About International Roma Day
International Roma Day (April 8) was officially declared in 1990 in Poland, during the fourth World Romani Congress in honor of the first major international meeting of Roma representatives, 7-12 of April, 1971 in London, UK. Since then Roma around the globe celebrate our social origins, language, culture, unity, and in particular, romipen (preservation of Rom identity) near the date of the original gathering.
VOR held San Francisco's first annual International Roma Day event in 2000. In addition to romipen, our goals are to introduce audiences to and provide performing opportunities for renowned Romani performing artists, create a gathering place for Romani and other immigrant and refugee communities, and raise awareness about the human rights issues faced by Roma in today's world. In particular, we focus on education regarding the dire circumstances of the Roma in and from Kosovo.
Romani traditional culture around the world and specifically in the U.S. is weakening. Old neighborhood communities, so nourishing to the culture, are disintegrating. Many young Roma don't do traditional dances, and some young Roma don't even share a language with previous generations of their families. This erosion of cultural identity and collective memory could easily result in the loss of Roma artistic expression and traditions that are infused with hundreds of years of history. VOR's International Roma Day celebration events respond directly to this need. The artists and Roma participants reconnect through their participation, strengthening ties to their culture and preserving the artistic expression of our people.
Featured Artists
RUPA & THE APRIL FISHES
SF-based musical agitators Rupa & the April Fishes will be launching their April Fools Tour 2011 with a special
show on their namesake day at the Independent, Friday April 1st, 2011. After their last rousing Bay Area
performance with Manu Chao at the Warfield, the band has been busy working on new material inspired by bandleader
Rupa's travels down to Chiapas, Mexico where she did an artist residency working with an international group of
artists as well as indigenous Tzotzil children. Continuing to cultivate a sound that brings people together in
the spirit of celebration, pulling from varied roots traditions from around the globe, the band will be sharing
new work--including a new composition played on tuned glass bottles--as well as returning with old favorites and
reinterpreting traditional songs of the Roma.
RUMEN SHOPOV
Rumen "Sali" Shopov is a master Turkish-Romani drummer, singer, and
string-player from Goce Delchev, Bulgaria, a crossroads town in the
Pirin Mountain region that hosts a rich intersection of Bulgarian,
Macedonian, Greek, and Turkish musical influences. Rumen has performed
and toured with the Nevrokopski Folk Ensemble, Yuri Yunakov and his
Romani Wedding Band, Edessa, Ziyia, Kitka, Ivan Milev, Chris
Bajmakovic, Ismail Lumanovski, Frank London, Eugene Hutz (Gogol
Bordello), and many others. A charismatic and patient teacher, Rumen
has taught at the Eastern European Folklife Center's Balkan Music and
Dance Workshops, Berkeley's JazzSchool, UC Berkeley, University of
Oregon - Eugene; The College of Santa Fe, Kosmos World Music and Dance
Camp, World Camp, Stockton Camp, Balkanalia, and at other universities
and cultural centers throughout the US and Canada. Since 2003, Rumen
has been artist-in-residence with Voice of Roma, a humanitarian aid
and cultural organization based in Sebastopol, California. In 2006,
Voice of Roma released "Soul of the Mahala" a CD featuring
performances by Rumen and his son, Angel.
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.
Information: 510-847-7918, rumenashopov AT yahoo.com
CHRIS BAJMAKOVICH
Chris Bajmakovich, born in Chicago into a Macedonian Rom family, began playing accordion at age 5. He first professionally performed with a band at age 14, and gave solo performances in smaller venues, playing at weddings, christenings, church dances, and private parties, primarily in the large Balkan immigrant communities of Chicago. He also toured throughout the US with Macedonian singers. Bajmakovich has performed with many well-known musicians, including Ferus Mustafov, Milan Zavkov and Sasko Velkoy. He performed at VOR's 2006 International Roma Day event and has recorded several CDs.
SANI RIFATI
President and co-founder of Voice of Roma and of the California Herdeljezi Festival. 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, and at Balkan
music and dance camps in the U.S. as well as at schools and folk dance events throughout the Bay Area.
Other participating artists:
