Week 6

The film “Latcho Drom” traces the musical heritages of the nomadic Rom people, following a small group of Romani as they travel the Asian continent from northern India through the Middle East and into Eastern Europe. During this journey the viewer witnesses an evolution of Romani music, one that corresponds to migrations typical to the Roma people as they adapt to new places and cultures. The movie’s first scene is of the nomads as they celebrate beneath a full moon. Accompanying themselves while singing are a group of females with their finger cymbals, also known as sajat or zills, who later swing bells on strings back and forth to the rhythm of the music. Providing instrumental accompaniment to the celebration and singing are also several males. One male sits with his legs crossed playing a large chordophone with features characteristic of a settar; another male decorates the music’s meter playing a clay pot type idiophone, perhaps the Indian ghatan; and playing in heterophony with the other melodic instruments is a man bowing a fiddle, one that resembles a cretan-lyra, or perhaps even a classical Turkish kemence. In another scene one witnesses the dancing of a couple in Egypt. During all this activity one hears: a chorus of fiddlers, all playing something similar to an Egyptian rababah; several drummers playing distinctly middle-eastern sounding percussion on the darabukka; and in addition the sound of a large tambourine, one that might be a bendir or perhaps a riqq. In the final scene (the final scene we saw in class at least) we are brought to a teahouse in Istanbul, Turkey. Providing accompaniment suitable to the occasion is a traditional tahkt ensemble, featuring distinctly Arab in addition to other more traditionally western sounding instruments, both of which include: the clarinet, the santur (a Persian hammered dulcimer), a couple of violins, again the riqq, and finally the ud (a Turkish plucked lute).

As one can see, all of the instruments here cannot be found within a single geographic region. The director develops the movie’s soundtrack by subtly altering its instrumentation, rhythmic style, and melodic characteristics to show both the versatility of Rom musicians and the intense diversity within their repertoire. As the viewer follows the Romani musicians through their long migration one can hear Arabic, Indian, Persian, Turkish, Egyptian, and even Baltic influences and their adaptation to Rom culture. Throughout this journey the Roma are always shown on the street, pulling carts, or grouping amongst the rural poor in crowded shelters. While the background changes from desert roads to small settlements and urban cities one can detect changes in the characters’ clothing. Shawls, tunic, and robes change to dresses, pants, and shirts; bright, vibrant colors turn to more muted and lighter hues. During this transition bare feet begin to have shoes and ox pulled carts take on metal-spoked wheels more suitable for the journey. Wandering from place to place without home, the viewer is reminded of the Roma’s rude history as a bunch of gypsies. Even if these people seem poor in wealth and power to me, they are rich in their liveliness and cultural heritage.