“Gypsy” Jazz singer Tatiana Eva-Marie talks with Quail Bell Magazine

I want my audience to feel that they are constantly traveling with their ears.” –Tatiana Eva-Marie

Read the interview “Tatiana Eva-Marie on the harmonious fusion of Romani ‘Gypsy’ music” in Quail Bell Magazine and find out what she has to say about Romani music and representation, how her multicultural heritage shapes her art, growing up in theatres and concert halls all over Europe, the Music Explorer competition/documentary (click the heart to vote for her!), and her life in the Avalon Jazz Band in New York City. You can also listen to some beautiful songs from the competition.

JR: How do you think the Romani arts scene can support the fight for Romani rights and representation?

TEM: By showing an open and generous culture, not magical creatures, not chicken thieves, but real people. I suppose it is somewhat natural to be afraid of foreign things, but in the age of internet and communication there can be no excuse for that anymore. We are all so mixed now and most people can trace their heritage back to more than one country. We should all embrace our differences and be proud of our origins. We should try and educate the people around us, share our knowledge with each other. Art is a wonderful way of doing that and has always been a bridge between people.

Opre Roma! Find out more at http://www.quailbellmagazine.com/the-real/interview-jazz-singer-tatiana-eva-marie

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Tatiana Eva-Marie singing with the Avalon Jazz Band

Dr. Ian Hancock talks with The Southeast Review about the power of words, the arts and inspiration

Dr. Ian Hancock talks with The Southeast Review about the power of words, the arts and inspiration

Check out this fascinating Q&A with renowned Romani writer, linguist, and academic Dr. Ian Hancock. He’s the author of our textbooks, We Are the Romani People and one of the editors of The Roads of the Roma: a PEN anthology of Gypsy Writers

“I try to write both fiction and non-fiction in Romani, and that is a challenge, because of the need for the means of expression. Romani is a rich language, and while it can adopt foreign vocabulary very easily, it isn’t always necessary because it is rich in metaphor, and the closer a text is to the native lexicon, the more easily is it understood by the widest audience. For example, a writer in Denmark, wanting to express “Internet” might insert the Danish or the English word, which would not be understood by someone reading the text in another country and who didn’t know English or Danish. But the native Romani word drakhalin has entered the language, its actual meaning is ‘grapevine,’ but it is now used metaphorically to mean the Internet and is everywhere understood.”