#poble gitano català

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26th November is the national day of the Catalan Romani people.

The date commemorates the arrival of the Romani people to Catalonia, as the first written document that references it was signed on the 26th of November of 1415.

This document was a safe-conduct that Alfons V Duke of Girona (and future king of Catalonia-Aragon) granted to "Tomàs of Saba, son of Anthony of Saba from India", who had to cross Catalonia on his pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (Galicia).

It's one of the earliest documents about the presence of Romani people in Western Europe.

Romani people have been part of Catalan society for 600 years. The Romani people here and in all Europe have suffered racism, genocide, persecution, and social inequalities. We paios have to pledge to do better in the future, starting right now.

Sastipen tali, salut i llibertat. 💙❤💚

[Image description: the Catalan Romani singer Peret -most well-known cultural referent for Romani people in Catalonia- pointing at a poster that reads "Towards Freedom!" in the Catalan language, with a red estelada (flag of Catalan independence), poster promoting a concert he took part of.]

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Petitet és un ex-músic gitano, fill d’un dels palmeros del mític Peret, i afectat d’una malaltia rara, la miastènia gravis, que va prometre a la seva mare moribunda que un dia portaria la rumba catalana a l’escenari d’un gran teatre de Barcelona, i que ara, per poder complir la promesa, haurà de reunir una vintena de músics gitanos i aconseguir el miracle que s’entenguin amb una orquestra simfònica!

PETITET és la crònica d’una carrera d’obstacles, a vegades dura i sovint divertida, sobre al lluita desigual d’un somiador contra totes les circumstàncies. La crònica de més d’un any d’aventures i desventures que hauria de culminar el dia que en Petitet acompleixi la seva promesa en el Gran Teatre del Liceu.

BARCELONA

- Balmes Multicines

- Cinemes Girona

- Teatre de Sarrià

- Casa Elizalde

- CC Fort Pienc

CARDEDEU

- Tarambana

GIRONA

- Cines Truffaut

LLEIDA

- Cines JCA Alpicat

- Teatre Principal

- Biblioteca pública

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Here’s a song called “Gitanos Catalans” (which means “Catalan Romani people”) by Sabor de Gràcia which briefly explains the history and some traditions of the Catalan Romani community.

The Romani community is a vital part of the Catalan people and without them our culture would have been very different. For example, this song is a rumba catalana, a genre that originated from Barcelona’s Romani community and which nowadays is one of the most popular styles in Catalonia. If you are interested, you can learn more about the Romani people of Catalonia (and of the rest of the world) in their website, which is also available in English.

So, here’s the song:

Pel 1425, arribem a Perpinyà Around 1425, we arrived at Perpinyà

Amb carros i cavalls, a Catalunya ens varem quedar. with carriages and horses, we stayed in Catalonia.

Des d'aquell moment, i sense fer mal a ningú, And from then on, and without hurting anyone,

diferents cultures amb civisme hem convigut. different cultures have lived together with civility.

Hi ha gitanos a Gràcia i el barri d'Hostafrancs, There are Romani people in Gràcia and the Hostalfrancs neighbourhood,

A Tarragona i Lleida i el barri del Raval, In Tarragona and Lleida and the Raval neighbourhood,

hi ha gitanos a Reus, Girona, Manresa i Mataró, there are Romani people in Reus, Girona, Manresa and Mataró,

Hi ha gitanos catalans per tot el món. There are Catalan Romani people throughout all the world.

[Chorus:]

Sóc, sóc, sóc, sóc gitano català I am, I am, I am, I am Catalan Romani

I tinc una cultura universal And I have a universal culture

També, diccionari i bandera Also dictionary and flag

quatre barres per senyera i la rumba per enamorar. four bars as my senyera [the Catalan flag] and rumba fall in love with.

Una bona escudella mengem junts per Nadal We eat a good escudella together for Christmas

Amb rostit, cava i canalons, com a bons catalans. WIth rostit, cava and canneloni, like good Catalans.

