Rom Gypsies meet Punjabi Bhangra

[Arjun Barua]

By the time of the 3rd World Romani Congress, in 1981, the interaction between Rom/Rrom (ethnic Gypsy) activists and Indian scholars and politicians had reach such a level that people, as Gratton Puxon here, were making positive statements about the relation between Punjabis and the Roma.

This clip from Marre's 1981 documentary film shows the quirky result of this emphasis on Punjab by Gypsy activists. Apparently, some bhangra dancers and a dholi were invited to perform. The way it is presented (here, at least), they seem to be making the argument that this is some kind of ancestral music of the Rom people. They are supposedly "united" by it.

However, most scholars agree that the ancestors of the Roma left the northwest Indian region around 1000 C.E. The limited, harvest-time dance called "bhangra" is not known to have existed for sure until the late 19th century. Though it may have existed in some form earlier, that is irrelevant, since the form effectively died out shortly after 1947 (Partition of Punjab/Independence). New forms of staged Punjabi dance were created from the 1950s that adopted the name "bhangra," and decade by decade it's form changed from then, with new additions. By the 1980s, this stage presentation of folkloric dance, largely newly contrived, had been mobilized for Punjabi nationalism.

In this event, the Rom nationalists have piggybacked on that quality. Yet the notion that what these dancers are doing, saying, wearing, etc. has any resemblance to what the Gypsies' ancestors may have done is ridiculous IMO.

~ http://www.youtube.com/user/hultonclint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TsSL0im1nA

 

[Jeeti]

Where do you find these videos barua?

Reallly interesting stuff.

 

[Tuckerrrr]

ive heard claims that jatts and gypsies share a common ancestor...im not 100% sure but i think there was a gene pool study that showed they didnt share genes

im not 100% sure on this im sure someone here knows more than i do

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

ive heard claims that jatts and gypsies share a common ancestor...im not 100% sure but i think there was a gene pool study that showed they didnt share genes

im not 100% sure on this im sure someone here knows more than i do

The Jat Mutation! wiki has something on it
'"An international collaboration led by Manir Ali of the Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, first identified the ‘Jatt’ mutation in one of four Pakistani families. Further study amongst Roma populations in Europe showed that the same mutation accounted for nearly half of all cases of PCG [Primary congenital glaucoma] in that community. Manir Ali’s research also confirms the widely accepted view that the Roma originated from the Jatt clan of Northern India and Pakistan and not from Eastern Europe as previously believed."[36][37][38]'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jat_people

I doubt there is significant genetic similarity though, culturally maybe some remnants but not much.

 

[Basim]

Very interesting video. Thanks for posting Mr. Brruah!

~ Basim

 

[Waleed]

Awesome find. Bump.

The bhangra performance starts at 1:50 and there is another short clip of bhangra dancers with katos at 3:56.