'Gypsy Spirit: Journey of the Roma' breaks stereotypes

The image of the Gypsy is held as part of our popular culture -- a view of people in peasant skirts and vests traveling around the eastern European countryside in brightly painted wagons. The Kálmán Balog's Gypsy Cimbalom Band's "Music of the Gypsy Sprit" concert gave audience members a new perspective on the tired gypsy stereotype through a presentation of its music.\nOriginally, the Gypsy -- or Roma -- people came from the lands of northern India. They began migrating to the West a thousand years ago for reasons unknown. Since that time, people of Gypsy descent can be found in almost every country in Europe and in the U.S. This pervasive culture is as apparent in their geographic locations as it is demonstrated in the variety of different influences in their music. \nThe concert began with a recorded voice telling the folk tale of the origin of the Gypsy people in their native language. It was accompanied on the recording by a drone instrument which sounded very much like a tanpura -- an instrument used in Indian music. It was also punctuated by rhythmic chanting that bore another distinct resemblance to a tradition in Indian music, the practice of sol katu, by which a player will speak the rhythm to be played later on percussion instruments. \nIn addition to the recording, one of the live performers played the cimbalom, an instrument similar to the American hammer dulcimer. It basically resembles the stringing of the inside of a piano, but is played by striking the strings with two small mallets. This produces a very beautiful and resonant sound similar to the plucking of a harp.\nAfter the presentation on the origins of the Roma people, the rest of the band joined the party and the music began in earnest. They played a variety of pieces, some large ensemble ones, consisting of four violins, a trumpet, clarinet, accordion and other smaller pieces which used just voice and guitar.\nNo matter what music the band was playing, there was a constant feeling the music related to that of some other culture. One sounded vaguely like klezmer, another like Russian music, another almost like American country. Because the Roma music predates or was developed with many of these styles, it was fascinating to see how pervasive their musical culture has been.\nBloomington is blessed with an abundance of world music. It was a nice change, however, for the University itself to sponsor such an ambitious undertaking and to bring such talented musicians within such easy reach of the student body. The departments of Central Eurasian studies and folklore/ethnomusicology should be commended for their efforts and encouraged to continue with such enjoyable educational projects. \nIn the introduction to the concert, the speaker emphasized how the widespread nature of the Roma people created a balance between the adaptation of their music into the local customs of the places where they had settled and a preservation of their own unique folk customs. With each of the different pieces, the public could be delighted with a glimpse of the wonderfully diverse and dynamic nature of the Gypsy spirit.