Roma in Spain
Encyclopedia
The Romani people in Spain are generally known as Gitanos. Spanish Romanies belong to the Iberian Kale Romani group, with smaller populations in Portugal
(known as Ciganos) and southern France
. They tend to speak Caló
, which is basically Andalusian Spanish
with numerous Romani
loan words. Estimates of the Spanish Romani population fluctuate between 600,000 and 1,500,000, with the Spanish government's estimating a number between 650,000 and 700,000.
The Erromintxela
of the Basque Country are also Romani. They identify as distinctly separate from the Caló-speaking Romani in Spain.
and Rajasthan
region, as early as 1000 A.D. The music and culture of the Gitanos highly influenced the cultures they had reached in Al-Andalus
through North Africa. Flamenco
, the heart of Gitano culture, is a mixture of India
n, Romani at its core with Persian
, Greek
, Moorish, and Arabic elements. The Flamenco lengthy rhythmic time cycle of 12 beats is a feature of Indian classical music, as is the Zapeateado or foot tapping, seen in Indian Katakh dance. The straight posture and graceful arm movements are seen in Indian dance. Lastly, the musical scales used by the Gitanos in singing are based around the Indian raga
scale, unlike Arabic singing, which uses quarter-tone scales.
Although many gachos (non-gitanos) associate stamping of feet with that seen in the Espectáculo Flamenco (flamenco show), the Zapateo (or intense foot tap) is done only in the Espectáculos. At juergas (gypsy parties), flamenco is more reserved in form.
While in most of Europe, the Romani traveled from Asia through eastern Europe, they were recorded as having arrived in Spain
from Northern Africa as early as 1425. They were recorded in Barcelona
and Zaragoza
by 1447. At first they were well received and were even accorded official protection by many local authorities. By 1492, a time of increased persecution of minorities, the first anti-Romani law was passed in Spain. Spanish Romanies are linked to Flamenco
and have contributed a great deal to this Andalusian musical art.
According to Blas Infante
, in his book Orígenes de lo flamenco y secreto del cante jondo, etymologically
, the word flamenco may derive from Andalusian Arabic fellah mengu, meaning "escapee peasant". Infante believes that numerous Muslim Andalusians became Moriscos, who decided to stay and mix with the Romani newcomers instead of abandoning their lands because of religious persecution.
After the Castilian
reconquest of Andalusia, the Reconquista
, the government expropriated formerly Muslim lands to give to warlords and mercenaries who had helped the Castilian kings' enterprise against Al-Andalus
. When the Spanish Crown later ordered the expulsion or forceful conversion of the Andalusian Moors, many of them took refuge among the Roma, becoming fellah mengu to avoid persecution or forced deportation. In 1492 the Romanies were included in the list of peoples to be assimilated or driven out.
For about 300 years, Romanies were subject to a number of laws and policies designed to eliminate them from Spain as an identifiable group: Romani settlements were broken up and the residents dispersed; sometimes, Romanies were required to marry non-Roma; they were prohibited from using their language and rituals, and were excluded from public office and from guild membership. In 1749 A major effort to get rid of the gypsy population in Spain was carried out through a raid
organized by the government. It arrested all gypsies (Romani) in the realm, and imprisoned them in labor camps.
The majority sedentary population (payos, "Gadjo
s") saw them as dangerous, accusing them of laziness, stealing and kidnapping children, and of bringing novelties from the outer world. They also thought the gypsies had magical powers of palmistry and lived too freely.
During the Spanish Civil War
, Republican Forces
murdered many Romani Catholics. Some are being recognised as martyrs and saints by Pope Benedict XVI
. Franco's supporters killed many Romani who supported the Republic. Under Franco, Romanies were harassed or simply ignored, although their children were educated, albeit sometimes forcibly.
In the post-Franco era, Spanish government policy has been much more sympathetic, especially in the area of social welfare and social services. In 1977, the last anti-Romani laws were repealed, an action promoted by Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia
, the first Romani deputy. Since 1983, the government has operated a special program of Compensatory Education
to promote educational rights for the disadvantaged, including those in Romani communities. The challenge will be to devise programs that bring the Romani population into the mainstream of the country's economic and political life without eroding the group's distinctive cultural and linguistic heritage.
