What is gypsy music?
Gypsy music is music of the Roma (Romani or Gypsy) people. It should be noted that the word ‘gypsy’ often has a negative connotation, and the Romani people would never use this term to refer to themselves. Therefore it is preferable to refer to them as they refer to themselves, as ‘Roma’. (Please see this website, The Voice of Roma, for a much more thorough discussion of this topic) The Roma are a diverse ethnic group originating from the Indian plateau and spreading throughout the Near-East, Europe and North Africa on a journey that has lasted at least 1500 years maybe much longer. They have been known by many names in the various lands they have inhabited such as Tsigane, Zigeuner, Gitano, Bohemian, Egyptian, Gypsie, gipsy and of course, gypsy. Along their long journey, they have come to embody a certain mystique of wandering people, adept as entertainers and tradesman, but most famously trained as musicians. Along the thousands of years they have journeyed since leaving the Indian p
