Print

    Review: Documentary on Gypsy Dance and Music

    Written by: Dr. Dushka H. Saiyid
    Posted on: December 04, 2015 |

    Latcho Drom (1993)

    The Asian Study Group showed a 1993 documentary called Latcho Drom on the Roma people, traditionally referred to as Gypsies.  It traces their music and cultural traditions from the Thar desert in India and Pakistan, passing through Turkey and Egypt, to Europe. Paul Lundberg introduced the documentary while Dr Fouzia Saeed shed light on the Bhil and Manganhaar people of Thar. 

    Documentary 'Latcho Drom' on Gypsy Dance and Music

    A certain mystique with undertones of racism has been attached to the Roma. This can be attributed to their itinerant lifestyle, refusal to integrate with the local population, and the jealous guarding of their distinct culture and traditions. The peculiar position they occupied in European society has been immortalized in Bizet’s 19th century opera based on Prosper Merimee’s novella Carmen, written in the same period.  The storyline is of a soldier’s love and passion for the gypsy girl that ends tragically. The underlying message is about the dangers of getting involved with a gypsy, their seductive charms notwithstanding.

    The documentary is in French with English subtitles, and transports the viewers from the stunning visuals of the Rajasthan desert to Egypt (the origin of the name gypsy), Turkey and onto Eastern Europe. The faces and music undergo change with the varying landscape, but the common thread is of a people constantly on the move, although the mode of transport undergoes a change from a bullock cart in Rajasthan to caravans pulled by horses, and then by train.  The documentary, which has very little dialogue, records the joyous music and dancing of the tribes in Thar, how it acquires shades of belly dancing as it reaches Egypt, and the singing becomes throaty and soulful, reflecting their experience of isolation and persecution since their arrival in Europe in the 14th century. The documentary ends with a spontaneous performance of flamenco, a dance and music form that the Roma brought to Andalucia, enriching Spanish culture.

    Documentary 'Latcho Drom' on Gypsy Dance and Music

    Sheltering in the trees

    A study published in the leading scientific journal Nature, has established that that the Roma were originally Indians of a lower caste, who began their westward migration between 1000 and 1026. Their language too has many Sanskrit words, establishing the origin of the group to India. They are now the largest single minority in Europe. Associated with dancing and music, fortune telling and metal workers, their marginalized existence did not satisfy the Nazis who sent them to gas chambers in hundreds of thousands, while the communists in Eastern Europe carried out their forced assimilation. Ironically, they still remain outsiders in the present day European society, and their plight continues to be a cause for human rights activists.

    A clip from the documentary


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021