Together with František Červeňák (guitarist), Martin Sivák (guitarist and singer) and their manager Richard Samko, The Bengas, a Romani music group, have stamped their way into the biggest stages of the world. It was not easy, as in Czech Republic, their community is still poorly regarded. Fortunately, they found their home here as we met them in their comfort place, the Ambix, Romani bar in Prague.
Cet article a été écrit par des jeunes journalistes du projet Europe Convergence 2024, porté par Magna Vox, le Partnerschaftsverband, et VISK (Vzdělávací institut středočeského kraje)
How Important are cultural spaces like the Ambix?
František : Even though this is the first time for me to visit the Ambix, It stills feels like home. I am happy that my people have integrated so well and they can open up a business just like this one.
Richard : For us, this is a space where we can meet, and perhaps also a space where others can encounter us and our culture – our food and music. It’s a great space to meet people. At the table and wherever the music is – that’s where people can connect.
What defines Romani music?
Martin : It is not a certain genre but just defined by the people playing it. Romani music is influenced by our ancestors’ travels around the world, their roaming. We can see influences from the Balkan, Hungary and Russia. Folklore is the top influence. If someone asks you to play Romani music you could play Halgat (plaintive, slow, sad songs) or Csardas (from Hungarian csarda – pub, this genre is for dancing, celebrating, with a more upbeat style). Both are typically Romani genres of music with folklore influence. Our music is also based on rhythm and not on electric instruments. Of course we have an electric guitar now but we still do the same music as we did 20 years ago. It still has the same acoustic pattern and is still played with more traditional instruments like the violin, the tamburica or the cimbalo (a cymbal).
How was growing up in Czechia as a Romani boy and becoming a musician?
Martin : We all started to play when we were young. I, for example, started to play the guitar when I was six years old. I taught myself to play. Back then I wanted to go to music school. The teacher told my father that there’s nothing he could teach me as I was already good enough. But I was unable to read sheet music, which makes me think that he may have had different motives to not take me in. Me and František, we both come from a background of musicians. My Grandfather and father both played multiple instruments like the violin or the cimbalo. František’s grandfather played the double bass and his father played the violin. His mother is related to the Horváth family, who are famous musicians.
Can you tell us about the journey of the “Bangas”?
Martin : We started playing here in 2001 and people loved it. Roma music was really popular. We played all the biggest festivals in our country. Nowadays, we play festivals which are dedicated to Roma music specifically.
Richard : 1999 to 2010 were the golden years of Roma music. I’m getting goosebumps just remembering those times! Six or seven acoustic bands, traditional bands, were all playing the biggest festivals. Bengas were in America, where they were the first Roma band to play in Washington DC. In 2004, they were the forerunners for “Gypsy Kings”, and played in front of 17000 people. Then, things went downhill. Truth be told, some of the bands were dying out – they weren’t making new music anymore. They relied on the fact their fame would simply last, but it doesn’t work that way. As a result, there was a steep decline in interest and today, these bands only really perform at Roma music festivals.
František : What happened to us multiple times is that a Czech Radio station wanted to do an interview with us. So we said yes, obviously, let’s do it, we’ll give you our CD to play. But they refused – they wouldn’t play our music, or they requested payment for it. I guess they’re just scared of us.
« It’s all about not labeling. That would solve everything. But people need to learn about others. »
How do you feel as a Romani in Czechia right now?
Martin : I lived in France for three and a half years, not once has somebody stared at me spitefully. Democracy is hundreds of years ahead there. I once saw someone on TV showing fascist posters – he was locked up briskly. Whenever these things happen, they immediately deal with them. Not in our country. And that’s wrong. The problem is that the media only shows the worst of us. There are lots of lawyers, doctors, and working people among us. They say the Roma are unadaptable, that they don’t want to work. They would love to work – but who’ll employ them? In the case of uneducated individuals, they can only do subordinate tasks, while getting criticized and trash-talked all the Eme. Who’d be able to tolerate that?
Richard : There’s this negative stereotype, which was born a thousand years ago, which says we’re thieves, we don’t work and we’re dishonest. This idea still lasts to this day. It applies to the whole community. We all encounter it, and we constantly need to prove that it isn’t true. It’s not really hatred – I don’t think Czech people are hateful. It’s the fact that they don’t want to learn about us, and so they just accept what they were told – that we’re bad people.
How can that change?
Martin : Music itself is one of the things that can solve social problems, it can help people learn about our culture. Our people just want to integrate into society. But they don’t get the opportunity to do so. At school, kids from the majority should be taught not to be afraid of Roma people and the stereotypes should be vanquished. When a little kid waves at me in the street, they don’t know that I’m Roma, that I’m different. It’s the parents who teach them. About half of the youngsters today are different. They are friendly to us.
Richard : It’s all about not labeling. That would solve everything. But people need to learn about others. Both sides. Because we’re racist too. Everybody has a little racism in them. But we don’t teach our kids that Czechs won’t give them work, that they won’t trust them, and so on. We don’t instill such fears on them.
So what can both sides do?
Richard : I have this sort of handbook to share: You would never give your kid food that is spoiled. If every parent only gave their kids the good in them, the world would be completely different.
Martin : It’s on the new generation to teach their kids how to respect one another.
Text : Petr Hegedus, Anuk Oltersdorf, Sunita Herrmann / Photos : Julien Le Flohic