The Romanic Music - Essay Example

Introduction Romanic music is the music prevalent amongst the Romanians with its origin dating back to North India, despite the people dispersed into areas such as Europe, parts of Asia, North, Central and South America. The Romanians originated from India. By the Eleventh century AD, the Romanians lived in an area called Gurjara, then Rajput confederacy. A group called Dom belonged to the indigenous people of India but had adopted the Hindu religion as well as Indo-Aryan language obtained from Sanskrit. Dom groups were nomadic entertainers and artisans. During the tenth century, a Muslim kingdom which is now Afghanistan launched massive attacks on India. The attack massacred the people and carried thousands of slaves. Although Rajput fought back, a number of people were displaced. At some point around the eleventh century, the ancestors of Romans made their way into Upper Hindus Valley from Gurjara where they spent some of the time in the region. Thereafter the ancestors of the Romans left India and penetrated into the Northwest China. From there, they followed the ancient trading route which led them to Persia, through Southern Georgia, Armenia and finally reached Byzantine Empire. By fourteenth century, they reached Romania from Byzantine capital (now Istanbul). Some groups also remained in Romania as they moved on both east and west. By the fifteen century, Romanians could be traced in areas such as West, the British Isles and Spain and at the east of Poland and Lithuania. The population is approximately 6 to 10 million people. According to some scholars, they migrated from India changed their original name from Dom (plural) to Rom (singular) and Roma (plural) (Yooors, pg. 14). Main Body Religion Roman religious beliefs are deep rooted amongst Hinduism. Romans have a universal believe called Kuntari. On the contrary, everything must have its natural place such as, that birds fly and fish swim. Although hens do not fly, they are considered as not balanced as are frogs. The Romans has believed that there’s a possibility of becoming polluted in a number of ways that included breaking of taboos that involve the upper and lower halves of the body. According to the Romanians, a person who becomes polluted is considered out of balance and need restoration to purity through a trial before a tribunal led by elders. At that instance, one found guilty are isolated from the others and then reinstated. For severe cases of pollution, a Roman could be outlawed from the group forever despite rare nowadays. Exemptions are given to children until they reached puberty stage (Tong, pg.67). Only, surrounding host cultures are useful during ceremonies like baptism and funerals whereby Romans required formal religious institution. Elders are regarded as spiritual leaders only with no Priests and churches for the Pentecostal Romanian, the minority. Despite separating from India for over 1,000 years, they still practice Shaktism, which is the worship of God through a female consort. Moreover, Romans worship the Christian God, and pray to him through the Virgin Mary. Cultural heritage The Romans has a strong cultural heritage, which is expressed mostly through music and dance. Roma music has its roots in India with traces of all music cultures whereby Roma music revealed their migration. The music is renowned from certain countries. Firstly and foremost is the Flamenco of the Spanish Roma, who is called Flamenco shows influence from Roma, Moorish, and Spanish. Hungarian Roma music is best played on violins and cimbaloms. They can be heard in the majority of Hungarian restaurants as well as United States and Canada. Also, Russia Roma music has become famous. Led by Czars, Roma choirs performed for the royal family while other musicians played for army officers and businessmen at restaurants (McDonell, pg. 56). Musical Instruments Roma music comprised a number of instruments, with its beauty founded on harmonies that the cimbalom and the bass added the score. Both Violin and Cimbalom played a primary role in Gypsy style as well as the same time orchestral leader and soloist. Tempo should vary with subtle movement of the bow as well as his body. A Cimbalom player, who supports, beats the rhythm with his small hammer and shapes harmonies. The instruments together shape the music. Violin develops the melody and shapes the phrases by introducing tiny pauses. The cimbalom sets the rhythm by indicating the acceleration and deceleration which affects the volume. Piano is applicable in large Gypsy style orchestras in Asia. The piano added enhance rhythm and harmony. Clarinets are found in Hungarian melodies orchestras. It comprises a unique role by adorning the melody with ornaments. Pantlute is famous in Romanian orchestras. It replaces violin in other combinations (Hancock, pg.13). Accordion is mainly used by Romanian and Russian orchestras. It reinforces the rhythm and strengthens the after beat. Some notable Gypsy musicians included; Django Reinhart, Georges Bizet who was popular Spanish Gypsy and Bela Bartok, a great collector of folk tunes and familiar with playing of Gyspy musicians throughout Hungary. Roma music is usually performed in weddings, Dance clubs, performing arts, pubs, music venues, Dive bars and soft sports for Gypsy music (Hancock, pg.13). Roma music has been glorified throughout the 19th century for its sense of romantic freedom connections to nature. Although it is mistreated as a social and cultural failure, the Romanians have increasingly taken charge of their representation through internet and other means of communication. This analytical representation shows