian-speaking countries: musiqi, the science and art of music, and moosiqi, the sound and performance of music (Sakata 1983). ... Distribution of Slavic people by language The Slavic peoples are a linguistic and ethnic branch of Indo-European peoples. ... Celtic music is a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic peoples of Western Europe. ...

Roma music characteristically has vocals that tend to be soulful and declamatory, and the music often incorporates prominent glissandi (slides) between notes. Instrumentation varies widely according to the region the music comes from. Glissando (plural: glissandi) is a musical term that refers to either a continuous sliding from one pitch to another (a true glissando), or an incidental scale played while moving from one melodic note to another (an effective glissando). ...

Though no conclusive proof has been found, most historians believe that Roma are descended from an Indian people and migrated westward in several waves, probably all before 1000 AD. Roma still live in India, however, in Rajasthan and other areas, and work in multiple castes. These include the puppeteer Bhat, snake charmer Sapera and juggler Kamad castes, as well as Bhopa, Langa and Manganiyar musicians. Rajasthani Roma instruments include the kamayacha, a sort of fiddle, and khartal, a kind of castanets. Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... A puppeteer is a person who manipulates a puppet or marionette, either by the use of strings, wires or their hands, for a stage production or film. ... Bhat, meaning Priest, is a surname that is common in many ethnicities in India. ... A snake Charmer in Kochi, India Snake charming is the practice of apparently hypnotising a snake by simply playing an instrument. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bhopa is a community in Rajasthan state of India. ... Langa is a village in the Harju County, Estonia, the center of the municipality of Padise. ... The term fiddle refers to a violin when used in folk music. ... Renoirs 1909 painting Dancing girl with castanets Castanets The castanets are a percussion instrument (idiophone), much used in Moorish music, Roma music, Spanish music and Latin American music. ...

Roma moved west from India, spreading throughout what is now Iran, Iraq, Armenia and other Middle Eastern countries. By 1050, the Roma are believed to have been playing music in Constantinople. By the end of the 15th century, Roma people lived in Bulgaria, Egypt, Romania, Hungary, Sudan, Greece and Serbia. From there, they spread to the remainder of Europe, and now exist in small numbers abroad. Map of Constantinople. ... Anthem: Bože pravde (English: God of Justice) Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment    - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ...

Roma communities are common in Arab and Middle Eastern countries, but are often found in southern parts of India as well. There is a strong tradition of Roma music in Central and Eastern Europe, notably in countries such as Hungary, Romania and the former Yugoslavia. The quintessentially Spanish flamenco is to a very large extent the music (and dance, or indeed the culture) of the Roma of Andalusia. For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Europe at its furthest extent, reaching to the Urals. ... Bailaora (dancer) of Flamenco Belén Maya, photograph taken by Gilles Larrain at his studio, 2001 Flamenco is one of the great European nonacademic musical genres. ... For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... Motto: Andalucía por sí, para España y la humanidad (Andalusia by herself, for Spain, and for humankind) Capital Seville Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 2nd  87,268 km²  17. ...

India

Rajastan, the Land of Kings in northern India, is a region of fertile fields in the east and arid desert in the west. Musicians, dancers and entertainers live mainly as nomads and herders. Strictly speaking, the Langa, Manginzar, Dholie, Dhadir and Sapera tribes are not Gypsies but they have a similar lifestyle and position in society as Roma and inhabit the original homeland of the Roma. Helene will perform a dance of the Sapera, a caste closely associated with snake charmers. The dance mirrors this tradition through the mudra (hand gesture) called sharpa shisha (snake head) and movements that imitate a snake. Rajasthan (राजस्थान) is the geographically largest state in northwestern India. ...

Egypt

Ghawazi means “conquerors” and refers to the most traditional female dancers of Egypt, however in this case it is the hearts of men, which are to be conquered. The Ghawazi belong to the gypsy tribe of Nawar, who also inhabit Syria and Lebanon. The women of the Nawar were dancers and courtesans, while the men functioned as musicians and managers. Ghawazi used to be found throughout Egypt, but in the 1830’s they were banned to Upper Egypt. There they fascinated many 19th century travelers such as Flaubert, who immortalized his lover Küçük Hanım in "Voyage en Orient". When a group of Ghawazi performed at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, they caused an oriental dance fever, which has its repercussions even today. The art of the Ghawazi today is on the brink of extinction due to fundamentalist pressure. Their dance is conservative style of Egyptian dance which could be considered the grandmother of todays popular Raqs Sharqi. The fast, uninterrupted, regular rhythm of the zagat (finger cymbals) of the dancers contrasts excitingly with the syncopated beat of the drums.

