Content for the Press and Media
Mahala Blasters
For Roma, music is an aural tradition often passed down from generation to generation, and it is still very much a living tradition. The role of brass bands has been particularly important throughout Romani communities in Serbia, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey, where they are regularly called to play at key occasions including wedding processions, funerals, and other major life events. Similar to the multicultural music that BLO is accustomed to performing, the traditional music of Romani brass bands is energetic, soulful and driven by an propulsive beat. Where these traditions differ, though, is primarily in the intricate ornamentation and odd meters prominent throughout Romani and Balkan music in general. Furthermore, as Western musicians, BLO's members have learned most of their repertoire through notated charts, which are almost non-existent for Romani music.
Since last fall, however, under the guidance of Rumen (who himself comes from a long line of Romani musicians, continuing with his own son Angel), the musicians of BLO have been emulating the learning process common throughout Romani mahalas (neighborhoods) in the Balkans. In addition to works he freshly composed for this project, Rumen (with the assistance of Peter) has been teaching the BLO musicians traditional Romani processional street music by ear - meaning that every melody, harmony, rhythm and ornament was transmitted through repetition and call and response techniques until each musician was comfortable with his or her part. After each part was learned, the musicians rehearsed for countless hours, each day improving the quality of their sound and absorbing more and more of the traditional Romani brass band flavor.
Of course, it is important to remember that in Romani societies, dance and music go hand in hand (although, contrary to misguided popular belief, it is also important to remember that not every Romani person knows how to dance and play music!). Unfortunately, due to the effects of globalization and the widespread diaspora, many of the centuries old traditional Romani dances have been forgotten and are not being taught to the younger generations. Dedicated to preserving these traditions, Sani has taught many of the dances that can no longer be commonly seen throughout the Balkans to members of BLO. Similar to Rumen's teaching style, Sani has taught these dances visually, without written choreography. While specific dances may vary somewhat from country to country, the underlying Romani style always remains a constant.
In recent years, gadje (non-Roma) have been unabashedly exploiting Roma by using the word "Gypsy" to promote anything and everything from musical groups to night clubs to clothing lines. While on the surface, referring to "Gypsy" this and "Gypsy" that may seem like a harmless sales tool, these marketing techniques actually have a much more profound effect as they actively promote false images of Roma. This is not only hurtful and insulting, but it adds to the continuing widespread misunderstanding of the culture. For nearly fifteen years, Voice of Roma has worked towards building a "Global Mahala" by producing events, and creating partnerships with both Roma and gadje across the United States and Europe, educating thousands of people and inspiring them with a deep respect and understanding of the Romani culture. Helping to carry this larger message of cultural awareness, the musicians and dancers of BLO are now armed with a new repertoire of traditional and contemporary Romani rhythms and sounds, which they are proud to present to you this evening.
Learn More: http://www.voiceofroma.com
* Note: Rom (Gypsy), Roma (Gypsies), Romani (adjective)
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES: (...more bios on the Hedelezi Festival Website - "Featured Artists")
Rumen "Sali" Shopov
Born in the Turkish/Muslim Romani ("Gypsy") mahala (neighborhood) of Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria, Rumen was the pride and joy of a Romani family that loved to have relatives and neighbors over to sing all night. Rumen thus learned many traditional songs by ear. Rumen was a working musician on doumbek (goblet-shaped drum) and guitar by the time he was in his teens, playing in the popular band ôBiljanaö for local Roma, regional ethnic groups, and visiting Greeks. In 1978, Rumen was invited to join Gotse Delchev's state folk ensemble, then the most respectable kind of employment for a musician. In this group, the "Nevrokopski Ensemble for Folk Songs and Dances" (the first state ensemble in Bulgaria, est. 1946), Rumen's talent and discipline earned him the advanced positions first of tambura (long necked folk lute) soloist and then of concertmaster while he was still a teenager. He collaborated with the ensemble's music director, Petar Avramov, and its artistic director, the respected composer Zapryu Ikonomov, on arrangements for the orchestra and on ethnomusicological research in the villages around Gotse Delchev. Rumen was able to travel abroad with the ensemble, a rare privilege during the Cold War, and he toured Western and Eastern Europe as well as Canada. At the same time, Rumen continued to play with the bands of the mahala, taking up the very important role of tapan (double-headed bass drum) player for three-day weddings. In Gotse Delchev's highly competitive multi-ethnic musical marketplace, Rumen became popular for his powerful playing, for his leadership, for his ability to negotiate both the Romani entertainment scene and the national Bulgarian music system, and for his facility with Romani, Bulgarian, Turkish, and Greek musics. As the founder of the bands "Biljana" and "Shturo Make" Rumen became well known throughout Bulgaria for performances with some of the country's most famous singers and instrumentalists.