Many Spanish Romanies have found consolation in Evangelical Christianity
, where churches have incorporated Flamenco in worship services.
, confirmation, and extreme unction). They are not regular churchgoers. They rarely go to folk healers, and they participate fully in Spain's state-supported medical system. Gitanos have a special involvement with recently dead kin and visit their graves frequently. They spend more money than non-Gitanos of equivalent economic classes in adorning grave sites.
The Spanish Evangelical
Federation claims that 150,000 Gitanos have joined their faith in Spain. The Romani Evangelical Assembly is the only religious institution entirely led and composed by Roma.
is essential in unmarried women. Both men and women often marry young.
A traditional Gitano wedding requires a pedimiento (similar to an engagement party) followed by the casamiento (wedding ceremony), where el yeli must be sung to the bride for giving her honor to her husband (proven by the ritual of the pañuelo). In the pañuelo ritual, a group consisting of an ajuntaora (an elder woman who is well respected in the family), along with the older aunts and elder woman of the family, take the bride into a separate room during the wedding and examine her to ascertain that she is a virgin. The "ajuntaora" is the one who practices the ritual on the bride, as the other women watch to be witnesses that the bride is virgin.
The cloth (pañuelo) must have three rose petals on it. When finished with the exam, the women come out of the room and sing el yeli to the couple. During this, the men at the wedding rip their shirts and lift the wife onto their shoulders and do the same with the husband, as they sing "el yeli" to them. Weddings can last very long; up to three days is usual in the Gitano culture. At weddings, "gitanos" invite everyone and anyone that they know of (especially other gitanos). On some occasions, payos (gadjos) may attend as well, although this is not common. Through the night, many bulerías are danced and especially sung. Today, rumba gitana or rumba flamenca are a usual party music fixture.
Spanish Romanies are called gitanos. In the late 1980s, the gitanos lived predominantly in southern Spain.
Gitanos is a Spanish name; in southern France
they are known as Gitans or more generally Tsiganes (includes the other French Roma); and in Portugal
they are known as Ciganos. Similar to the English word Gypsy, the name Gitano comes from the old Spanish word Egiptano (Egypt
ian). In past centuries, it was thought their origins were in Egypt.
After losing their original Romani language
, they used Caló
, a jargon with Spanish grammar
and some Romani vocabulary . Caló means "dark" in Caló and the Caló word for "Gitanos" is calé, also "the dark ones". Cañí is another Caló word for "Gitano". Caló is one of the influences of later Germanía
and modern Spanish slang.
Romanian, Slovak and Moroccan Romanies have recently migrated into the country.
A significant number of Romani emigrated to Latin America during colonial times. Often they emigrated to escape the Catholic Inquisition
.
Following are notable people of Gitano ethnicity or descent:
, several Spanish surnames are more frequent among the Gitanos, though they are not exclusive to them:
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(known as Ciganos) and southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. They tend to speak Caló
Caló (Spanish Romani)
Caló is a language spoken by the Spanish and Portuguese Romani. It is a mixed language based on Romance grammar, with an adstratum of Romani lexical items through language shift by the Romani community. It is often used as an argot, a secret language for discreet communication amongst Iberian...
, which is basically Andalusian Spanish
Andalusian Spanish
The Andalusian varieties of Spanish are spoken in Andalusia, Ceuta, Melilla and Gibraltar. They include perhaps the most distinct of the southern variants of peninsular Spanish, differing in many respects from northern varieties, and also from Standard Spanish...
with numerous Romani
Romani language
Romani or Romany, Gypsy or Gipsy is any of several languages of the Romani people. They are Indic, sometimes classified in the "Central" or "Northwestern" zone, and sometimes treated as a branch of their own....
loan words. Estimates of the Spanish Romani population fluctuate between 600,000 and 1,500,000, with the Spanish government's estimating a number between 650,000 and 700,000.
