ERIC Number: ED154099
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1977-Dec-3
Pages: 16
Abstractor: N/A
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Gypsy Ethnicity and the Social Contexts of Music.
Silverman, Carol
Gypsy music is an example of the way Gypsies absorb and relate to the culture in which they live. The music that Gypsies play has two social dimensions. In the exoteric dimension, "folk" music performed by paid Gypsy musicians varies as to its rhythm, style, and content from country to country, year to year, person to person. Their nomadic life style and changing audiences have given Gypsy musicians the opportunity and economic incentives to constantly enlarge their repertoire. Gypsies also play an important role in preserving non Gypsy folklore. In the esoteric dimension, Gypsies will often play among themselves the same music they play for outsiders, as well as songs in the Romani language. The social context in which the music is played is the key to defining whether it is"Gypsy" or not. Music performed by Gypsies in the U.S. is a fusion of American and foreign musics and styles. An American song can carry strong Gypsy social and cultural connotations when played for a Gypsy audience. Similar exoteric and esoteric performance dimensions can be found in dance, which also helps to illuminate the interaction between Gypsy and host country's cultures. (GC)
Publication Type: Reports - Research
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