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Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc.
DANCING WITH TWO LEFT FEET |
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We all love Romani (Gypsy) music and dances. What makes them so dear to the dancing community? Is the rhythmic beat, the enchanting melody, or the soulful singing? I feel that it is the soul of the people that created these songs, that touches the strings of our heart. Underneath the songs is the message of a people long oppressed that calls out for justice and understanding. It is the message of a people that have survived centuries of hardship and injustice, slavery, and concentration camp genocide. It is the pride of people who have survived as a distinct group for centuries.
Unlike other groups, such as the Jewish Diaspora that survived by following the Torah laws, the Roma survived without a written guidebook nor a written language. They survived by a strong oral tradition passed from grandfather to father to son. They took each day as a privilege with each day lived to its fullest. This feeling is expressed in their music and dance.
One person who is responsible for bringing us both of these sides of the Romani culture is my dear friend and "Pral" (brother in Romanes), Sani Rifati, born in Priština, Kosovo, Yugoslavia.
He is the organizer of the annual "Herdeljezi Festival of Romani Music and Dance," a traditional Romani neighborhood celebration that announces the end of the cold indoor season and the beginning of the warmer season and outdoor life by sharing of music, dance, food, and community.
His cousin, Esma Redžepova (the "Queen of Romani Music") in Macedonia, toured the United States several times, thanks to the efforts of Sani.
Sani's music and dance contribution to our dance community was Yuri Yunakov, one of the top Bulgarian wedding music saxophone players who, with his band, performed to packed hall in San Diego's Balboa Park. Listening and dancing to his music brought us in touch with both the music and the soul of the Roma.
Printed in Folk Dance Scene, "DANCING WITH TWO LEFT FEET (30), November 2007.