Many people who are not familiar with the Carpathian Basin, the Balkans, or Southeastern Europe, may not be entirely sure how to imagine Gypsy Music. That's not surprising, because just like the culture in general, music can take so many different forms. There is so much crossover between styles and traditions, especially across geographic regions, which is a given for a culture that has been largely nomadic.
Before I continue, here's a quick disclaimer. Many people may be ready to point out that the word gypsy is considered a derogatory slur, and we should instead opt for Rom, Roma, or Romani, as these are the preferred terms this ethnic group likes to refer to themselves (rom meaning man in the Romani language). However, I have met many Roma who actually prefer calling themselves gypsy or cigány in Hungarian, and when talking about music in this post, rather than the people, I intend to use the word gypsy without wanting to offend anyone.
The Many Facets of Gypsy Music
The music of the Roma people is more diverse, and more multi-faceted, than could be satisfied with one simple post. It includes tunes, rhythms, instruments, and other cultural factors such as languages and styles from India to Spain, and extended over the whole world. It includes flamenco as much as the Django Reinhardt-esque gypsy jazz. For a good immersion in the most important expressions of the various forms of gypsy music I recommend the movie Latcho Drom, a musical journey from the homeland of the Roma in Northern India, all the way to the Iberian peninsula. It's on YouTube:
Hungarian Gypsy Music
In this post, however, I'd like to focus on the music of the Roma in Hungary... and have to further exclude a bunch of stuff, since gypsy music rarely equals gypsy music.
Most visitors to Hungary encounter what's commonly referred to as "gypsy music" in touristy restaurants, where a violinist, sometimes together with a cimbalom-player, play Hungarian folk tunes to entertain the guests. Similarly, this type of music can be frequently heard at Hungarian weddings, giving a sensation of "oh so authentic Hungarian / Gypsy" flair. It is actually neither, while at the same time a bit of both, depending on your point of view. Still, that type of popular hungarian-gypsy-wedding-music is not what this post is supposed to be about. So what then?
Gypsy Music for Roma People
Not surprisingly, the music the Roma like playing for each other is not exactly the same as what they would perform at Hungarian weddings, though the two certainly influence each other. However, real authentic gypsy music I would describe as less restrictive, more emotionally exuberant, and more rooty than its diluted stage performed variants, let alone the restaurant style, which I personally find highly annoying.
Experiencing a Gypsy Party
To explain what I'm talking about here, let me relate a story of having found myself at a Roma party once. It was crumby little pub in Budapest, with scruffy looking furniture and cheap liquor, and the only reason I went there was because someone had told me a really awesome band was going to perform there that night. Needless to say, the place was so packed that I barely could squeeze myself in. The band, however, was nowhere to be seen.
When they eventually arrived, they seemed utterly unprepared. Only three of the seven members had instruments: a guitar, a violin, and a stand-up bass. The others grabbed whatever they could: a pair of spoons, a table to drum on, and a beer bottle which the musician quickly emptied. But then they started the discussion on what to play. "A song... do you guys know any songs?" "Nah, not me..." Eventually they got a rhythm going and started vocalizing to it. Before we knew it, they were in the middle of jamming out, and the crowd started dancing.
Okay, "dancing" is an overstatement. There were so many of us crammed in the tiny space, that you could barely turn around, let alone take a step. However, the sheer power of the rhythm wouldn't let you stand still. And the more they played, the faster the music got, and the stronger was the urge to dance our souls out. Eventually people got up on the chairs and tables, threw the bottles at the wall, as they gave way to pure abandon.
It may be hard to imagine, but the music just kept gaining momentum. It reached new levels of intensity, and the crowd was going crazy, quite literally. By now it wasn't just bottles that were flying across the pub, but chairs were being thrown, tables were being smashed to bits, and the audience was erupting in a sort of mass brawl. Looking around, I noticed that by now the only ones "dancing" were young men, everyone else who didn't want to get hurt was standing around the wall, clapping and cheering on the brawlers, all to the increasingly contagious rhythm of the music.
Not wanting to get punched myself, I followed their example, and found a safe place by the wall, from where I could see how these music enthusiasts were attacking each other with chair legs, broken bottles, or just their bare fists. A mosh-pit at a punk-rock show was a kindergarten birthday party in comparison. It looked violent and scary, still nobody thought about interfering. Meanwhile the band passed the zenith of their music, and so did the party.
Suddenly everyone felt too hurt and tired to continue fighting. Was it maybe because of the music? They looked around at the broken pieces of furniture, the floor soaked in blood and beer, their bruised up faces, and they started crying. By now the music had also changed, and the band was playing a sad tune. Once again, the word "sad" doesn't even do justice to the feeling of utter loss that befell all of us. Most curiously, however, these previously tough guys, who had just before been smashing each other bloody, were now lying in each others arms, crying like little children. They didn't care about anything, as they scooped each other off the floor, hugging, even kissing each other, while wailing loudly and shedding bitter tears. Of course the music was right on top of their emotions, and the singers voices had the same sad, wailing sound.
Looking back, I've never seen or heard anything close to that night's experience. When I visited the same pub on another random night when nothing was going on, and I understood why the furniture was all so shabby. These guys have a different set of priorities. Though they also explained to me that you can't really plan a party like that. It just happens, if all the right components are present. For that reason, I don't know if the actual videos I shared can even do much justice to my story. The music was the same as what I linked, just more "live". These songs are the closest I have found to the sounds of that party, but still they are "just" a stage performance, played under more controlled circumstances.
Still I can only recommend to check them out! The bands I have linked here are Ando Drom, Parno Graszt, and Amaro Suno. They have lots of their tunes up, and give you great introduction to real gypsy music from Hungary, and maybe even a bit of an impression what a gypsy party could be like.
Please Visit my Previous Posts in my Music Monday Series:
Classic Canadiana: Stan Rogers
Floating Into the Night by Julee Cruise
Obligatory Line-Dance at Mexican Parties - El Payaso de Rodeo
The Sound of the Hungarian Zither
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