Once again this year, the city of Barcelona will be celebrating on April 8, International Romani Day. The aim is to raise awareness of the lives and the rich, vibrant, diverse culture of the Roma people, and to stand up to defend their rights and support them in the fight against anti-Roma discrimination.
Celebrations in honour of International Romani Day have taken place in different countries around the world since 1971, and are a recognition of the history, language and culture of the Roma people.
Barcelona City Council and the organisations that make up the Barcelona Municipal Council of Roma People have prepared a programme of activities to mark International Romani Day, in memory of the World Romani Congress held in London on 8 April 1971, where the Romany flag and anthem were established. The celebration, under the slogan “A living culture”, will be held from 1 – 14 April in different neighbourhoods within the city.
The programme of events will begin on Tuesday 4 April in the afternoon. A round table debate “The Roma people’s flamenco-pop” will be taking place at 5 pm at the Convent of San Agustín, where various experts have been invited to analyse and discuss the musical cultural heritage of the Roma, and there will also be a presentation of the virtual museum of flamenco-pop.
The main commemorative event will take place on Thursday 6 April, beginning with the placing of the Romani flag on the balcony of the town hall in the early hours of the morning. The institutional ceremony will take place at 4.30 pm in Plaça Sant Jaume, with the performance of the anthem of the Romani people, “Gelem-Gelem”. It will be attended by the Chair of the Municipal Council for the Roma People and the Councillor for Democratic Memory and the District of Ciutat Vella, Jordi Rabassa, along with the first vice-chair of the Municipal Council for the Roma People and chair of the CampusRom Association, Francisco Vargas.
From 5 pm on, the location chosen for the main event will be the Plaza Comercial, where there will be information points dedicated to Romani culture and a range of workshops run by the organisations of the Municipal Council for the Roma People (workshops on the Romani language, rumba, basket making, and more). At 7 pm, there will be a reading of the Manifesto of the Municipal Council for the Roma People followed by different musical performances.
Between 1 and 14 April there will be information points in the city’s different neighbourhoods, with the aim of bringing visibility to Romani culture, and to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn more about it. A culture that’s rich, vibrant and diverse, with values that are a part of our city’s culture.
Jekh Ʒivdi Kultura