Macedonia and Albania

Macedonian and Albanian Roma play Greek koumpaneia most frequently, with the Macedonian style distinctively known as calgia. Macedonian Roma music has been popularized by Goran Bregovic's "Ederlezi" from the soundtrack to Emir Kusturica's Time of the Gypsies, which was shot and set in the Macedonian Roma community. Goran Bregović (Горан Бреговић) (born March 22, 1950) is one of the most recognizable modern composers of the Balkans. ... Soundtrack refers to the recorded sound accompanying a visual medium such as a motion picture, television show, or video game. ... Emir Kusturica (Serbian Cyrillic: Емир Кустурица; IPA: ) (born November 24, 1954) is a Bosnian Serb filmmaker born in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (today Bosnia and Herzegovina). ... Time of the Gypsies (Serbian: Dom Za VeÅ¡anje) is a 1988 film by Serbiann director Emir Kusturica. ...

Albanian Roma music is called Tallava. It has a distinct sound and is greatly influenced by Middle Eastern sounds. Drums and the daf are essential instruments. Other than its name, some people refer to it by the names given to the Albanian Roma people such as Hashkali, Magjup, Cigan, Jevg, Harrixhi, etc. Tallava is now gaining much popularity in Albania and many non-Roma singers are also singing and using it.

Čoček is a dance of oriental origin, which can be danced as a line dance or as a solo improvisation. The word čoček comes from the Turkish köçek (dancing boy). Čoček is danced by Turks, Albanians and especially by Roma in Macedonia and Southern Serbia. Similar dances are found in Bulgaria (Kjuček) and Romania (Manea). The movements are small, fine and reserved, as if the dancer were dancing “inside her clothes”. Čoček music is probably the most lively, viable music tradition in the Balkans today, as shown by the success in the world music scene of the Roma musician Ferus Mustafov and the singer diva Esma Redžepova. Besides its Turkish and Balkan roots, the music incorporates strong influences from such diverse styles as Hindi film music or Mexican Mariachi music. Popular instruments today are the accordion, saxophone, clarinet, and even entire brass bands, because brass bands became popular in the folk music of this region after the First World War. But don’t be fooled, this is a far cry from a polka band! Esma Redžepova is a Roma vocalist, songwriter, and humanitarian born in Yugoslavia. ...

Russia

Roma have played a major part of Russian musical development since the reign of Catherine the Great. Their music became a romantic, urban form in the 19th century and thrived until the 1917 revolution. The Bolsheviks persecuted Roma as former entertainers of the bourgeoisie, and many chose to leave the country. Several legendary performers emerged from this period, especially Jean Goulesco and Pyotr Leshchenko. Catherine II (Екатерина II Алексеевна: Yekaterína II Alekséyevna, April 21, 1729 - November 6, 1796), born Sophie Augusta Fredericka, known as Catherine the Great, reigned as empress of Russia from... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... Pyotr Konstantinovich Leshchenko (Russian: ; 14 June 1898 - 16 July 1954), a Russian singer, universally considered the King of Russian Tango and specifically known for his rendition of Serdtse—the most famous tango song not in the Spanish language—was born a citizen of the Russian Empire in Isaeva (now part...

Hungary

Hungary has a long and famous history of Roma musicians, with Janos Bihari being the most well-known of the traditional orchestra leaders. The Lakatos family now dominates the music. Janos Bihari was an influential Hungarian Roma (Gypsy) violinist. ...

Rural Hungarian Roma play a sparsely accompanied form of song called loki djili and dance songs called khelimaski djili.

Serbia

The Roma of Serbia, especially in the city of Guca and the Dragacevo district, are known for maintaining a distinctive style of brass band music, rooted in the military band music of the Ottoman Empire. Boban Marković and the Serbian Orkestar are among the best known players in this style internationally. [1][2] "Kecarac kolo" "Sunen romalen, sunen cavalen" Since the mid-1960s, the singer and bandleader Šaban Bajramović has been a popular exponent of a less traditional, more pop-oriented Roma music style. Anthem: Bože pravde (English: God of Justice) Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment    - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Guca (Гуча), a city in Serbia and Montenegro. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Boban Marković is a Serbian trumpet player and folk ensemble leader, frequently recognized as the greatest trumpet player to emerge from the Balkans. ... Å aban Bajramović (Cyrillic: Шабан Бајрамовић) (born April 16, 1936 in NiÅ¡, Serbia) is Serbian Roma musician. ...

