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Rroma Flamenco
Flamenco is the music of the Rroma People, (Sometimes mistakenly or derisively called Gypsies). The Rroma Nation are a people in exile. Originally from the Banjara region of Northern India, in the 11th century, they fled West to escape the incursion of Islamic attacks led by Mohammed Ghznavid. They first settled in Persia then migrated to Europe. Because Persia was called ‘Little Egypt’; And because these people of dark complexion stood out in Europe; And because these dispossessed people were seen as a threat in Europe they were given the racist name (E)Gypsy.However in multicultural Spain they prospered for many years. But the advent of the Roman Catholic Inquisition in the 14th century expelled the Jews and Moors while capturing the Rroma into a brutal slavery very similar to slavery of the African Diaspora in the Western Hemisphere.
Flamenco derived its name from the mispronunciation of the Moorish word ‘felagmengu’ which means ‘fugitive peasant.’ Flamenco music was declared illegal. The pope said the violin was the "devils instrument" and the penalty for playing Flamenco was often death.
In the rest of Europe the situation continued to worsen. It was illegal for Rroma to own land and they were continually at the mercy of the shifting political alliances of aristocracy. Often the Rroma faced lynching or burning at the stake for inadvertently entering the wrong territory. Under the spread of fascism during World War Two they faced the same fate as the Jews It is estimated that the Nazis subjected a couple of million Rroma to ‘Ethnic Cleansing.’
With the abolition of slavery in 1870 Flamenco music started to spread out of the Rroma ghettos and slave camps. This wonderful music first was adopted by the Spanish people and has continued to spread throughout the world.
In 1972 a delegation of Rroma, including the actor Yule Brennor, approached the United Nations and were given permanent status as a "National People Without A Homeland."
Two excellent books written by Rroma about the Rroma are: "The Pariah Syndrome" by university professor Dr. Ian Hancock and "Goddam Gypsy" by journalist Ronald Lee. Many people have seen the wonderful movie "Latcho Drom" by the Rrom director Tony Gatlif. This film is an ethnomusicalogical masterpiece documenting the journey of the Rroma from Northern India and throughout Europe.
There are many misconceptions about the Rroma. They are not the stereotypical wanderers, occultists, fortune tellers, thieves, baby-stealers or bandanna- wearing romantics projected in the mass media. They are a heartical, talented and industrious people. Through their diaspora and holocaust they often turned inward and protected themselves through privacy.
Today there are estimated to be 14 million Rroma in the world. The new generation of Rroma are opening up their society and demanding to be treated as equals in the family of Man.
In this day the Rroma are often the first to suffer skinhead violence throughout much of Eastern Europe. In Italy there is the largest Rroma refugee camp in the world. It is called Castilino 700 and is 5 miles from the Vatican in Rome. Rroma children are still being forced to eat out of garbage cans. The police are regularly seizing young Rroma; beating them and shaving their heads.
Flamenco music is the indigenous music of the Spanish Rroma. It is their form of the ‘Blues’ which sustained them over the centuries of exile. It is often a devotional music. The Rroma, like all indigenous people, are a spiritual people. They come from Hindu roots. Today many Rroma are Jews, Christians, Islamic or of Universal Faith.
Los Canasteros
Los Canasteros is named after the ‘Canasteros’ who are the itinerant musicians of Southern Spain. Lead singer Mario (Lolo) Ines-Torres is from Catelonia, Spain. Raised on a farm, from youth, he embraced the cause for Rroma civil-rights. In the 60’s he was imprisoned by the fascist Franco regime and subjected to torture. They smashed his face in so that years later he needed corrective surgery. They placed electrical wires on his genitals causing him to become infertile. Lolo pulled a ‘felagmengu’ on them and escaped from prison. He managed to get to Norway but the Spanish Secret Police found Lolo there and presented false warrants to the Norwegian Police claiming he was a common criminal. The Norwegians imprisoned Lolo but a year later he again called on the spirit of the ‘felagmengu.’ Lolo escaped making it to Canada where the Miq’mac First Nations (Native Indians) gave him sanctuary. Eventually he was given political refugee status in Canada. He recently won a settlement at the World Court from the Norwegian government for falsely imprisoning him.
Mario (Lolo) Ines-Torres together with guitarist Pedro Mole and palmista/dancer Karen Boothroyd make up Los Canasteros. Their charismatic stage presence has delighted crowds from coffee houses to large folk festivals. Now you can hear them on the CD ‘Seven Worlds.’, which like the Hopi First Nations (Native Indian) legends, refers to the travels of our ancestors through time and destroyed previous worlds and civilizations.
Today Mario (Lolo) Ines-Torres is enjoying a well deserved life in Canada. He has returned to his rural roots and is building up an organic farm in the mountains of beautiful British Columbia. He is taking a hiatus from regular gigging but leaves his mountain farm for special performances with Los Canasteros.
The Rroma are kindly asking people to please quit calling them ‘Gypsies’