The Erromintxela
Erromintxela
Erromintxela is the distinctive language of a group of Roma living in the Basque Country, who also go by the name Erromintxela. It is sometimes called Basque Caló or Errumantxela in English; caló vasco, romaní vasco, or errominchela in Spanish; and euskado-rromani or euskado-romani in French...
of the Basque Country are also Romani. They identify as distinctly separate from the Caló-speaking Romani in Spain.
History
The Gitanos emigrated from Northern India, presumably from the PunjabPunjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
and Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
region, as early as 1000 A.D. The music and culture of the Gitanos highly influenced the cultures they had reached in Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
through North Africa. Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
, the heart of Gitano culture, is a mixture of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n, Romani at its core with Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
, Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Moorish, and Arabic elements. The Flamenco lengthy rhythmic time cycle of 12 beats is a feature of Indian classical music, as is the Zapeateado or foot tapping, seen in Indian Katakh dance. The straight posture and graceful arm movements are seen in Indian dance. Lastly, the musical scales used by the Gitanos in singing are based around the Indian raga
Raga
A raga is one of the melodic modes used in Indian classical music.It is a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is made...
scale, unlike Arabic singing, which uses quarter-tone scales.
Although many gachos (non-gitanos) associate stamping of feet with that seen in the Espectáculo Flamenco (flamenco show), the Zapateo (or intense foot tap) is done only in the Espectáculos. At juergas (gypsy parties), flamenco is more reserved in form.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
from Northern Africa as early as 1425. They were recorded in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
by 1447. At first they were well received and were even accorded official protection by many local authorities. By 1492, a time of increased persecution of minorities, the first anti-Romani law was passed in Spain. Spanish Romanies are linked to Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
and have contributed a great deal to this Andalusian musical art.
According to Blas Infante
Blas Infante
Blas Infante Pérez de Vargas . Blas Infante was an andalusist politician, writer, historian and musicologist, known as the "Father" of Andalusian fatherland ....
, in his book Orígenes de lo flamenco y secreto del cante jondo, etymologically
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
, the word flamenco may derive from Andalusian Arabic fellah mengu, meaning "escapee peasant". Infante believes that numerous Muslim Andalusians became Moriscos, who decided to stay and mix with the Romani newcomers instead of abandoning their lands because of religious persecution.
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
reconquest of Andalusia, the Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
, the government expropriated formerly Muslim lands to give to warlords and mercenaries who had helped the Castilian kings' enterprise against Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
. When the Spanish Crown later ordered the expulsion or forceful conversion of the Andalusian Moors, many of them took refuge among the Roma, becoming fellah mengu to avoid persecution or forced deportation. In 1492 the Romanies were included in the list of peoples to be assimilated or driven out.
For about 300 years, Romanies were subject to a number of laws and policies designed to eliminate them from Spain as an identifiable group: Romani settlements were broken up and the residents dispersed; sometimes, Romanies were required to marry non-Roma; they were prohibited from using their language and rituals, and were excluded from public office and from guild membership. In 1749 A major effort to get rid of the gypsy population in Spain was carried out through a raid
Great Gypsy Round-up
The Great Gypsy Round-up , also known as the general imprisonment of the gypsies , was a raid authorized and organized by the Spanish Monarchy that led to the arrest of all gypsies in the reign, and their imprisonment in labor camps...
organized by the government. It arrested all gypsies (Romani) in the realm, and imprisoned them in labor camps.
The majority sedentary population (payos, "Gadjo
Gadji
Gadjo is a term of Romani philosophy that means a person who has no Romanipen. Usually, that's a person who is not an ethnic Romani, but also it can be an ethnic Romani who does not live within the Romani culture....
s") saw them as dangerous, accusing them of laziness, stealing and kidnapping children, and of bringing novelties from the outer world. They also thought the gypsies had magical powers of palmistry and lived too freely.
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, Republican Forces
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
murdered many Romani Catholics. Some are being recognised as martyrs and saints by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. Franco's supporters killed many Romani who supported the Republic. Under Franco, Romanies were harassed or simply ignored, although their children were educated, albeit sometimes forcibly.
