First event of the Khamoro Festival 2020 was Emilie Riga's exhibition "REVIVE/PURANO
HANGOS" ("Reviving the Old Voices"), which ran at Prague gallery „The
Artivist LAB“ in the Campus Hybernská. Today, the artist is one of the
more undistinguished figures in the Slovak art scene, as evidenced by
the award of the prestigious Oskar Čepán Prize. The theme of the
exhibition was the score of traditional Romani songs brought back to
life by non-Roma.
Joining the world of Roma and non-Roma culture, a musical performance by
singer David Kraus and the band Gipsy Brothers was presented on joint
streaming under the Festival "Praha žije hudbou“.
In August, as part of the KoresponDance Festival, performers Lače Manuša
and DjGadjo.cz surprised with a three-hour set full of Roma music
with a mix of world music, balkan, latina, jazz and ancient funky disco.
The band Gitans, which draws inspiration from Roma music from all over
the world – the Balkans, Spain, Russia and traditional Slovak Roma
songs, received a great applause at "Barevná devítka" festival.
Fans of the Khamoro Festival also enjoyed unique performances in
September: on September 23 a concert with classical music elements was held by
Jan Berka Mrenica and soloists. Sounds of violin, guitar and bass filled the Jerusalem Synagogue, accompanied by beautiful chants of male and female voices.
A day later, a Gypsy Jazz concert took place in Prague's Jazz Dock. The
Dutch band The Rosenbergs have brought everything you love about this
musical style, and more – inspiration from the Spanish rhythms and
musical greats of modern times from George Gershwin, to Charles
Aznavour, to Frank Sinatra.
Between concerts You had the opportunity to visit the exhibition "Faces"
by Iveta Horvathová, whose opening was held at WAID Bar & Coffee Prague.
She has been involved in painting for a long time and is also known
among Art brut supporters. The "Faces" she presented at the Khamoro
Festival is one of the main themes she is inspired by.
This year, there was also a popular "Khamoro party" featuring Čhave
Romane CZ and Feri & The Gypsies. The event, which took place on
September 25 in „Gauč ve Stromovce“, was accompanied by their distinctive
singing, flute and energetic rhythm.
You won't find masses of Roma accordionists playing Gypsy Jazz in the
world. There are even fewer who have risen to world prominence in their
genre while retaining musical authenticity based on inspiration from
their country of origin, which in the case of Marian Badoi is Romania.
Accompanied by guitarist Joris Viquesnel and double bass player Olivier Lorang,
he performed to an audience of Khamoro on September 26 at Jazz Dock.
The Covid-19 pandemic required the Khamoro Winter Festival to transition
into a virtual world of monitors and speakers, but it did not detract
from its quality.
The first day of the festival, November 28, was marked by traditional
Roma music. Famous Czech groups appeared on your screens, captivating
the audience with colorful rhythms of chardash as well as melancholy
notes, inspired by complex life.
Surmajovci were the first to perform, playing together with double bass player
Petr Novák, violinist Viliam Didias, singers Jana Surmajová and
Silvia Táborová. The audience was intrigued by the well-known Roma songs
from Czech and Slovak backgrounds, which was also reflected in the
beautiful comments appearing directly in the Facebook stream.
You had a chance to hear Bengas next. The band that traveled the world
made you get off your couches and dance at home as if you were at their
concert in person. “HOP HOP HOPAA” has been heard from online chat many
times.
The concert ended with Mário Bihári & Bachtale Apsa. Their repertoire
combined the variety of traditional Roma music with the rhythms of Latin
America, Russia and Slovakia. As a guest, several songs featured beloved
actress Bára Hrzánová, who sang in Romani.
The second day, November 29, was devoted mainly to foreign performers who
brought inspiration from their travels as well as their country of
origin.
The unique ensemble of Fricska Dance Group has amazed you with dynamic dances of
Roma folklore through riveting rhythmic productions.
Next up was Puerto Flamenco – a strong five-piece set, led by the dancer
Francesca "La Chica" Grima, who was accompanied by some of the Seville's
finest artists. They could captivate you with a combination of unlimited
musical energy flamenco and their dance virtuosity.
The band Kale, with a new female voice of Slovak diva Adriana
Drafiová (alias Gitana), presented a unique experience of Czech and
Slovak Roma music. Rhythmic voices and guitars flooded the La Fabrika
space and your households.
Musicians from Traio Romano brought with them the energy of Roma music
from Romania. Guitar, violin, bass and drums created a mix of
traditional Roma music with touches of swing and bright flamenco. The
unique voice of frontman Gavrilo Borki is often compared to Shaban
Bajramovic, who was a legendary Serbian chanter.
Marcela & Los Murchales from France brought an indescribable atmosphere
of melancholy mixed with rhythmic violin, double bass and guitar to La
Fabrika and the online space. The singer's unique voice reflects years
of hard living in Slovakia, where she is originally from. The energy of this
formation was expressed in a universe of strong singing and festive
music.
The international conference "Roma Literature - Dedicated to
the Memory of Rajko Djuric" which took place on December 4, was intended to gather Roma writers,
scientists and experts to talk about Roma literature as an international
and transnational phenomenon, to share good practices, ideas and
experiences.
The conference featured 12 panelists – Roma experts, writers and linguists
from Europe and the US. They discussed the global phenomenon of Roma
literature, writing poetry in Roma language and other similar topics. The
conference took place online using the Zoom app, with the public being able to
follow the event and share views by through live-streaming on YouTube.
We owe the realization of the Festival Khamoro 2020 and #KHAMORONLINE to our partners:
Hlavní Město Praha, Ministerstvo Kultury České republiky, Bader Philantrhropies, Maďarský institut v Praze a Slovenský institut. Hlavní mediální partner: Česká televize. Mediální partneři: Romea.cz a Romano Hangos
