Czech International Romani Day celebrations culminate in gala evening at the National Theater of awards and music

This year’s celebrations of International Romani Day in Prague culminated in a gala evening on 8 April in the New Stage of the National Theater. The hall, which holds more than 400 people, was completely full.

The program reflected the main subject of this year’s celebrations, FUTUROMA – in other words, a vision of the future in which Romani culture is an integral part of society. Representatives of the institutions which gave their auspices to the celebrations opened the proceedings.

In her introductory remarks, Czech Government Commissioner for Roma Minority Affairs Lucie Fuková expressed support for the celebrations and thanked the ARA ART organization for their longstanding work to bring International Romani Day into the wider traditions of Czech society. She recalled that during her two years in office she has achieved a significant step forward, namely, the adoption of definitions of antigypsyism by the Government, the Senate, and committees in the lower house.

Fuková called those official actions a clear signal to society: “Anti-Romani attitudes are not welcome in the Czech Republic, and that was basically the first moment when politicians in the Czech Republic said clearly: No, we don’t want that here,” she said in her remarks. In conclusion, she called for innovation in the setup of public policies, in particular in the area of support to Romani communities, and she wished everybody an enjoyable gala evening.

Czech Government Human Rights Commissioner Klára Šimáčková Laurenčíková gave a speech thanking Romani figures and organizations for their contribution to Czech society and expressing support for the ideas of dignity and equality for all. “Far too many Romani children are still unnecessarily encountering barriers in education, too many Romani men and women still encounter barriers to entering the labor market. Too many people experience discrimination in access to housing,” she said.

Šimáčková Laurenčíková called on society to unite in the effort to guarantee dignified living conditions, equal opportunities, and fair chances for all. The Artistic Director of Drama at the National Theater, Martin Kukučka, said he hoped the audience would feel free during the evening, noting that: “Romani culture is our shared story.”

Nikola Kokyová and Michael Žolták moderated the proceedings. “For me it is an honor to stand on this stage, to personally meet performers whom I’ve only ever seen on YouTube,“ Kokyová told ROMEA TV, adding that she values everybody who speaks the Romani language and promotes it.

The importance of preserving the Romani language was also stressed by her fellow moderator, Michael Žolták. “I think we have more opportunities today than previous generations did. That is exactly why it is important to preserve our cultural heritage, including the Romani language,” he told ROMEA TV.

Many Romani musicians took to the stage during the course of the evening. Singers Lucie Bikárová, Thomas, Ondřej Gizman, Jr., Růžena Bílá, Andrea Janczarová, Norbert Campus and Michelle Bobeková performed, as did the talented rapper MARIO.

The musical accompaniment was provided by the Barbora Botošová band from Slovakia and the “Horúce srdce” [Hot Heart] dance ensemble from Slovakia gave an energetic performance. The evening came to a head with singer Marek Ztracený who, accompanied by guitarist Patrik Bartko, sang the songs “Dvě lahve vína” [Two Bottles of Wine] and then “Či sal kalo, či sal parno” [Whether You’re Black or White] in the Romani language with singer Pavlína Matiová.

The Milena Hübschmannová Prize for contribution to the Romani language was given on behalf of the Romani Studies Seminar at Charles University’s Faculty of Arts by Romani Studies scholar Jan Červenka. The award was given this year to Veronika Kačová, who was unable to attend the gala evening in person because she was celebrating International Romani Day in Nový Jičín.

Kokyová read Kačová’s acceptance speech for her. “I accept this award with great humility and gratitude. Thank you for seeing and appreciating my work, which is not just my profession, but my profound life path, joy, and mission,” Kačová said.

The awardee also reminded those present that real connections between people do not just arise through their physical proximity to each other, but through understanding, support and love. ARA ART director David Tišer, the main producer of the program, also spoke during the gala evening.

In an emotional, personal speech, Tišer highlighted the importance of appreciation and recognition. “We frequently encounter hate these days, and we all know how to say what it is that we dislike quite quickly. What has already been lost from our lives, though, is knowing how to praise somebody,” he said.

From the stage, Tišer then publicly thanked the person who inspired him more than 10 years ago to produce such a gala evening in the Czech Republic, Petr Pollák, who at that time was working as the Slovak Government Plenipotentiary for Roma before being elected to the European Parliament for the 2019-2024 term. Pollák attended the gala evening in person and symbolically received the title of the International Romani Day Celebration’s Honorary Ambassador.

Pollák admitted he had not been anticipating an award and emotionally expressed his gratitude. He focused his speech on the future of Romani children in particular.

“My wish for our children is that nobody steals their future… Our children also have their dreams, they want to be doctors, teachers, artists. However, they are often born into quite impoverished conditions which they themselves did not choose,” Pollák said, stressing that it is the responsibility of society to create conditions for children so that they have a chance of making their dreams come true.