About Gypsy music and radio
Before we learn about Gypsy music or Gypsy radio, it is essential to know something about the term ‘Gypsy’. The word gypsy is sometimes spelt as gipsy. Earlier, this word was used sometime around the sixteenth century to classify the Romani people in England. The gypsies are usually dark-skinned people.
Basically, the Gypsies or Romani people are said to be traveling a lot. As result, there are numerous theories about their place of origin, living style and music. No conclusive evidence is yet available of this category of people who lived over 400 years ago, especially because they kept on wandering from one place to another. The Irish and Scottish travelers are sometimes branded as ‘Gypsies’. Similarly, the Yeniches from central and western Europe are also called ‘Gypsies’. But both are not believed to constituents of the Romani people. However, the Banjara tribe in India is often considered part of the Gypsies or Romani people.
The Romani people were widely known as roaming musicians, actors and traders. As they traveled through Europe, North Africa, Gulf countries and north-west India, the Gypsy music was influenced by the local culture and is, therefore, quite varied in nature. The basic influence seems to have come from Indian, Greek, Arabic, Czech, Romanian, German and Spanish music.
The basic features of Gypsy music, both vocal and the instrumentation, differ depending on the regional influence it takes. However, one common feature is that the Gypsy music is traditionally louder, booming and emotional. It includes major slides (glissandi) between the successive notes.
The Gypsy music in India is largely heard in Rajasthan and surrounding states. You can hear shades of Gypsy music from the traveling puppeteers (Bhats), snake-charmers (Saperas) and magicians. Kemenche, a type of rebec, and khartal, a kind of castanets are typical Rajasthani Gypsy instruments.
In modern times, the first Gypsy radio station, called Radio C, was launched in Hungary in February 2001. The Gypsy Radio came up from the European Union’s Eastern European Reconstruction Fund.
According to BBC, the editor-in-chief of this radio said it was aimed at breaking the seclusion of the large gypsy population. The radio caters to a 100,000-strong gypsy population in and around Budapest. The Romani staffers intend to make the life of their community more ‘liveable’. It was reported that there is an increasing number of gypsies who do not want to live on the dole; they do not want to be a parasite on society. They want to do something for their prosperity.
The Gypsy radio provides a wide array of informative programs on current topics like mixed marriages. Radio C has invited members of the gypsy community to visit its studio and bring along their own music to set up the radio’s own music archive, reports BBC.
The BBC also reported that the Hungarian Independent Media Centre and the Roma Press Centre organized a free nine-month journalist course for the Roma people. It includes six months of practical training.
Thus, the ancient tradition of Gypsies lives on.
Technorati Tags: Gypsies, Gypsy, Gypsy music, Gypsy radio
Modern-day guitars useful in Gypsy Jazz
Do you really know which are the guitars that can be useful for Gypsy jazz? If you want the correct answer for this important question, you must first have some basic information about Gypsy jazz and its progress over the years.
The term Gypsy jazz was first used by a famous French guitarist Django Reinhardt. This was in the 1930s. As Django had French origin, and he was a reputed musician, this music is also refereed to with its corresponding French word ‘Jazz manouche’ or ‘Manouche jazz’.
This kind of music was immensely popular in Paris and a few other cities in France. All the selected musicians of this kind of music mostly worked in the fashionable Musette ensembles. In Gypsy jazz, the Musette form of style waltz is a very important component.
Django is said to have produced a dark Gypsy flavor blending the swing articulation of that period. This jazz is known for this combination. The modern guitar employed for this kind of music uses this element for a base.
The kind of Gypsy swing is learnt through the information and musical notes taught by one generation of musicians to another just like the conventional Gypsy music. A large number of Gypsy musicians do not feel the need to read the notations. The beginners have to spend substantial time in learning and memorizing the songs through various available recordings. They also learn other important processes from more experienced musicians.
The guitar and violin continue to be the main solo instruments in this kind of jazz. However, the claronet and accordion are also used for the ensemble. The use of rhythm guitar in this kind of music has a percussionist connotation. And this is considered as its distinctive feature. As a result, the drumming instruments get a secondary place. A customary group for such kind of music includes one lead guitar, two rhythm guitars, violin and bass.
