The long walk home, by CarolineBach
Rajasthan Desert, India. October 2010

The origins of the Roma people, also referred to as Gypsies and Romani, can through linguistic and genetic evidence be traced back to India, and more specifically, Rajasthan. When I was in India I immediately noticed the stiking resemblance between the the languages and I was amazed by the fact that  I could use some of  my very limited vocabulary in Romani, that I had learnt when working with Roma children in Sweden, to communicate in and understand some basic Hindi. Culturally, the Roma people have, despite of their wide dispersion around the world, managed to keep many of their traditions and values intact. Their vibrant musical culture has had a vast influence on traditional Balkan Music, Andalusian Flamenco, and even European classical composers such as Brahms and Liszt. Following is a part from the movie Latcho Drom, meaning Safe Journey which is a documentary about the journey of the Roma people, along with their charismatic culture and dancing, from the Rajasthan desert to Adalusia in Spain.

Latcho Drom (1993)
Directed and written by Tony Gatlif