Music - RomArchive

Curated by Gelbart, Silverman and Lie

Music and dance are readily associated with Romani people, and there are countless examples of Romani songs on the internet. The first phase of RomArchive’s Music Section has prioritised materials and narratives that are not otherwise easily accessible to the public. The curators aim to present intriguing examples of Romani creativity as well as Romani influence on mainstream cultures, while questioning certain long-held assumptions.

01

Classical music

Romani people have contributed a great deal to the development and performance of the Western classical canon. RomArchive’s introduction to some of the roles Roma and Sinti have played as performers, composers and muses is only the beginning.
02

Jazz

Elements of jazz are woven into many genres performed by Roma and Sinti. A number of the artists featured in other chapters of this archive section (such as Yuri Yunakov or Lisa Weiss) have jazz as part of their stylistic repertoire. In this section we give a brief sampling of musicians for whom jazz training was paramount.
03

Balkan

Balkan Romani music has gone global. Few people are aware, however, of the multitude of different styles played by Roma from this region. RomArchive has selected some examples to highlight this diversity.
04

Central Europe

As a geographic region, Central Europe is defined in various ways, but one thing is certain: Roma have been indispensable to its music scene for centuries. Who are these artists, beyond their musical structures and technical skills? RomArchive takes a look at some of their life stories and their messages.
05

Russia

Dynasties, drama, deep voices. Alongside the colourful clothing made famous through the Moscow Romani Theatre and its offshoots, Russian Roma also share both an oral and a written literature suffused with music and poetry.
06

Northern and Western Europe

Northern and Western Europe are home to numerous Romani and related groups. These populations may have very little common, even when they live in the same country; their musical traditions reflect these disparate histories.