Brawls and ballads, drugs and drums have co-existed through the gypsies’ tumultuous history, beautified by music and dance. While known to be on the move for over a thousand years, they trace their roots to ancient India.
The gypsies, often portrayed as an exotic community of talented performers moving in caravans from town to town, have a unique legacy of music and dance which is a subject of research.
It is believed that centuries ago, a community of singers, musicians, magicians, dancers and performers left India namely from Gujarat, especially the Kathiawad peninsula, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab and travelled through central Asia, the Middle East to Europe for several reasons, both researched and speculated. Some say that they migrated with time while many feel that the tyrant invader Muhammad Ghazni took several slaves who later escaped and travelled as far as western Europe.
The gypsies are called by many names in various languages: ‘banjara’ in Hindi and Gujarati, ‘dom’ in the Arab world, ‘gitan’ in French, ‘gitano’ in Spanish, ‘Koli’ in Persian and ‘Bohemian’ from the Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. Although ‘gypsy’ is deemed derogatory in the west, ‘Romani’ or ‘Roma’ is the more acceptable generic term for gypsy minorities around the world. Kathakaar Morari Bapu had even conducted a Ram Katha for the gypsies of Gujarat.Impromptu, energetic odes on the ancient ‘Ravan hattha’, a single-stringed fiddle, and the intriguing ‘Daaklo’ drum associated with black magic, were played during and after the Katha.
Gypsy music boasts of startling diversity and is generally wild, full-throated, expressive, fiery and emotionally rich. Though known to often lack moderation, a reflection of the gypsy lifestyle, the untethered energy is irresistible.
Apart from being fabulous street performers drawing in the crowds, gypsy music has found a prominent place in the world of music.
In India, the single-stringed fiddles and folk drums are used by traveling performers, in Persia, it is the ‘Gheychak e Koli’ or the gypsy’s gheychak (native fiddle).
Clad in colourful costumes, Egyptian Roma ladies perform sensuous folk dances and the men play local instruments such as the rababah spike fiddle.
In Turkey, the Roma have mastered the clarinet along with local instruments such as the darbuka and they perform a cheery free-style folk dance. The improvisations in the music is marked by spontaneity.
While the accordion finds prominence in gypsy music in countries such as Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary, the instruments include the Cimbalom, a dulcimer resembling the santoor and a symbol of Romani music, cellos, violins and pianos. The energetic style embodies many nuances of western classical music, sharing similarities with folkloric streams. Romani legends such as Macedonian songstress Esma Redžepova made history with her movingand earthy voice.
In Spain, the gypsies have immortalised Flamenco. Sharing several similarities with Indian folk music, Flamenco, originally from the Andalusia region, is a wild celebration of synergy through dance (baile), singing (cante), hand clapping (palmas) and other nuances.
Pretty female dancers often perform breathtaking tap dances accompanied by the guitar, ‘cajon’ drum , castanets and other instruments. Flamenco too, consists of different styles. While Romania’s ‘Lautari’ gypsy music is nectar-filled, ‘gypsy jazz’ calls for much intrigue.
