19th century print of Romani musicians

Roma musicians at a wedding in the Czech Republic in 2005

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 Greek, 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. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Languages Romani, languages of native region Religions Christianity, Islam Related ethnic groups South Asians (Desi) The Romani people (as a noun, singular Rom, plural Roma; sometimes Rrom, Rroma) or Romanies are an ethnic group living in many communities all over the world. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... 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. ... Arabic music includes several genres and styles of music ranging from Arab classical to Arabic pop music and from secular to sacred music. ... 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, living mainly in Europe, where they constitute roughly a third of the population. ... Celtic music is a term utilized by record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic peoples of Western Europe. ...

Romani 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). ...

DNA evidence conclusively shows the Roma descended from an Indian people and migrated westward in several waves, probably all before 1000 AD.^{[citation needed]} Roma still live in India, 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. The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a nucleic acid molecule that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. ... , Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. ... Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social restriction and social stratification, enforced by law or common practice, based on endogamy, occupation, economic status, race, ethnicity, // 1555, a race of men, from L. casto chaste, from castus pure, cut off, separated, pp. ... 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. ... It has been suggested that Bhatt be merged into this article or section. ... Snake charmer in Jaipur (India) in 2007 Snake charmer in New Delhi (India) in 2006 Snake charming is the practice of apparently hypnotising a snake by simply playing an instrument. ... For Sapera Processing 5, see Sapera Processing 5 (software). ... Juggling is a form of skillful, often artful, object manipulation. ... 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. ... “Fiddler” redirects here. ... 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, Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Serbia. From there, they spread to the remainder of Europe, and now exist in small numbers abroad. This article is about the city before the Fall of Constantinople (1453). ... For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ... Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ...

Romani 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 Romani 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. Languages Arabic and other minority languages Religions Islam, Christianity, Druzism and Judaism Arab woman from Ramallah wearing traditional dress in 1915. ... 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. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Flamenco is a Spanish musical genre. ... For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Andalusia (disambiguation). ...

India

Rajasthan, 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 Romani, 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. , Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. ...

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.

Republic of Macedonia and Albania

Macedonian and Albanian Roma play Greek koumpaneia frequently, with the Macedonian style distinctively known as calgia. 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 Yugoslav Roma community of what is now the Republic of Macedonia. ÄŒalgija (Macedonian language: Чалгија) is a subgenre of the old urban traditional folk music (starogradska muzika) of Republic of Macedonia. ... Goran Bregović (Горан Бреговић) (born March 22, 1950) is one of the most recognizable modern composers of the Balkans. ... ĐurÄ‘evi stupovi, Orthodox Church dedicated to Saint George, in the ancient city of Ras in Serbia. ... In film formats, the soundtrack is the physical area of the film which records the synchronized sound. ... Emir Kusturica (Serbian Cyrillic: Емир Кустурица; IPA: ) (born November 24, 1954 in Sarajevo) is a Serbian filmmaker and actor. ... Time of the Gypsies (Serbian: Dom Za VeÅ¡anje) is a 1988 film by Serbiann director Emir Kusturica. ... For an explanation of terms related to Macedonia, see Macedonia (terminology). ...

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 the Republic of 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 musicians from the Republic of Macedonia : Ferus Mustafov, Naat Veliov and his Kočani Orkestar 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. Naat Veliov (Macedonian cyrillic: Наат Велиов) also known as Naat King Veliov is the leader and a trumpet player of Kočani Orkestar Categories: | | ... Kočani Orkestar (in Macedonian: Кочани Оркестар) also credited under the names: Kocani Orkestar, Kocani Orchestra, Kochani Orkestar and Kochani Orchestra is a Romani music brass band from Kočani, Republic of Macedonia led by Naat Veliov. ... 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 supported Roma culture and granted autonomy but this status ended with Stalin's rise to power. 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. ... For other uses, see Bolshevik (disambiguation). ... 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 Southern Serbia, 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][3] "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. Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ... Not to be confused with Republika Srpska. ... “Ottoman” redirects here. ... Boban Marković (Бобан Марковић) is a Serbian trumpet player and brass ensemble leader from Vladicin Han, 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 Surnay, birbynė, lettish horn, surla, sornai, zournas, zurma) is an Anatolian woodwind instrument. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Tapan. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article is about the Greek city. ...

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: Capital Barcelona Official language(s) Catalan,Spanish and Aranese. ... 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 Django Reinhardt (January 23, 1910 – May 16, 1953) was a Belgian Sinto Gypsy jazz guitarist. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ...

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 Haidouks and Fanfare Ciocărlia, who have gained an international following. The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... “Fiddler” redirects here. ... It is also possible that you want to know about the Cymbal instrument. ... 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. Manele (singular: manea) is a music style from the Balkans, mainly derived from Turkish, Greek, Arab or Serbian love songs. ...

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
• Sandu Ciorba, who sings most of his songs in Romani language

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. Çiçek Pasajı on Ä°stiklal Avenue Çiçek Pasajı (literally Flower Passage), originally called the Cité de Péra, is a famous historic passage (galleria or arcade) on Ä°stiklal Avenue in the BeyoÄŸlu (Pera) district of Istanbul. ... Tsifteteli (τσιφτετέλι, Tsifte-teli) is a Greek traditional dance, derived from the çiftetelli, a Turkish traditional dance. ... Link titleKarşılama 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, with capped mouthpiece) 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. ... Concert zither The zither is a musical string instrument, mainly used in folk music, most commonly in German-speaking Alpine Europe. ... 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. ... A medieval era lute. ... Standard Cümbüş The cümbüş (IPA: , sometimes approximated as by English speakers) is a Turkish stringed instrument of relatively modern origin. ... For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument of African American origin adapted from several African instruments. ... Mustafa Kandıralı (b 1930, Izmit, Turkey) - Turkish Clarinetist of gypsy and other Turkish folk music. ...

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. Flamenco is a Spanish musical genre. ... 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. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

See also

• Gypsy jazz
• Gypsy punk
• Roma musicians
• Roma anthem

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 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