World music & Urban Folk Songs Bosnia Serbia Croatia Roma

Roma (Gypsy) / Romi (Cigani) 8. Aprila – Internacionalni dan Roma

Roma in Europe / Romi u Europi

Rom, Romi = Cigan, Cigani Roma people orgins are to be found in North India and Pakistan Roma language is in the same group of languages with Hindi-Urdu. Rom (sing), romi (plural) comes from the Romani language = "man, husband“ Cigan/i comes from Greek tsinganoi meaning "untouchables“.

They first came to the Balkans in the 12th century In ex Yugoslavia, Serbia (est ) has the biggest population, followed by Macedonia, Bosnia, Croatia (est. 30 – ) and Montenegro. To Croatia, Roma are immigrating rapidly after WWII. In the Balkans, because of the Ottoman, most Roma people are Muslims.

Epizoda u životu berača željeza (2013, dir. Danis Tanović) In 63rd Berlin International Film Festival, Nazif Mujić won the Silver Bear for Best Actor. Trailer:

Roma people in East and SEE Europe

Gypsy “wild village” in Novi Beograd

Carlo Gianferro photography of “Gypsy Interiors”:

Balkan Gypsy music Goran Bregović = branding Balkan Gypsy music in the West Composing music for Kusturica movies Brass music: (Kalashnikov) (Mesečina) Cooperation with numerous famous musicians:

RIPPING OFF ROMA MUSIC ‘[J]ust as… blues musicians in the American south were robbed of their music by an American rock and roll industry in the fifties, so Gypsy musicians like Šaban Bajramović and Esma Redžepova have been robbed of their melodies by the likes of Goran Bregović, who put his name to classic Gypsy songs in tracks like Mesečina and Ederlezi.’’ Garth Cartwright ‘I am hurt in show business...I got fame but no money… and Bregović, well, I admire him as a conductor but not as a composer...He even stole from me.’ Šaban Bajramović Source:

Mesečina Nema više suncasunce - sun Nema više mesecamesec - moon Nema tebe, nema mene Ničeg više, nema joj. Pokrila nas ratna tama pokriti – to cover Pokrila nas tama joj. Ratna tama – darkness of war A ja se pitam moja draga Šta će biti sa nama? Mesečina, mesečina, joj, joj, joj, joj Niko ne zna, niko ne zna Niko ne zna, niko ne zna Niko ne zna šta to sija šta to sija – what’s shining Song about war in ex. Yugoslavia Šaban Bajramović claims this this song is stollen from him.

Šaban Bajramović (1936 – 2008) – King of Roma music Serbian Romani musician famous since the mid 1960s Orphan raised on the street, hard drinker, gambler and "consumer of life" When he was 19 he ran away from the army out of love for a girl. As a deserter, he was sentenced to three years prison on the island Goli otok, but because he told the military court they could not hold him for so long as he could survive, they raised his punishment to five and a half years. (

Prokleta je Amerika Prokleta je Amerika i zlato sto sja, Šta mi vredi tvoja slika Kada oca nemam ja. Proklet/a/o – damned, cursed Zlato – gold Sjajiti – shine Šta mi vredi – what is the use of (version with Cuban music. In Roma language) (documentary)

Ljiljana Butler Petrović (1944 – 2010) Serbian Romani musician (Croatian mother) The Mother of Gypsy Soul Similar to Šaban, popular during communist Yugoslavia; big comeback following 2000, thanks to Mostar Sevdah Reunion.

Before becoming popular all over Yugoslavia, Ljiljana was performing songs in the bars (kafana) of Skadarlija, Beograd: The atmosphere was fantastic. The people laughed and cried during the music. That always inspired me...There was strong šljivovica (plum brandy), lots of sad loves and lots of emotion and romance.“ During the war, she is living in Germany where she works as a cleaning lady: Samo nemoj o politici. Politika me ne interesuje, ja sam pobegla od nje. Nama Ciganima politika ne leži. (

Esma Redžepova (born 1943) Macedonian Romani musician famous in Yugoslavia since the 1960s. Čaje Šukarije (1961) = beautiful girl Esma will represent Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Sweden (Čaje Šukarija = Beautiful Girl in Romani language)

Read more about: bajramovic-gypsy-king-of-serbia html (about Šaban Bajramović) bajramovic-gypsy-king-of-serbia html bregovic-remind-people-gypsy-culture-given (about Goran Bregović) bregovic-remind-people-gypsy-culture-given

Domaći rad / Homework Choose one of these 3 songs performed by Ljiljana Butler Petrović, and translate it to English: 1. Noćas mi srce pati; or B8A3E1A4F1321A&feature=results_video B8A3E1A4F1321A&feature=results_video 2. Duško, Duško; or xTUXztvkxg-yAjw6IKF2x09a3DrK-&feature=results_video xTUXztvkxg-yAjw6IKF2x09a3DrK-&feature=results_video 4. Kada moja mladost pro đ e D7ckSLw-ZENnFkdDEEbyTsL8KR4hqj&feature=results_video D7ckSLw-ZENnFkdDEEbyTsL8KR4hqj&feature=results_video Write a half page commentary about the song of your choice. Do you like it or dislike it? Why? What can you say about Gypsy and Balkan culture based on that one song? Also, in 2-3 sentences answer who is Ljiljana Butler Petrović. All together, your homework should have at least 1 page (or more)!!!!