Now remember that Gypsy jazz is a highly trendy form of music. A large number of people across the world are swayed by it. But the best musicians and a great number of aficionados are only found in Europe.
The talent and quality of European Gypsy swing musicians is supreme. Groups such as Pearl Django and the John Jorgenson Quintet are considered the best in this kind of music.
The New York’s Lincoln Center is well-known for organizing a performance for this form of music every year in August. Birdland is another reputed Jazz Club that holds a week-long concert series in November every year.
Django Reinhardt learnt music at early age from the renowned musicians. However, such good teachers are not seen today. The general jazz guitar techniques are not very useful while playing the Gypsy jazz. While, this system is more focused on scale, the Gypsy swing method mainly uses the arpeggios. The main attraction of the Gypsy swing music is in its lingering melodies. And the effect of these melodies is enhanced by appropriate rhythmic support. So go ahead and learn guitar.
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The long road of “Gypsy”
How much was already on “Gypsy” spoken and written, without the prejudices against Roma and Sinti in Europe. The Gipsy is still the friendly form of speech as against Gypsies is still common in Europe.
Roma and Sinti are now living far from their original home, the Indian Punjab, an area in northwestern India and eastern Pakistan. They were in the 9th and 10 Century by the Arabs abducted them as slaves and soldiers against the Eastern Roman legions into the field to send. Even in the 11th Century were brought more “Gypsy” as a prisoner to the Balkans, preferably in Greece, Romania, Serbia and Transylvania. Zigeuner is often the incorrect name for the Sinti and Roma. This is actually a “Gypsy way of life” . The vast majority of Roma live for many generations, especially in Southeastern Europe and for centuries in Central local. Nevertheless, the label of “Zigeuerns” does not sit. The word gypsy is a foreign name, the Germans probably borrowed from the Hungarian (cigány) and in similar form in many European languages occurs. Especially in the German Gypsies were falsely described as “pulling crooks” ie “(round-) pulling rogue” means what to do with yet another reason is that the label nowadays often considered negative charge is rejected.
1407, are “gypsies” in Germany, initially with a safe by King Sigismund were equipped. Their musicality and, above all, their handicrafts, such as the production of violins or jewelry and weapons, brought them recognition initially and then immediately opposite envy. Guilds and the Church, because of the capabilities of Sintifrauen predict the future, were the Sinti and Roma suddenly as “enemies” against. It went so far that the privileges revoked and any Gypsy has been declared to outlaws. If you have meet a gypsy in his possession you could kill him with impunity. But it was getting worse- One of the darkest chapters in the life of the Roma and Sinti is the time of National Socialism in Germany. They were persecuted, marginalized and, in the worst case in a concentration camp received and thus the destruction divulged. But just as in the case of the Jews are the prejudices against the Sinti and Roma already centuries old. They were considered responsible for the plague, cholera and plague rats. Turks as spies, “Jewish versippt” and capable of witchcraft. As an anti-social criminals and abused them until today. And at best, they are condescending benevolence as “problem families or strange fringe group”. Romanticized gypsy images were since the late 18th Century to a widespread and durable Sujet in opera and operetta. The focus was mainly on women. The most famous of all figures is Bizet’s opera Carmen (1875), which the title character of Prosper Mérimée novella based. They contributed more than their submission to the myth of the passionate, civic conventions miss of respect (and to suffer death) to “Gypsy”. The Carmen character was in many theaters, dance and film editing to the 20th Century and up to one of the most famous woman types of modern drama. About 10 million Sinti and Roma live in Europe today. They call Rome, ie man.
As a man seen and to be treated is really only a matter of course. The fact that this self-understanding they still have to call and win, claimed the humanity of our society in question.
In 2005, eight states, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia-Montenegro and Slovakia signed an integration agreement that discrimination and remove the differences between Roma and other members of society should cancel. The initiative of the eight states is the first coordinated program with the aim of the problems of the Roma and to solve Europe’s largest minority more rights.
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