Latcho Drom Film Analysis

A large portion of the world today do not know who the Roma are and certainly do not fully understand their complex history. The name provokes images of mysterious dark haired, dark skinned individuals roaming in large caravans telling and stealing fortunes, but very few know the true story of their origin. Roma is a broad term used to describe the ethnicity of a diverse community of people that consider themselves a "landless nation"(eric.ed.gov) It includes those from France, Wales, Finland, Scotland, Sweden, Germany, Albania, Croatia, Turkey, and many others. Roma, or Romani, originated in the Punjab region of India about 1,500 years ago. It is alleged that they were the lowest in a series of castes in Indian society. Their reason for migrating

Music of India is typically monistic and includes a sitar and tabla drum or a veena and mridangam drum. As they continued to travel, they were introduced to a number of other influences, thus, the sitar and tabla eventually shifted to a violin and a soulful acoustic guitar. In Tony Gatlif 's documentary film Latcho Drom, he illustrates a dramatic musical journey of Romani people from northwest India to Spain. The film shows how their music was influenced and also influential in Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and France. He also emphasizes the passion of gypsy music and how it relates to their persecution. In Romania, the main focus is on a dark violin accompanied by lyrics about the dictator of the country and how he ruined everything. The film continues to portray the lives of Rom people using jazz based music to speak to the audience in a way that words could not. When the travelers reach Spain the music evolved entirely. Even though it changed from Indian to Spanish flamenco style, the gypsy spirit is still retained within the music. The parameter of Rom music is extremely difficult to clearly define because of this paradox. No matter what instrument is played or where it is being played there will always be a hint of Rom technique that sets it apart from the traditional sound. Danny Fender made light of the stereotype of the Rom people by saying, "People say we Gypsies are robbers and

I found that gypsy jazz is extremely pleasing to listen to. As I began researching topics, jazz manouche was one of great interest to me. I have very little knowledge of analyzing music other than that which I have been educated on in this course. However, from what I have learned, I am highly appreciative of this genre. The Musette style waltz, swing, and folk components make Gypsy jazz a unique repertoire. I am fascinated with the remarkably fast guitar picking and intricate sounds that are complimented beautifully by the strings of a violin. Each instrument explores the chromatic scales of Romani music in an extraordinary