Scotland: Ando Glaso Roma Fest 2024 celebrates Romani culture in Glasgow 6-7 September

This second year of the Ando Glaso Roma Fest will deliver a diverse range of performances, from concerts of live Romani music, to traditional dance, to interactive workshops on customs, dress, language and much more. “The main aim of the festival is to introduce the common cultural heritage of the Romani community while combating outdated stereotypes,” Martin Grinvalský of Ando Glaso, the organization that produces the festival, told news server Romea.cz.

Organizers also hope they will manage to show the beauty of Romani culture through dance and music. “We are excited to be able to host the second annual Roma Festival in Glasgow, which will present an unbelievable range of Romani talents from the entire United Kingdom and Europe. This festival not only shows the wealth and the diversity of Romani culture, but also emphasizes the importance of intangible cultural heritage for strengthening the position of Romani people and overcoming negative stereotypes,” said festival founder Janos Lang.

Day One – Drygate Brewery

The first day of the festival, Friday, 6 September, will be held in the Drygate Brewery near the center of Glasgow. Festival-goers can expect a broad range of musical performances from contemporary pop to traditional dance.

A high point of the program will be the performance by a 17-year-old singer from Slovakia, Vanesa Horáková, who is currently on the charts of the pop scene among the Roma in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. A Glasgow-based family group of Polish Romani dancers and musicians called Romane Cierhenia will perform, as will the dynamic ZOR band, combining modern and traditional elements of Romani music with mastery.

Friday evening will also offer the premiere of a new, energetic dance production, “Ruva“, a collaboration between Ando Glas and the KaskoSan charity organization, presenting top-notch Romani dancers and musicians from England and Scotland. A concert by Romani singer Jan Bendig will close the first day of the program.

Day Two – The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA)

On Saturday, 7 September the festival moves to the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) on Sauchiehall Street. It beings with workshops led by “gypsy jazz” legend Lulo Reinhardt and by experts in the Romani language – Maria Palmai, Terezia Rostas and Juice Vamosi – who will dedicate their instruction to the customs, dress and other aspects of Romani culture.

For those who want to learn more about the Romani language, a unique event called the “Living Library” will be prepared where visitors will be able to ask questions of leading Romani experts from all over the United Kingdom. Given the recent events in Leeds, the organizers have also decided to screen a moving documentary about children being removed from Romani communities in Hungary by the authorities.

The BBC Three documentary presented by Stacey Dooley demonstrates the extent of this problem, explaining why it still remains a difficult, sensitive subject that sparks great fear among Romani people. Saturday evening of the festival will belong to Romani music once more.

Ando Glaso Collective, a group of Romani musicians and singers originally from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, will perform. Authentic flamenco performed by the TuFlamenco group will be another high point of the evening, as will a special duet between Lulo Reinhardt and the award-winning Romani musician from Belarus, Yuliya Lonskaya.

The innovative group Rootless, which combines Indian and Romani music, will also perform. Those attending the festival can also take in an exhibition by Romani fine artists.

Saturday evening will culminate in a festival party with live music and bands playing into the early morning hours.