Romani Culture and Gypsy Identity

Romani culture is perhaps the most Indo-European of all. The ancestors of the Gypsies left India around 1000 years ago and mixed with every culture on the way to produce a rich variety of Romani dialects and well-known cultural achievements from Hungarian Gypsy music to the English Gypsy caravan. Such images somehow coexist, however, with continuous persecution.

This book provides genuinely comparative scholarly accounts of Gypsy culture, art and music together with contemporary accounts of changes in education and health. It contains collaborative work not only from established Romani Studies scholars such as Ian Hancock, David Smith and Michael Stewart, but also from younger writers and will be an essential part of the knowledge base for anyone working with or studying Gypsies. It has extensive illustrations of painted traditional caravans, songs and extracts from musical scores.

A collection of papers by the foremost scholars writing today on Gypsy culture, art and music and contemporary accounts of changes in education and health. With extensive illustrations of painted traditional caravans, songs and extracts from musical scores.