Romanian gypsy music.
In this hour of World Minerals we will revive the sacred traditions of Romanian gypsy music. Gypsies (or Roma as they call themselves) travelled through Europe in the 15th century and worked as craftsmen, beggars or horse traders. Romanians generally looked down on these gypsies but there were some gypsy families that had a remarkable talent for music. These families got known fast and were frequently asked to brighten up weddings and other parties. In the 19th century they served as an example for the Romanian middle class as the ideal ‘romantic freedom’. It also has been said that the Roma musicians (lautarii) protected the music culture. One thing is certain…the influence of gypsies on the traditional music from Romania is large. We will play a selection from the enormous archives of the Romanian music house Electrecord with prestigious names from the Roma family like; Gabi Lunca, Romica Puceanu, Constantin Eftimiu and Ionica Minune.
