ROMAFEST GYPSY FESTIVAL

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​ The people gathered were Gypsies living here and there in Transylvania. Men and women old and young, children and infants, they were all Gypsies. This was the day of the Gypsies Festival.Dancers wearing their best for this day went on stage to show their skills keeping in tune with the performance of skilled musicians representing the village. With an unique air of pathetic ness yet in a fast tempo performed in many ways arouse your interest . During the long hours of performance, the men performers dancing in complicated steps slap their bodies here and there rhythmically. The woman with shorter steps taking in the impact with their whole body flutter their colorful skirts flatteringly . The rhythm and speed timed exactly to the music is indeed a divine skill.The audience cheering wildly to this performance, they are entirely Gypsies.The body moves naturally as long as there is music.The spirit of the whole room is united into one.The ROMAFEST began in November 1999.Fortunately I was able to attend to the first performance, a memorable one. Being in the presence of so many Gypsies and viewing their performance with my own eyes, their performance filled with enthusiasm and howling spirit overwhelmed me, however their song JELEM JELEM closing the festival left a huge wave of admiration within me.While being moved to admiration of their high technique it makes me wonder why their performance strikes the heart of the audience in this way. I come to he conclusion that the dance and music of the Gypsies are handed down from their ancestors, the principle being the same as a newborn infant who learns to speak naturally, it is another language that lodges within their soul. From this ROMAFEST contest showing the spirit of Gypsies,