Romani music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Typically nomadic, the Roma people 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.
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.
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 kemenche, a type of rebec, and khartal, a kind of castanets.
The Roma people moved west from India, spreading throughout what is now Iran, Iraq, Armenia and other Middle Eastern countries. By 1050, they 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.
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.
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[edit] 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 rooted in the origin Arab Andalusia, Moriscos and Mozarabic musical tradition.
[edit] Bulgaria
Due to the large Roma 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] 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
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Albania - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bulgaria - Cyprus - Greece |
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