Nane tsoxa – I’ve no skirt

[First posted in November 29th, 2016. Reblogged now, out of nostalgia, after listening to this music again. To the few who still follow this blog and were not here back then, in 2016, I just recommend to enjoy the nerve of the music, the spell of the Rromani language, the flare of a person now…

“The Gypsy Tales” animation cartoon series from the perspective of Romani artists – A worthy project

Originally posted on ROMEDIA FOUNDATION:
Written by Anna Orosz Representing Roma culture with animation is the newest innovation of sharing traditions. The story of Gypsy Tales cartoon series started in 2013 at the Kecskemétfilm Studio with the direction of Mária Horváth, who wanted to share the Roma folk traditions and show the Roma cultural values.…

Nane tsoxa – I’ve no skirt

The French group “Bratsch” has played quite a few Romani songs during decades. Soon, next December they will give up performance. I want to share a favourite old standard of our traditional folk music as a memory of them and a farewell to them: ‘Nane tsoxa’ (I’ve no skirt)*. It’s sung in a North Russian…

Ka merav pala tute – Moriré per tu – I will die for you

This is one of my favourite poems from “Dukh” (Pain), by Hedina Tahirović, 2007. Beyond its intrinsic literary merit, the book is also a milestone: the first collection of poems ever witten in Gurbet Rromani (Gurbetcko Rromano). Besides helping to divulgate it, my aim is to provide a translation into Catalan, which is my other…

Three Rromani poems on pain and sorrow (… what else?) (III)

This post continues two previous ones, with the same heading, presenting my translations into Catalan of some Rromani poems from “Dukh” (Pain), by Hedina Tahirović Sijerčić. (For an introductory explanation and a concise biographical note about the author, please follow this link.) Nashav Nashav prdal pe livadjina thaj plajinaka Von chingaren thaj traden man. Nashav…

Three Rromani poems on pain and sorrow (… what else?) (II)

This post continues a previous one with the same heading on my translations into Catalan of some Rromani poems from “Dukh” (Pain), by Hedina Tahirović Sijerčić. (For an introductory explanation and a concise biographical note about the author, please follow the link above.) Dukhalipe O dukhalipe vulisarilo mrni odji, odji tasavel pes. Sar te phurdav…

Three Rromani poems on pain and sorrow (… what else?) (I)

I read “Dukh” (Pain) , by Hedina Tahirović Sijerčić, 2007, some months ago, about past Christmas. It is a book of poems mainly inspired by the tragedy brought to the Rromani folk by the Bosnian war; and thus, they speak about loss and death, but also of love (passionate love, as it should always be…

A poem, a prayer

Sweet angel of Death, if you must come, better come now. I do not fear at all your glacial kiss, and there’s a voice calling me, in the fair darkness beyond the ford. From past suffering, my soul is mature for dying well. Just everything that I’ve loved lasts in my heart, as scraps from…