Ida Kelarova, Desiderius Dužda and their team have been passing on their songs and music all over the world, over the past 15 years. For this special workshop, they invited several Roma lectors and artists to help them out.
On this workshop, every one of you will have the opportunity to taste a bit more of the Roma way of life, perception and experience, in order to let you expand your knowledge of the Roma, to get deeper and closer to the roots of the Roma culture. Together we will learn more about the history of this precious culture, and we’ll judge ourselves what Roma are like: we’ll base our own opinion on our experience from this workshop. It is very important to form our own opinions based on living experience: to look into each other’s eyes, to feel the love and the hope, the light and the joy in all that the Roma can do. This is what “be right here and now” means.
The ensemble of the workshop participants form such a mass of energy and power that we can experience a certain kind of awakening and boost, which stay with us. It is impossible for the participants to avoid getting affected by the fascinating program. All the elements of the workshop interconnect in a way that is both beatiful and inspiring, and strikes everybody with an amazing and unexpected effect.
In deep songs, there is pain – the Gypsies call it the black pain
Everybody is invited – all the musicians, artists and those who love to sing and celebrate gypsy music. You’ll learn more about the Gypsy songs, about the philosophy of the Roma, about their history and about the way they celebrate. Let’s grab the opportunity to open our hearts a little. Side by side with the workshop, an art camp for children will take place, you’ll meet normal Roma people from Eastern Slovakia settlements, and visit the professional Roma theater ensemble in Košice – Romathan. Roma music bands will play in the evenings, singers and dancers will perform, children dance groups and young talented kids will share their skills. There will be ethnologists, musicians, directors, singers and tutors to pass on their culture and life. “Romano drom” is a opportunity for Roma and non-Roma (or Gypsies and Gadjos if you will) to meet face to face.
For a short time, you’ll have a chance to walk the way of life of the Gypsies – the Romano drom.
A journey to the voice that leads you back to intuition; a path that goes deeper to the source of human creativity. To sing and to feel our song means to open up and face your inner beauty, to realize the strength of vulnerable feelings which – at the same time – are a gift you can keep passing on
An explosion of happy and spontaneous singing is one of the most amazing, precious – and healthy too – elements of all human experience. By pure intuition we all feel that singing can aid us in feeling healthy, alive, free and “easy”. Every time we sing, we make ourselves stronger, we raise ourselves higher, we thrive. Singing is absolutely essential for live and for healing. A day is wasted the most when we do not sing. Singing leads us through our entire life. Gypsy songs conceal a magical energy and are generally regarded as jewels of the Gypsy culture. They incite emotions and reveal people’s hearts and souls, which is where they always come from. Songs are the teachings of the noble ones. Songs bring inspiration and amusement to all artists and creative humans, and yield a closer understanding of life and traditions of the Gypsies, and a sense of solidarity.
A Roma man lost his father and for some reason, couldn’t shed a tear. The doctor told him that it’s imperative that he cried, as his heart could burst from sorrow. It hurt too much to cry though; he started to sing instead, and his heart survived.
Some of us think that Gypsies (Roma) are from outer space, others think that they are savages. Some consider them to be passionate, others see them as thieves. Some people are afraid of them, few believe they know exactly who Roma are, others do not know, or take on prejudices and superstition. Some have been betrayed by Roma, others have never met them. This is why I feel the need to shed light upon this minority full of mysteries, witchcraft, tales and curses, and pass on as much objective facts as possible on who Roma really are, on how they live, how they are different, where they do not adapt well, and what important they can pass on through their culture, music, dance and live – a little bit of which all we can experience in the course of the ten days spent together.
What did God give to the Roma?
A Roma riddle
Whilst strolling down the road, our sweet god was troubled. At that very moment Jančí the Roma was walking in the opposite direction, singing along. When he saw God he said, “Dear Lord, what’s the matter? What’s troubling you?”
God replied, “You have no idea, Janči. I didn’t do a good job with people. Half of them are smart, but at the same time they are the rogues and fraudsters. The other half are good at heart and honest, however they are fools.”
“Oh Lord, that’s not as big a problem as you think. Look at it this way, at least half of them aren’t bad and the other half aren’t fools.”
God liked the way how Janči talked, and asked, “Janči, and what did I give the Roma, back when I was giving out houses, fields, cows and so on?”
“Oh, my sweet lord. You gave us the ‘and so on’, because we arrived too late. We had been dancing, singing and enjoying ourselves. In other words, we forgot to turn up at all.”
“Ah well Janči, I don’t have anything left to give you. I have handed out all that I had. You know what though? Keep your songs. In moments of sorrow, your song will brighten your hearts. Keep your jokes. In poverty, you will always be rich in humour. No one will ever be able to take away your music, song or humour.”
And that’s the way it has been ever since…
Everytime I hear of racism, I get sick. What right we – the people of this planet – had to ever create such word and its meaning? We are all people of this world after all. If we were to classify ourselves at all, it should not be by the color of the skin, but into people more conscious and less conscious – as we are all beatiful people in our hearts. A conscious man will not be racist, as he knows that people are to be judged by their acts and deeds. I know many Roma who are beautiful and conscious – whole-hearted, like my father, my greatest teacher Koloman Bitto was. I also know Roma who are degenerate – primitive – “owing” to our society; many generations ago, they were subject to a condition they didn’t freely choose to live in: had to though, were forced to, and the society expelled them in turn. Few among us are aware of this plot, and share the responsibility for the collective sins of the past, the homicide our society committed.
The Roma in Czech and Slovak countries have lived here for over 500 years, yet we never succeeded in accept them properly. Some of us try to help them, but when the help is not repayed appropriately, they give up, join the other camp and silently acknowledge all that racism lives off, all that helps racism get deeper beneath our skin and become stronger. None of us have found a way yet how to truly help the Roma – because we do not know them at all. We do not know what they need, hence our help brings no benefit, and even adds up to the wall that is growing between the Roma and the non-Roma; and racism and distrust grow.
Every minority in the world suffers, not just the Roma in our country. We live in habits, prejudices and defamations, which are strong enough to make us kill innocent children. That is why one cannot breathe freely here. People have learnt to lie back in their kindergartens, and we have carried it with us ever since. We lie to ourselves, we lie to our children, we lie to each other. There is fear that makes us stick to our lies.
I do not doubt at all that the general attitude of some governments and peoples towards co-existence of races and nationalities is in essence stupid. I’m afraid it’s not so much a problem of racial intolerance in one tiny little state only, but rather a matter of humanity proper, of ethics. A man should feel solidarity with a man, with everything alive, with the planet. He lacks though dignity, respect to being on this planet, humbleness. Just look at how many wars a man wages, which are interpretted as “righteous”, as fights for freedom and peace. Look at how many beasts a man kills for vain, the many ways he lays waste to the planet we share. The need I feel is to do something to save the nature, save the planet, save the human relations; in this case, save the relationship of Roma and non-Roma.
The path we tread is to interconnect cultures in an amazing, non-violent manner. We can learn arts, and pass onto people that which we know best, and the ways how we can do best. I trust myself, and this path. Again and again, we guide people around us to love and
solidarity. The work involved is not lightweight; but it is work that brings sense. I’m convinced that together we’ll create a better world. We just need to realize that men were created to create, not to kill and destroy.
We choke with sorrow, we tie ourselves up with fear, our throats get stuck with feelings.
This special workshop is dedicated to all of you with an inner need to learn the wisdom of love and to give love to the planet.
Do not seek what skin a man bears, seek what heart he has
I look forward to seeing you
Ida Kelarova
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