In the post-Franco era, Spanish government policy has been much more sympathetic, especially in the area of social welfare and social services. In 1977, the last anti-Romani laws were repealed, an action promoted by Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia
Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia
Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia is a Spanish politician, of Romani ethnic origin. He is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. In 1986-1999 he was a Member of the European Parliament...
, the first Romani deputy. Since 1983, the government has operated a special program of Compensatory Education
Compensatory Education
Compensatory education offers supplementary programs or services designed to help children at risk of cognitive impairment and low educational achievement reach their full potential.-Children at risk:...
to promote educational rights for the disadvantaged, including those in Romani communities. The challenge will be to devise programs that bring the Romani population into the mainstream of the country's economic and political life without eroding the group's distinctive cultural and linguistic heritage.
Many Spanish Romanies have found consolation in Evangelical Christianity
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, where churches have incorporated Flamenco in worship services.
Religion
In Spain, Gitanos were traditionally Roman Catholics who participated in four of the church's sacraments (baptism, marriageMarriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, confirmation, and extreme unction). They are not regular churchgoers. They rarely go to folk healers, and they participate fully in Spain's state-supported medical system. Gitanos have a special involvement with recently dead kin and visit their graves frequently. They spend more money than non-Gitanos of equivalent economic classes in adorning grave sites.
The Spanish Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Federation claims that 150,000 Gitanos have joined their faith in Spain. The Romani Evangelical Assembly is the only religious institution entirely led and composed by Roma.
Marriage
The traditional Spanish Romani place a high value on the extended family. VirginityVirginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
is essential in unmarried women. Both men and women often marry young.
A traditional Gitano wedding requires a pedimiento (similar to an engagement party) followed by the casamiento (wedding ceremony), where el yeli must be sung to the bride for giving her honor to her husband (proven by the ritual of the pañuelo). In the pañuelo ritual, a group consisting of an ajuntaora (an elder woman who is well respected in the family), along with the older aunts and elder woman of the family, take the bride into a separate room during the wedding and examine her to ascertain that she is a virgin. The "ajuntaora" is the one who practices the ritual on the bride, as the other women watch to be witnesses that the bride is virgin.
The cloth (pañuelo) must have three rose petals on it. When finished with the exam, the women come out of the room and sing el yeli to the couple. During this, the men at the wedding rip their shirts and lift the wife onto their shoulders and do the same with the husband, as they sing "el yeli" to them. Weddings can last very long; up to three days is usual in the Gitano culture. At weddings, "gitanos" invite everyone and anyone that they know of (especially other gitanos). On some occasions, payos (gadjos) may attend as well, although this is not common. Through the night, many bulerías are danced and especially sung. Today, rumba gitana or rumba flamenca are a usual party music fixture.
Groups
| Autonomous communities of Spain | |
| Autonomous communities | Population |
|---|---|
| Andalusia Andalusia Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and... |
270,000 |
| Aragon Aragon Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza... |
18.000 |
| Asturias Asturias The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages... |
10.000 |
| Balearic Islands Balearic Islands The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital... |
6.500 (?) |
| Basque Country Basque Country (autonomous community) The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories.... |
13.000 |
| Canary Islands Canary Islands The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union... |
(?) |
| Cantabria Cantabria Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria... |
5.000 (?) |
| Castile-La Mancha Castile-La Mancha Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities... |
20.000 |
| Castile and León Castile and León Castile and León is an autonomous community in north-western Spain. It was so constituted in 1983 and it comprises the historical regions of León and Old Castile... |
29.000 |
| Catalonia Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an... |
80.000 |
| Extremadura Extremadura Extremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west... |
15.000 |
| Galicia | 9.000 |
| La Rioja La Rioja (Spain) La Rioja is an autonomous community and a province of northern Spain. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera.-History:... |
7.000 |
| Madrid | 60.000 |
| Navarre Navarre Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France... |
6.000 |
| Region of Murcia Region of Murcia The Region of Murcia is an autonomous community of Spain located in the southeast of the country, between Andalusia and Valencian Community, on the Mediterranean coast.... |
20.000 |
| Valencian Community Valencian Community The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia... |
50.000 |
| Total | 600.000 |
Spanish Romanies are called gitanos. In the late 1980s, the gitanos lived predominantly in southern Spain.