Greece

Roma in Greece are known for the zurna and davul duos (analogous to the shawm and drum partnership common in Roma music) and Turkish-influenced koumpaneia music. Koumpaneia has long been popular among Greek Roma and Jews (the latter being some of the most popular performers before World War II), especially in the city of Ioannina, and has recently been popularized by artists like Kostas Pavlidis and Yianni Saleas. Turkish Zurna in Ottoman band For other meanings, see Zurna (disambiguation) and Surna (disambiguation) The Zurna (also called Surna) is a surnay woodwind instrument of Asia Minor used in traditional weddings along with a Davul. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Tapan. ... Combatants Allied Powers: United Kingdom France Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Axis Powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Charles de Gaulle Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33... Ioannina (Greek: Ιωάννινα, often Γιάννενα /yanena/ or Γιάννινα /yanina/; anglicized to Yanina, see also: other names of Ioannina) is a city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a metropolitan population of approximately 100,000. ...

France

French Roma can be divided between those of Spanish origin, known for rumba gitana, a commercialized Catalonian-derived genre which was popularized by The Gipsy Kings, and those of Manouche or German origin such as Django Reinhardt, a French Roma who was one of the most influential jazz players of the 20th century. Anthem: Els Segadors Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Spanish, Catalan, and Aranese Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 6th  32,114 km²  6. ... The Gipsy Kings are a group of French gypsy (gitane) musicians, best known for bringing rhumba flamenca, a pop-oriented version of traditional flamenco music, to mainstream audiences. ... Jean Baptiste Django Reinhardt (January 23, 1910 – May 16, 1953) was a Belgian Roma jazz guitarist. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans at around the start of the 20th century. ...

Romania

Romanian Roma musicians are called lautari, and typically form string bands called taraf. Tarafs include fiddles, cimbaloms, accordions and a double bass, and are common throughout the country. The most popular are Taraf de Haïdouks and Fanfare Ciocărlia, who have gained an international following. The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... The term fiddle refers to a violin when used in folk music. ... It is also possible that you want to know about the Cymbal instrument. ... For other uses, see Accordion (disambiguation) This article is about the instrument as a whole. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ... Taraful Haiducilor (a. ... Fanfare Ciocărlia is a popular twelve-piece Roma brass band from the northeastern Romanian village of Zece Prajini. ...

Manele is a contemporary movement of Roma music in Romania and elsewhere in the Balkans, incorporating elements of popular music genres into traditional Gypsy music. The Danube basin is probably the Northern limit of dances of oriental origin in Europe. Manea is danced by Roma in Oltenia and around Bucharest along the northern rim of the Danube basin. During the Ceaucescu regime, Roma were prohibited from performing their own music and dances in public. Although Roma were in demand as accompanists for dance ensembles or as musicians in cafés and restaurants they were required to play Romanian music. Because of this, Helene was pleasantly surprised to find this dance in 1993 in Caracal, Oltenia at a dance festival. Manea was danced by both men and women with the subtlety characteristic of the roma dances of Turkey and the Balkans. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

During the Renaissance a new, exciting and highly improvised couple dance fashion swept over Europe. The nobility introduced it, the bourgeoisie copied it and peasants danced it and filled it with life. Brueghel painted it; Dürrer illustrated it; preachers denounced it. Wondrously, these dances survive to this day in a far corner of Europe. Romanians, Hungarians and Roma in approximately 30 villages around the city of Cluj in Western Transylvania preserved and polished these traditions and developed them into the most complicated and elegant of couple dances. Like their neighbours, the Romanians and Hungarians, the Roma of this region have a traditional cycle of dances that includes men’s exhibition dances and continues with couples’ dances. The Roma who are paradoxically both the most conservative and most innovative guardians of theses traditions, have maintained a very fast couple dance, done apart, without linking the partners. Called çingerica, it is ornamented by finger snapping and has incredibly rapid footwork. Helene has been fortunate to be able to research and dance this in a Transylvanian Roma village.

