Dos Lunares investigates and promotes the intersections between Flamenco and Romani/Gypsy culture through printed matter, film nights, and special events.
Cantaor Children
The earliest steps taken by artists such as MoraÃto, La Macanita, Remedios Amaya, Carmelilla Montoya, Antonio de la Malena and Carlos Heredia, who fascinated their relatives, friends and neighbours with their gracefulness and self-assurance from a very young age. They are unique performances that provide some of the keys for understanding the transmisssion of the heritage of flamenco culture.
Recently someone close to my family was killed in a tragic accident. The heartbreak, pain and grief of his friends and family have been at times, overwhelming. The only music I think that can ever come close to expressing these emotions is siguiriyas. Here are two I’ve been listening to these past few days. RIP Carlos Roberto Guillen…
…There are songs where the lyrical tremor reaches a point inaccessible to any but a few poets:
The moon has a halo; my love has died.
Cerco tiene la luna; mi amor ha muerto.
There is much more mystery in those two lines than in all the plays of Maeterlinck. Simple, real mystery, sound and healthy, without gloomy forests or rudderless ships. It is the living eternal enigma of death:
The moon has a halo; my love has died.
…Behind these poems lurks a terrible question that has no answer. Our people cross themselves in prayer, look at the stars, and wait in vain for a sign of salvation. The gesture is pathetic but true. And the poem either poses a deep emotional question with no answer, or solves it with death, which is the question of questions.
If you are in the Bay Area, you might consider checking out this event.
Main Event at Croatian American Cultural Center, 60 Onondaga St (map) , 7:30 – 11:30 pm – Dance workshop, followed by live music and dancing. $15 or $20 with after-party ticket. Features Rumen Sali Shopov with Brass Liberation Orchestra, and Orkestar Sali with special guests Chris Bajmakovich and Cele Paskoski. Have dinner at the event – super Balkan food by Christo Kolev available for purchase.
About International Roma Day
International Roma Day (April 8) was officially declared in 1990 in Poland, during the fourth World Romani Congress in honor of the first major international meeting of Roma representatives, 7-12 of April, 1971 in London, UK. Since then Roma around the globe celebrate our social origins, language, culture, unity, and in particular, romipen (preservation of Rom identity) near the date of the original gathering.
VOR held San Francisco’s first annual International Roma Day event in 2000. In addition to romipen, our goals are to introduce audiences to and provide performing opportunities for renowned Romani performing artists, create a gathering place for Romani and other immigrant and refugee communities, and raise awareness about the human rights issues faced by Roma in today’s world. In particular, we focus on education regarding the dire circumstances of the Roma in and from Kosovo.
Romani traditional culture around the world and specifically in the U.S. is weakening. Old neighborhood communities, so nourishing to the culture, are disintegrating. Many young Roma don’t do traditional dances, and some young Roma don’t even share a language with previous generations of their families. This erosion of cultural identity and collective memory could easily result in the loss of Roma artistic expression and traditions that are infused with hundreds of years of history. VOR’s International Roma Day celebration events respond directly to this need. The artists and Roma participants reconnect through their participation, strengthening ties to their culture and preserving the artistic expression of our people.
Saban Bajramovic – Djelem Djelem
Happy International Roma Day! Djelem Djelem is considered the unofficial anthem of Roma/Gypsy people worldwide.