the major gap between the stereotypical imagery (in literature, music and film) and reality which characterise distinctive values, expectations and challenges. An appropriate stereotype for social gain examined. Characteristic of the genre The Roma music, regarded the real music that the Romans play for them, sung in Romanes. From a recording by the Romanian Ursari of Clejani which appeared on Dumba fitted the music done by Roma for Roma. It is highly rhythmic music with the acapella improvised with an accompaniment by hand percussion. Roma music that is a pure does not exist. It is all an adaptation of the host cultures music. Therefore, Roma is a musical bee from a variety of forms across the border. As they went from one place to the other, they learned music round them. Everywhere the Roma music played were incorporated with local repertoire into their own. Music grafting was common in recent times. A distinctive musical style existed with close association of the Roma player. The tantalising statement invites us to the world of Roma music. Similarities exist in the approach of playing Romanian Roma. The melismatic and freestyle has routes to heritage of Indian music. It has microtones and improvisations lengthy. Other prevalent aspects of Roma music are phrasing and vocal timbre. Roma tends to play behind the beat with creation of swings and chest voice use unlike head tones (Gropper, pg.79). From the oral literature of the Roma, a number of genres have developed with remarkable characteristic features both in form and consent. Since the difference between the genres has variation from one group to another. Western tradition regard fictional story usually called “paramisi” as fairy tales. There is a different between epic and lyric forms in different types of songs. Paramisi The tale is the most formalised form of prose found in the oral literature of the Romas. It could be of many kinds: magic tales, hero tales and novel tales. At that instant, the storyteller narrates the story the way it is. The main idea is kept in mind of the storyteller and tells correctly. Furthermore, the most frequently told story amongst Romanians is that of the hero who conquered evil-a witch. In addition, while encountering all kinds of tales also we come across all kinds of heroes. Stylistic devices used to tell fairy tales in Indian connection. Tales are regarded as common traveling cultural heritage of the entire Eurasian with no remarkable difference regarding the topic and type. According to Hancock, (1993) arguments on European tales originated from India with the exception of animal fables. From Hancock’s arguments, the Indian origin of Roman tales was confirmed as the possible role of the Romanians in their transmission to Europe as highlighted. Romanians played a key role in bringing tales to Europe models. Also Milena Hubschmannova stated later that in Indian background to Romanian stories which brought to mind typical character mentioned that, although “clothed in European cultural garments”. She mentions the figure of “bluebird,” the man who killed his wives, and who was seen in both Indian and European tales. The man being handsome proposed to an unsuspecting girl, but changed out to be a monster who murdered her. From Indian tales, the monster took the form of the tiger, in Roman tales from Serbia it appeared as a dog. Hubschmannova depicts more characters and themes that were common in Indian, Roman and European tales in general. Through stressing the similarity, she tries to depict the transformation from the Indian to the European stage. Up to today there has been no convincing proof of Romanian tales that have a direct connection with India. Moreover, the claims of the hypotheses have not been refuted (Gropper, pg.79). Function of Tales Despite, songs and tales go far, there functions completely different in life’s of Romanian in comparison with western people. According to Romanians, they enjoy music and dance in their life as opposed to western people who indulge in them a hobby. In their world, it is of central importance as it is part of community value. Epics and Tales When Romanians recall storytelling gatherings, storytellers who are successful and vitejzika paramisa, ritual sentence are used. Moreover, the complexity of the tale is concerned can be compared with medieval epics such as “Nibelungenlied." Although it remains a tale according to scholarly definition as it has no focus on heros genealogy and other family relations but the hero himself. Conclusion Romans remain the largest ethnic minority in Eastern Europe, are perhaps the region’s most misunderstood and maligned minority. Furthermore, Romanians are unique in that they are diaspora people with no homeland claim. Although India being the place of origin, no adherence of notion of neither homeland nor wish to establish an independent state. Lack of a territorial base prevents them from participating in current negotiations in the former Yugoslavia that might determine their ethnic group. In the future, Romanians becomes more united; their problems could hopefully receive more attention, with cultural contributions hopefully recognized. Works Cited Gropper, R.C. Gypsies in the City: Cultural Paterns and Survival .Priceton, N, J: The Darwin Press, 1975. Hancock, I.A. Grammar of Vlax Romani. London & Austin: Romanestan Publications, 1993. McDowell, Bart. Gypsies: Wanderers of the World. Washington, D.C: National geographical, 1970. Tong, D.T. Gypsy Folktales. New York & London: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989. Yoors, J. H. The Gypsies. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1967. Read More