In 2002, Rumen began to play and teach in the United States and Canada, where his career has flourished amid increasing demand for both traditional Balkan and traditional Romani music. He has served on the faculty of the East European Folklife Center's Balkan Music and Dance Workshops, Kosmos World Music Camp, World Folkdance Workshops, Arcata Folk Festival, Stockton Folk Dance Camp, the San Francisco Kolo Festival, Balkanalia, Sulhaila Salimpour's School of Dance, and the Jazz School of Berkeley, CA. He has also been a guest artist and teacher at UC Berkeley, Stanford University, The College of Santa Fe, and the University of University of Oregon, Eugene. He has performed and toured with the Yuri Yunakov Romani Wedding Band, the Rumen Shopov-Ismail Lumanovski-Chris Bajmakovic Trio, Ivan Milev, Kolevera Folk Ensemble, Eugene Hutz (of Gogol Bordello), Kitka, Edessa, Anoush, Ziyia, Trio Slavej, Frank London, and his own band Orkestar Sali. In addition, Rumen has won numerous awards in regional and national competitions for his musical accompaniment to Greek folkdance ensembles. In March, 2006 Rumen celebrated the release of "Soul of the Mahala" a disc of traditional and original music featuring performances by Rumen, his son Angel "Acho" Shopov, and Romani musicians from Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria on the Voice of Roma/Romani Routes label. Profits from sales of this CD will benefit Voice of Roma's humanitarian aid work in the Balkans.
Rumen is the recipient of grants from the Creative Work Fund, the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Creative Capital MAP Fund, and The National Endowment for the Arts, and the Fund for Folk Culture.
For more information call or write 510.847.7918 or rumenashopov@yahoo.com
Brass Liberation Orchestra
B.L.O. has performed primarily in the streets since 2002, establishing itself as a well known Bay Area musical group of brass, reeds and percussion that helps build a society that respects all cultures and promotes cross-cultural understanding. B.L.O. is an all volunteer, diverse group of cultural workers who have come together to use music as a political tool for social change. Recently, nominated by the SF Bay Guardian as the Bay area's Best Street Performance Band, the BLO performs approximately four times each month, mostly on the streets as a way to engage, inspire and support those who are fighting on the front lines for a more just society. By drawing on a rich musical repertoire from around the world, such as the folk music of Italian political movements, US civil rights groups, workers unions, Central American freedom songs, Nigerian Afro-beat, New Orleans second line traditions, and the vibrant music of the Roma, the BLO moves people to dance, sing and join together to fight for a better world.
Sani Rifati
President and co-founder of Voice of Roma and of the California Herdeljezi Festival. Sani is an exuberant and exhilarating dance instructor. He has taught at Kolo Festival in SF, the Chicago Spring Dance Festival, Mainewoods Camp, Portland Maine, Balkanalia, Portland Oregon, Folkball, Madison Wisconsin, Kosmos Music Camp in Cazadero, and at Balkan music and dance camps in the U.S. as well as at schools and folk dance events throughout the Bay Area.
Voice of Roma
It is the mission of Voice of Roma (VoR) to promote and present Romani cultural arts and traditions in a way that counters both romanticized and negative "Gypsy" stereotypes, and in so doing, to contribute to the preservation of Romani identity and culture. VoR also works to heighten awareness of human rights issues faced by Roma in today's world, and to support efforts by Roma to (re)build and maintain their communities, improve their lives, and to strengthen the Romani voice both nationally and internationally. Our mission is accomplished through organizing and implementing cultural arts, educational, economic development, and charitable projects for and about Roma.
The task of VoR is unique and crucial. Roma have been voiceless for centuries. A history of oppression, slavery, discrimination, ethnic cleansing and genocide informs the Roma's living culture, and anti-Roma prejudice persists even today. Against this background, a worldwide movement is working to increase recognition for Romani cultural arts and traditions, building a sense of ethnic pride, history and strength among the Roma. Voice of Roma is at the forefront of this movement, providing a voice for Roma across the world from Northern California to Kosovo, and many places in between.
In the United States Voice of Roma presents authentic Romani culture, music, dance and art, and educates the public about the history, current events and the plight of the Kosovo Roma. Simultaneously, VoR provides advocacy services both to Roma living as displaced persons in dire circumstances in Kosovo and to those living as refugees in other countries in Europe under threat of deportation. Since 2003, Voice of Roma has maintained an office in Kosovo with a six-member Romani staff team engaged in advocacy, humanitarian, economic development, and educational projects. VoR has worked to assist Kosovo Roma to participate in "Decade of Roma Inclusion" (2005 - 2015) activities, and in various civil society and democracy building meetings elsewhere in Europe, advocates against forced repatriation of Romani refugees to Kosovo, and has contributed to the development of a lobby for Romani issues at the United Nations. VoR is also dedicated to furthering Romani women's emancipation and full participation in our projects and in their own communities.
Funding Credit
This performance has been made possible in part with the support of the Creative Work Fund.
* Note: Rom (Gypsy), Roma (Gypsies), Romani (adjective)
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