Some notable Romanian Roma musicians are:

• Romica Puceanu, much admired woman singer
• Nicolae Guţă, manele singer

Romica Puceanu (1928 - 1996) was a Romanian Gypsy singer and interpreter of cintec de pahar, a style of Romanian doina with Gypsy and Turkish influences. ... Nicolae Guţă is a Romanian manele singer. ...

Turkey

In the Ottoman Empire Roma were popular entertainers for the people and in the courts. Even today many of Istanbul’s famous musicians are Roma. They perform at restaurants, in well-known spots such as Çiçek Pasajı, or in the Roma neighbourhood of Suluküle. In addition to dancing Çiftetelli (tsifteteli) the Roma are masters of dancing in a 9/8 rhythm called Karşılama or Roman. In contrast to common perception, Roman is not danced with wild leaps and tambourines, but rather with exquisitely fine movements, which manage to be very earthy and yet very refined at the same time, while accentuating the 9/8 rhythm in ever changing, unexpected ways. Tsifteteli (τσιφτετέλι, Tsifte-teli) is a Greek traditional dance, derivied from the Çiftetelli, a Turkish traditional dance. ... Karşılama is a Turkish dance. ...

Roma perform in nightclubs and restaurants across Turkey, and are known for fasil and belly dance music. Fasil is a sort of light classical music, dominated by the clarinet, violin, qanún (a zither), darbuka (drums) and, more rarely, ud (a lute) and cümbüş (a banjo). The Gypsies of Turkey have gained a large musical reputation throughout the country, and have adopted Turkish musical principles, including "taqsims" or improvised solos. They are also responsible for performing the music of holidays and parties. Turkish Roma performers include the Erköse brothers, Mustafa Kandirali, Kibariye, Tarik Menguc, and Gypsy Music of Constantinople. Raqs Sharqi dancer Chryssanthi Sahar Scharf, Heidelberg. ... Two soprano clarinets: a Bâ™­ clarinet (left) and an A clarinet (right, with no mouthpiece). ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... The qanún or kanun is a musical string instrument used in Middle-Eastern music. ... A Musima Guitar Zither 45 strings with 21 melody, 24 chords The zither is a musical string instrument, mainly used in folk music. ... The Goblet drum is a goblet or hour-glass shaped hand drum used in Arab music, Persian music, Balkan music and Turkish music. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... The UD and UD Trucks Co. ... The lute is a plucked string instrument with a fretted neck and a deep round back. ... Standard Cümbüş The cümbüş (IPA: , sometimes approximated as by English speakers) is a Turkish stringed instrument of relatively modern origin. ... A four-string banjo For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument of African origin, early or original examples sometimes being called the gourd banjo. One predecessor to the banjo is called the Akonting. ...

Spain

Spanish Roma music is widely known across the world, having been popularized as flamenco. Flamenco was born in Andalucia and was only linked with Roma some time after the genre evolved. Flamenco is associated with the Roma of Spain (Gitanos) and quite a number of famous flamenco artists are of this ethnicity. However, flamenco is not of Roma origin but is rooted in the Andalusian musical tradition, although Gitano interpretation has heavily influenced modern-day flamenco. This explains the huge difference between flamenco and the Roma music of, for example, Eastern Europe. Bailaora (dancer) of Flamenco Belén Maya, photograph taken by Gilles Larrain at his studio, 2001 Flamenco is one of the great European nonacademic musical genres. ... Motto: Dominator Hercules Fundator Andaluc a por s , para Espa a y la humanidad (Andalusia for herself, for Spain, and for humanity) Capital Seville Area  - total  - % of Spain Ranked 2nd 87 268 km 17,2% Population  - Total (2003)  - % of Spain  - Density Ranked 1st 7 478 432 17,9% 85,70...

Bulgaria

Due to the large Gypsy population in Bulgaria, this ethnic group's music is very popular. It is also a part of the roots of chalga music, which is widely played at dances and parties in Bulgaria. Pan-handling Roma family in front of the Russian Church in Sofia Roma people constitute the second largest minority and third largest ethnic group (after Bulgarians and Turks) in Bulgaria. ... Chalga is shity music made by Bulgarian low-inteligent musiciants adicted to low-quality alcohol and preformed by guipsies and retarded whors(most often blond). ...

See also

• Gypsy jazz
• Roma musicians
• Roma anthem

Gypsy jazz is an idiom that was pioneered in the 1930s by guitar legend Django Reinhardt. ... Gelem, Gelem is the national anthem of Roma people. ...

References

• 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. ISBN 1-85828-636-0