Gitanos is a Spanish name; in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
they are known as Gitans or more generally Tsiganes (includes the other French Roma); and in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
they are known as Ciganos. Similar to the English word Gypsy, the name Gitano comes from the old Spanish word Egiptano (Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian). In past centuries, it was thought their origins were in Egypt.
After losing their original Romani language
Romani language
Romani or Romany, Gypsy or Gipsy is any of several languages of the Romani people. They are Indic, sometimes classified in the "Central" or "Northwestern" zone, and sometimes treated as a branch of their own....
, they used Caló
Caló (Spanish Romani)
Caló is a language spoken by the Spanish and Portuguese Romani. It is a mixed language based on Romance grammar, with an adstratum of Romani lexical items through language shift by the Romani community. It is often used as an argot, a secret language for discreet communication amongst Iberian...
, a jargon with Spanish grammar
Spanish grammar
Spanish grammar is the grammar of the Spanish language , which is a Romance language that originated in north central Spain and is spoken today throughout Spain, some twenty countries in the Americas, and Equatorial Guinea....
and some Romani vocabulary . Caló means "dark" in Caló and the Caló word for "Gitanos" is calé, also "the dark ones". Cañí is another Caló word for "Gitano". Caló is one of the influences of later Germanía
Germanía
Germanía is the Spanish term for the argot used by criminals or in jails in Spain during 15th and 16th centuries. Its purpose is to keep outsiders out of the conversation...
and modern Spanish slang.
Romanian, Slovak and Moroccan Romanies have recently migrated into the country.
A significant number of Romani emigrated to Latin America during colonial times. Often they emigrated to escape the Catholic Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
.
In literature
The Gitanos in Spanish society have inspired several authors:- Federico García LorcaFederico García LorcaFederico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
, a great Spanish poet of the 20th century, wrote Romancero Gitano ("Gypsy Ballad Book")
- Candela, the female protagonist of the story El Amor BrujoEl amor brujoEl amor brujo is a piece of music originally composed by Manuel de Falla for a chamber group, then re-scored as a symphonic suite, and eventually as a ballet...
, by Manuel de FallaManuel de FallaManuel de Falla y Matheu was a Spanish Andalusian composer of classical music. With Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina he is one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century....
is Romani.
- Prosper MériméeProsper MériméeProsper Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen.-Life:...
's CarmenCarmen (novella)"Carmen" is a novella by Prosper Mérimée, written and first published in 1845. It has been adapted into a number of dramatic works, including the famous opera by Georges Bizet.-Sources:...
(1845) features the protagonist as a femme fataleFemme fataleA femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
, ready to lie, or attack and degrade men's lives. His work was adapted for Georges Bizet's operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
of the same name.
- The beauty of a dark-haired Gitana has inspired artists such as Julio Romero de TorresJulio Romero de TorresJulio Romero de Torres was a Spanish painter.He was born and died in Córdoba, Spain, where he lived most of his life. His father was the famous painter Rafael Romero Barros and his mother was Rosario de Torres Delgado...
.
Notable Gitanos
- Carmen AmayaCarmen AmayaCarmen Amaya was a flamenco dancer and singer, of gypsy origin, born in the Somorrostro slum of Barcelona, Spain, nowadays....
, Flamenco dancer. - Isabel PantojaIsabel PantojaIsabel Pantoja is a popular contemporary Spanish singer. She is of Romani origin, born in the Triana district of Seville, Spain. She has released more than a dozen albums throughout a career spanning many decades, and is known for her distinctive Andalusian style.-Biography:She was born into a...
, singer. - Manolo CaracolManolo CaracolManuel Ortega Juárez. , was a flamenco cantaor.Born in Seville, Spain, he was descended from a long line of flamenco artists including Enrique Ortega and Curro Dulce, and he was possibly related to El Planeta and El Fillo...
