Film Duration: 8:07
COBRA GYPSY: KALBELYAS THE GYPSIES FROM RAJASTHAN
This short video is dedicated to the Kalbelya Gypsies from Rajasthan who respond to poverty with dance, music, wit, courage, dignity, and freedom. Welcome to leave your comments.
The Kalbeliyas are a nomadic cast from the desert in Rajasthan, INDIA. They are known for their Music, Dance and Snake Charmer’s talents. The traditional occupation of the KALBELIAS was to catch snakes and train them to dance to the sound of the PUNGI (a wind instrument) for which they are also called SAPERA. Today with the prohibition of hunting for snakes in India, this charismatic caste survive mostly as dancers, musicians, and singers. The dancers dressed in traditional black swirling skirts, and dance to the accompaniment of pungi, - the wooden instrument of the Snake Charmers. Some Kalbelyas still trade the medicinal snake’s venom for income. Kalbelia women compose songs, they are known as the best dancers of the Thar desert.
There is a startling resemblance between the dance and music of Spain and those of the Kalbeliyas.