Tenim virtuts i també defectes We have virtues and also flaws

“Pos” us vull preguntar, quina cultura és perfecte? I want to ask you, what culture is perfect? (Repeat chorus) Cuidem i respectem a tots els nostres avis We take care and respect all our grandparents

I per molt malats que estiguin, no els tanquem en geriàtrics. And no matter how ill they are, we don’t lock them in geriatrics.

La núvia ens corona, el dia del seu casament The bride crowns us on the day of her wedding

amb un mocador amb tres roses, la honra per tota la gent. with a handkerchief with three roses, the honour for everyone. (Repeat chorus) Que sóc gitano català, que sóc gitano català For I am Catalan Romani, I am Catalan Romani

Hem fet de Catalunya la nostre pàtria i país We have made of Catalonia our motherland and country

Perquè és la nostra terra des del 1425 Because it’s our land since 1425 Que sóc gitano català, que sóc gitano català For I am Catalan Romani, I am Catalan Romani Si en puquevelas a la pestanyí*

Sinaras com els busnos,*

Nai nai, nastis panelis, mansas sinela Caló*

(Repeat chorus)

*Those 3 verses are not in Catalan but in Caló, the traditional language of the Iberian Romani peoples. I don’t speak it (I’m not even Romani) so I can’t translate it. If any of you who sees this understand it and wants to share it feel free to add it in a reblog, or let me know and I’ll update the post.

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600 anys del poble gitano a Catalunya (en 17 minuts). 600 years of the Roma people in Catalonia (in 17 minutes).

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The Romani Chapel (“La Capella Gitana”) in La Modelo prison, Barcelona.

The Andalusian Romani painter and poet Helios Gómez was imprisoned in 1945 in La Modelo prison -one of the most (in)famous jails of the Francoist dictatorship- for being an anarchist and fighting against the fascist regime.

In the oratory of the prisoners sentenced to death, Helios Gómez painted in 1950 these frescoes dedicated to the Virgin of La Mercè: patron saint of the city of Barcelona and patron of prisoners. The frescoes depicted a Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus, both with Roma traits, surrounded by black angels and, below them, seven starving prisoners praying to them.

The paintings were censored during the Francoist dictatorship, covering practically all of them with green paint. The little part that was left, was covered in 1998 for hygienic reasons when the whole prison was covered in lime.

This year, this prison was finally closed and it’s being turned into a museum, and the paintings of the Romani Chapel will be restored.

Source: Sàpiens

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The Catalan Roma people (poble gitano català) celebrating the 8th of April, International Romani Day.

Source: museuvirtualgitano.cat

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Romani words in the Catalan language

Roma people have been living in the Catalan Countries since the 15th century, so it’s not surprising that some words from their original language, Romani, became part of the common Catalan vocabulary. Here’s some of them.

Calés = money

Cangueli = fear

Jalar = to eat

Xaval = boy

Paio = non-Roma person (we paios use it to mean “dude” or “man”)

Xivato = snitch

Xoriço = thief

Filar = to guess someone’s purpose or notice their presence

This words are very widely used by all Catalan speakers nowadays.

More info: museuvirtualgitano.cat

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This map shows the Romani communities of France who speak the Catalan language. At least 150 communities have been identified so far, and scholars believe there might be more.

There are tens of thousands of Catalan speakers outside the Catalan Countries. They are the Roma people who emigrated from Catalonia in 1783, when king Carles III signed a treaty that allowed them to cross the border. This people went first to Perpinyà (Northern Catalonia) and towards the end of the 18th century moved to other areas, especially Occitania.

Their speech is a mix of Central Catalan (spoken around Barcelona-Girona), Rossellonese Catalan (spoken in Northern Catalonia) and elements from caló (Romani).

Some famous Catalan Roma people are the musicians Manitas de Plata, the members of Gypsy Kings, and the winner of The Voice, la plus belle voix Kendji Girac.

Source: Eugeni Casanova.