, Flamenco singer. - Lolita FloresLolita FloresLolita Flores is a Spanish actress and singer.She is the daughter of Lola Flores and Antonio González, sister of Antonio Flores and Rosario Flores...
, singer and actress, daughter of Lola Flores. - Antonio FloresAntonio FloresAntonio González Flores was a Spanish singer-songwriter and actor.He was the only son of singers and actors Antonio González 'El Pescaílla' and Lola Flores. He was the brother of actresses Lolita Flores and Rosario Flores...
, singer and actor, son of Lola Flores. - Rosario FloresRosario FloresRosario Flores is a two-time Latin Grammy Award-winning Spanish gypsy singer and actress.She was born in Madrid, Spain as the daughter of Antonio González and Lola Flores. She is the sister of actress Lolita Flores and singer-songwriter Antonio Flores. She has a daughter with her ex boyfriend...
, singer and actress, daughter of Lola Flores. - Quique Sánchez FloresQuique Sanchez FloresEnrique "Quique" Sánchez Flores is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a right defender, and a current manager....
, coach and nephew of flamenco dancer, Lola Flores. - Vicente EscuderoVicente EscuderoVicente Escudero was a Spanish flamenco dancer. His first official performance was in 1920 at the Olympia Theatre in Paris. Escudero's new style popularised flamenco, as before it was seen as over-the-top and not as artistic. He appeared in the 1966 film With the East Wind.-External links:*...
, dancer and choreographer of Spanish Flamenco; occasionally painter, writer, cinematographic actor and flamenco singer. - Helios GómezHelios GómezHelios Gómez is considered as one of most emblematic representatives of Spanish graphics in first half of 20th century. He was a painter, revolutionist, but also an anarchist-communist and a poet....
, artist, writer and poet - Antonio González, el Pescaílla, guitarist
- Ricardo Baliardo, Manitas de PlataManitas de PlataManitas de Plata . is a French Gitano flamenco guitarist.-Life:He was born in a Gypsy caravan in Sète in southern France...
, French guitarist - Joaquín Albaicín, Spanish writer, lecturer and columnist for the artistic life
- José Heredia Maya, Spanish poet and dramaturg
- Poncho Zurulo Spanish Andorran stylist
- André-Pierre GignacAndré-Pierre GignacAndré-Pierre Gignac is a French professional football player who currently plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings. Gignac is described as a "powerful and dangerous" striker who is known for his "aerial presence"...
, French footballer - Juan Vargas, Spanish sculptor
- Luis Heredia Amaya, Spanish sculptor
- Antonio Maya Cortés, Spanish artist painter and sculptor
- Fabian de Castro, Spanish artist painter
- Juan Peña Fernández el LebrijanoLebrijanoJuan Peña Fernández, also known as Juan Peña "El Lebrijano" or simply El Lebrijano is a Spanish Gitano musician, the nephew of Perrate de Utrera.- Biography:...
, guitarist - Gipsy KingsGipsy KingsThe Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, who perform in Spanish with an Andalucían accent. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. Chico Bouchikhi is of...
, French group of Flamenco Rumba - Nicolas ReyesNicolas ReyesNicolas Reyes is the lead singer of the musical group the Gipsy Kings. He sings in various styles which mainly include traditional and popular versions of flamenco and Latino-American dance music rumba. With his hoarse and passionate voice he is one of most prominent flamenco singers...
, lead vocalist of the Gipsy Kings - Matéo MaximoffMatéo MaximoffMatéo Maximoff was a French writer of Romani ethnicity and an Evangelical pastor.-Biography:Matéo's father was a Kalderash Rom from Russia, his mother was a Manouche from France. She was a cousin of Django Reinhardt. Matéo was born in Barcelona, Spain.His father was a tinker. He taught Matéo how...
, Romani born in Barcelona - Micaela Flores Amaya, La ChungaLa ChungaMicaela Flores Amaya, La Chunga , is a Spanish flamenco dancer and painter of naïf art.She does not know the exact date she was born...
