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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 and Participants

REYHAN AND HÜSNÜ TUZSUZ

   video demo

Reyhan Tuzsuz is an internationally acclaimed Turkish Romani dancer from Istanbul, who teaches and performs in the traditional non-professional Romani dance style performed by women for Romani social and ritual celebrations in their community. Reyhan learned her improvisational dance style informally through oral tradition at weddings and community events. Romani female non-professional dance involves a wealth of subtle moves and gestures that are only known within the community, and are not performed on stage. Reyhan is not only an expert at performing these improvised movements that encode social statements and playful responses; she is unusually gifted in being able to convey these movements, explain their meaning, and teach them to non-Roma women. Reyhan is strongly recognized for her style of dance in both her own community and by her many international students. Students from Brazil, Japan, England, Australia and the US have flocked to her classes. Reyhan Tuzsuz has also taught and performed in numerous workshops and concerts in Istanbul, and has participated in America at the World Music Folklife Center's Washington DC Herdeljezi Festival.* *This is Reyhan's first time on the West Coast and will be a great opportunity to learn Turkish Romani traditional community based belly dance.

Hüsnü Tuzsuz, Reyhan's husband, is a highly respected local Romani violinist active in the restaurant and wedding circuit in Istanbul. Hüsnü Tuzsuz comes from a large family of musicians, and was trained by his father in the lineage of the great violinist Haydar Tatliyay. He teaches and performs in many Istanbul venues, and has been employed as a musician at Wonderland Café in Istanbul since 2010. Hüsnü is recognized as a patient teacher able to convey the details of the makam modal system, ornaments and improvisation of Romani music to both local and international students. Hüsnü has taught several US violinists who traveled specifically to Istanbul to study with him. This is his first time in America and a wonderful opportunity to learn from a true master of Turkish Romani violin.
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GALBENO BAND

"Authentic Roma (Gypsy) band from San Francisco Bay Area. Founded by Roma musicians, who traveled far and wide, carrying their passion for traditional Roma music. Landing in San Francisco, they gathered around this passion and formed Galbeno Band.
Galbeno Band has been performing at private and Balkan music events around Bay Area. Live performances burst with energy, create fun atmosphere for any occasion!
Helena - vocals, Dušan - violin, Ofir - accordion, Marco - tapan"

SONIA SEEMAN

Sonia Tamar Seeman is an assistant professor of ethnomusicology at the University of Texas, Austin Butler in the Butler School of Music and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. She has been working with Romani communities since 1985 in Macedonia, and since 1995 in Turkey. She has co-produced an ethnographic cd with master clarinetist Selim Sesler, written multiple sets of liner notes, and authored articles on Turkish and Macedonian music and Romani communities. She is the author of the forthcoming book, "Sounding Roman: Music and Performing Identity in Western Turkey" to be published by Oxford University Press.

JULIA PECAK - catering

Julia's cooking style is based on seasonal, natural, and fresh ingredients, combining traditional Roma flavors, with spices and aromas from around the world. A Hungarian-born Roma, she was chef and owner of former San Francisco restaurant "Bistro E Europe with Roma (Gypsy) Flavor".

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.