Festival Romani is an exuberant event designed to circumnavigate the globe with Gypsy music and dance. It’s a one of a kind glimpse into an often misunderstood and stereotyped culture and on Saturday, August 17, at Sellwood Riverfront Park, SE Spokane St & SE Oaks Park Way, international artists perform the beauty and passion of Romani traditional and contemporary music and dance sweeping west across Europe from Rajasthan, India, to the sounds of French Gypsy Django Reinhardt’s Hot Club. This all day celebration,10 am to 8 pm, is an energetic and energizing musical journey along the Drom of the Gypsy diaspora.
The extensive musical extravaganza includes Via Romen, world-renowned ensemble from the oldest Gypsy Theater in Moscow; internationally-acclaimed dancer, Colleena Shakti with the dance of the Kalbelia Gypsy snake charmers from Rajasthan, India; traditional Serbian Gypsy band, Galbeno; Flamenco by El Cuadro Gallo; Turkish Gypsy music by Ritim Egzotik; Balkan dance by Kef and hot jazz too.
If the day’s activities are not enough for you, the late night party at the Bossanova Ballroom 722 E Burnside St. will rock your Gypsy soul with high-energy performances from Chervona, The Underscore Orkestra, and DJ GlobalRuckus, in a wild, boisterous dance party.
The day also includes film, art, handmade crafts, food, educational talks, an instrument “petting zoo” for the kids and two dance workshops of both Kalbelia Gypsy dance with Colleena Shakti and Flamenco Bularias with Luis de la Tota from Jerez, Spain.
Admission is suggested donation of $10-$20 and age 16 and under attend free. All access passes for both the day and after party events are $25 Tickets and registration for the workshops are available online at www.festivalromani.com.