, Flamenco dancer - Pedro Pubill Calaf, PeretPeretPere Pubill Calaf , known as Peret, is a Catalan Spanish Romaní singer, guitar player and composer, and the main representative of Catalan Rumba. Peret is known for the song Borriquito, and he represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 and performed at the Olympic Games in Barcelona...
, Flamenco Rumba music star - Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia, Spanish Socialist Workers' PartySpanish Socialist Workers' PartyThe Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
MEPMember of the European ParliamentA Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,... - Camarón de la IslaCamarón de la IslaCamarón de la Isla , was the stage name of a spanish flamenco singer José Monje Cruz who is sometimes also credited as Camarón de la Isla....
, Flamenco star - Farruquito, Flamenco dancer
- Daniel GüizaDaniel GüizaDaniel González Güiza is a Spanish footballer who plays for Getafe CF in La Liga, as a striker.A late bloomer, he made a name for himself at the age of 27, being crowned La Liga topscorer with Mallorca...
, Spanish football player, currently plays for Fenerbahçe S.K. - Telmo Zarra, Spanish former footballer
- Jesús SebaJesús SebaJesús Seba Hernández is a retired Spanish professional footballer who played mostly as a forward.Mostly associated to Real Zaragoza, he is also known as one of the 'Three Amigos', the collective name given to the first three Spanish footballers to play in the English Football League, as he had...
, Spanish footballer, ex-Real ZaragozaReal ZaragozaReal Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points... - DiegoDiego Rodríguez FernándezDiego Rodríguez Fernández , simply Diego, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central defender....
, Spanish former footballer, with Sevilla FCSevilla FCSevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA... - Carlos MuñozCarlos Antonio Muñoz CoboCarlos Antonio Muñoz Cobo, simply Carlos , is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a striker.Known for his flair, in the molds of a pure goal-poacher, he represented five clubs in his professional career in his country – namely Real Oviedo – moving to Mexico well into his 30's, and continuing...
, Spanish former footballer, with Real OviedoReal OviedoReal Oviedo is a Spanish football club based in Oviedo, in the autonomous community of Asturias. Founded on 26 March 1926, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 2.... - Arzu, Spanish football player, currently plays for Real BetisReal BetisReal Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín....
- Apoño, Spanish football player, currently plays for Málaga CFMálaga CFMálaga Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Málaga, Andalusia. The team currently plays in Spain's La Liga.Málaga CF is generally seen as the successor to CD Málaga, one of the most historical Andalusian football clubs, by being a near-identical looking football club that even shares...
- Iván AmayaIván AmayaIván Amaya Carazo is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Murcia as a central defender.-Club career:...
, Spanish football player, ex-Atlético Madrid - Antonio AmayaAntonio AmayaAntonio Amaya Carazo is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Betis as a central defender.-Early years / Rayo Vallecano:Born in the Spanish capital of Madrid, Amaya began his football career at local San Cristóbal de los Ángeles...
, Spanish footballer, currently with Wigan Athletic F.C.Wigan Athletic F.C.Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW... - Marcos MárquezMarcos MárquezMarcos Márquez Lebrero is a Spanish footballer who plays for UD Salamanca in the Spanish second division.A striker, he is of Gitano origin.-Club career:...
, Spanish footballer, currently plays for UD Las PalmasUD Las PalmasUnión Deportiva Las Palmas, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the autonomous community of Canary Islands... - López Ramos, Spanish footballer, currently plays for UD Las PalmasUD Las PalmasUnión Deportiva Las Palmas, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the autonomous community of Canary Islands...
- Israel Bascón GigaIsrael Bascón GigaIsrael David Bascón Gigato, simply Israel , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Xerez CD as a right midfielder.-Club career:...
,(Israel), Spanish football player, currently plays for Real BetisReal BetisReal Betis Balompié S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Seville, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded on 12 September 1907, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio Benito Villamarín.... - José MariJosé MariJosé María Romero Poyón , aka José Mari, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Xerez CD as a forward or winger.-Club career:...
