Your mother might well have said ‘that you never should/Play with the gypsies in the wood’, and she would probably advise you to give a wide berth to the begging variety in most urban high streets today as well. But this is just so much social stereotyping, and the Romany culture is a rich and interesting one, certainly worthy of more respect than it usually garners.
Londonist has exciting news for those of you who would like to know more, especially for those of you who are of a musical bent or cinema buffs.
Princes Amongst Men are a two man outfit – Garth Cartwright and Leon Parker - who have been DJing together for a number of years now. The title derives from Cartwright’s book, Princes amongst Men – Journeys with Gypsy Musicians, which has just been re-released to great acclaim. The two of them are to unroll an eclectic evening’s entertainment, an audio feast of Balkan exuberance, on Saturday 20th October at the Ritzy Café Bar. The group Paprika Balkanikus will be playing, and we quote:
A thrilling three piece of violin, guitar and bass, PB play a fiery blend of Balkan, Eastern European and Gypsy music with Classical and Jazz influences thrown in and have been wooing audiences with their sizzling musicianship and natural stage presence at gigs and festivals across the UK and beyond.
8pm-12am: Ritzy Café Bar,Brixton Oval, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW2 1JG
AND IT’S FREE – Londonist likes free stuff.
And then just two weeks later, Cartwright is curating the second annual Gypsy Film Festival, which once again is to be held at the twin locations of the Brixton Ritzy and the Greenwich Picture House. He promises a beguiling package of:
Rarely seen classic European films and contemporary documentaries – most have never had a UK screening.
Londonist particularly likes the look of ‘The Way the Road Bends: Tales of a Gypsy Caravan – a documentary following the travels of five gypsy musicians as they tour the US and then back in their respective homelands. The director Jasmine Dellal hopes to present the film herself.
The weekend’s events incude the launch of Zsuzanna Ardo’s photo exhibiton, Roma Decade.
Events are on at the Brixton Ritzy on Friday – Sunday 2nd-4th November, and then they re-locate to Greenwich Picture House for the weekend of the 9th-11th November.
Go on, go and put it in your diaries right now..
Caravan picture courtesy of rightee’s flickr stream
