Colorful parade of Romani performers passes through the center of Prague, Khamoro World Roma Festival closes with gala evening Saturday
The biggest Romani cultural festival in the world is heading into its most lively phase. The historical center of Prague saw one of the festival's most attractive events on Friday, the colorful parade of the performers.
The défilé of dozens of dancers and musicians started from Wenceslas Square at exactly 12:00. There was a horse-drawn wagon and dozens of Romani dancers and musicians in traditional costumes.
Défilé of performers in the Khamoro World Roma Festival passing through the center of Prague, Czech Republic on 3 June 2023. (PHOTO: Petr Zewlakk Vrabec)
Everything happened to the sound of an irrepressible Balkan brass band, Czech and Slovak Romani traditional songs, the Hungarian csárdás, and the passionate rhythms of Spanish guitars accompanying the bravura feats of flamenco dancers. As it is every year, the traditional parade by performers was a great spectacle this year, too.
“The défilé is beloved, the streets of historical Prague suddenly look totally different. Every year hundreds of passers-by spontaneously join the parade. This is a genuinely unique experience,” spokesperson for the festival Nikolas Ferenc told news server Romea.cz.
This year participation in the défilé was at a record high thanks to the favorable weather.
Vlax music and Russian Romani songs at La Fabrika
Friday’s program is the second evening in a row at the La Fabrika venue in Prague. Three Romani groups are on the bill.
Hungary will be represented by the family band Karavan Familia, which masterfully combines traditional Vlax melodies with the blues, Latin American music, and pop. “Each of their concerts is like a family reunion full of emotions and rhythm. Their album Asvin is one of the 20 best world music recordings, according to World Music Charts Europe. They collaborate with the cimbalom player Kálmán Balogh or the legendary trumpet player Boban Marković,“ Ferenc said.
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The Diamant Tzigane ensemble has come to the festival from France to offer Russian Romani songs to the audience. This is the music made famous by the legendary film “Queen of the Gypsies”.
The ensemble is led by singer Zhanna Djelakayevova, who comes from a dynasty of Moscow performers who are renowned.
High point of the festival Saturday at SaSaZu
Those who come to Saturday’s closing concert will be sure to see Balkan brass band music. “The Ekrem Mamutović Orkestar plays as if their lives depended on it. This is the real, genuine Balkan music we love so much in the films of Emir Kusturica, for instance,” Ferenc said.
Mamutović carries on the tradition of one of the oldest musical families in the Balkans and is one of the best Balkan trumpet players performing today. He has won prizes repeatedly at the famous festival in Guca, Serbia, which is considered the Mecca of Balkan brass band music.
Khamoro closes with a gala concert in the SaSaZu venue Saturday. All six Romani ensembles which performed on Thursday and Friday at La Fabrika perform on the same stage.
The performers will include Czechia’s Ivan Herák Band, Greek singer Kostas Pavlidis, and Ballet Flamenco Sergio González from Spain.
