Jean-Christophe Hoarau

La guitare tzigane

Gypsy music refers to traditional music of the Roma people.Originally from northern India, the Roma were constantly being chased away (most often for xenophobic reasons) until they finally settled in an area reaching from the Iberian Peninsula to the edges of central Asia. As a result of this turbulent past, their music is multi faceted, incorporating colours that vary according to the country where the musician lives. This explains how integration with the Arabic-Andalusia culture in Spain gave rise to flamenco music.In English the Roma people are called Gypsies, Gitanos, Tziganes, Manush, Romanichals, Sinti or Romany Folk.Tziganes are Roma people who live in Eastern Europe.The Manush live either in the Alsace or Loire regions, as well as in Belgium, Holland and Germany.Gitanos (also called Calé) live mostly in the Iberian Peninsula, North Africa and southern France.The various traditions encompassed by the terra gypsy music, almost always include similar instruments such as the violin, accordion, guitar, double bass or cimbalom. This traditional use of string instruments should be put into the perspective of Indo-European musical traditions in general.Gypsy musicians have developed a very particular style for each instrument they play, often combining extreme speed and improvisations ornamented with trills and appoggiaturas.In this music, the guitar is generally an accompaniment instrument, even if it is not unusual to hear it play themes or improvise like violins or accordions.