Monday, September 01, 2014

'Jazz A Vienne'

Full concert with the Birelli Lagrene Quintet - this is Romani music at it's very best.

  For me Romani music is about joy and romance. It's about life with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. I think that American popular music is grounded in the pain and suffering side of the blues, this is a good thing too. Romani music latched onto the more joyful side of the blues. There's plenty of room for creativity in Romani music and in the Romani context this creativity is not so much about exploring the reaches of the unknown and challenging, but about finding a recognizable amazement. It is a communal type of music. I really love it.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

For many years the Council of Europe used the word "Gypsies" before the decision was taken, in 2005, to no longer use it in official texts, in particular at the request of International Roma associations who found it to be an alien term, linked with negative, paternalistic stereotypes which still pursue them in Europe. Consequently, in the majority of European states, it is recommended that the word Gypsy or its equivalent no longer be used, as it is felt to be pejorative and insulting by most of the people concerned.

Jim Sande said...

I certainly have not thought the name through to the level that you are illuminating here, and thank you for that. Titles mean little to me personally, and I'm happy to call this music something else. What do you recommend?

Jim Sande said...

Okay - I'll change it.

Anonymous said...

I never used to think about labels. Then one day, I referred to a Japanese person as "oriental" and I was told "rugs are oriental, not people."

I only recently learned the term "gypsy" was insulting. The reason the Romani people object to it is because the term became synonymous with "crook" or "thief"

Jim Sande said...

I got interested in this music just a few short years ago. The name only had positive connotations for me, but I do appreciate the bigger picture.