, Spanish football player, currently plays for Gimnàstic de TarragonaGimnàstic de TarragonaClub Gimnàstic de Tarragona, usually referred to as Nàstic, is a Spanish sports club based in Tarragona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Its football team currently plays in Segunda División.... - Javier CasqueroJavier CasqueroFrancisco Javier Casquero Paredes is a Spanish footballer who plays for Getafe CF in the Spanish first division.He usually operates as a central midfielder, and possesses a tremendously powerful shot....
, Spanish football player, currently plays for Getafe CFGetafe CFGetafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La Liga football club based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.In the top level since 2004-05, it holds home games at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.... - David Cortés CaballeroDavid Cortés CaballeroDavid Cortés Caballero is a Spanish footballer who plays for Granada CF as a right defender.-Football career:Cortés made his professional debuts with local CF Extremadura, then in the second level...
, Spanish football player, currently plays for Getafe CFGetafe CFGetafe Club de Fútbol is a Spanish La Liga football club based in Getafe, a city in the Madrid metropolitan area, founded in 1946 and refounded in 1983.In the top level since 2004-05, it holds home games at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.... - Juana Martín Manzano, fashion designer
- Los Niños de SaraLos Niños de SaraLos Niños de Sara are Spanish-speaking Gypsies from Montpellier, France. They perform on their own, but they are best known for the involvement in the musical group Alabina.-Background:...
, French fusion musicians - Sarah de Nardi, singer in The Lambrini Girls
- KetamaKetamaKetama are a Spanish flamenco group in the fusion flamenco style. The leaders of what has been called New Flamenco, they brought a style that was somewhere between flamenco and pop salsa onto the musical scene that drew as much criticism as praise, but which has won over the young public and has...
, Spanish fusion musicians - Diego "El Cigala"Diego El CigalaDiego Ramón Jiménez Salazar, known as El Cigala , is a famous Spanish Romani Flamenco singer...
, Flamenco singer - Ceferino Giménez MallaCeferino Giménez MallaCeferino Giménez Malla was a Spanish Gypsy, a Roman Catholic catechist and activist for Spanish Romani causes, considered the patron saint of Romani people in Roman Catholicism...
, blessed - Pitingo, Flamenco singer
- Joaquín CortésJoaquín CortésJoaquín Pedraja Reyes "Joaquín Cortés" is a classically trained ballet and flamenco dancer from Spain of Romani origin.-Biography:...
, Flamenco dancer - Faustino ReyesFaustino ReyesFaustino Reyes López is a former boxer from Spain, who represented his native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain...
, Spanish Boxer - José Antonio Jiménez, Spanish Boxer
- Patxi Ruiz Giménez, Basque pelota champion
Gitano surnames
Due to endogamyEndogamy
Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific ethnic group, class, or social group, rejecting others on such basis as being unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. A Greek Orthodox Christian endogamist, for example, would require that a marriage be only with another...
, several Spanish surnames are more frequent among the Gitanos, though they are not exclusive to them:
- Heredia
- Amaya
- MontoyaMontoyaMontoya is a Spanish surname. It originally comes from a hamlet near Berantevilla in Álava, in theBasque region of northern Spain.During the Reconquista, it extended southwards throughout Castille and Andalusia....
- CortésCortes (surname)Cortes or Cortés is a surname of Spanish and Portuguese origin, respectively. It derived from the Old French "curteis," which means 'polite, courteous, or well-bred', and is analogous to the English Curtis, although the English form has become more widely used as a given name.The surname has become...
- Vargas
- MuñozMuñozMuñoz is a surname of Spanish origin. It may refer to:*Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, a public airport located in Carolina, Puerto Rico*Luis Muñoz Rivera Park, a recreational and national park in Puerta de Tierra in San Juan, Puerto Rico...
- SantiagoSantiagoSantiago is the capital city of Chile. Santiago may also refer to:*Santiago *Santiago , a Spanish given name*Santiago!, a shortened form of the Reconquista battle cry "Santiago y cierra, España"...
, the name means Saint Jacob. It is also common among descendants of Sephardic Jews.
See also
- Gitanos article in the Spanish Wikipedia.
- Triana, SevilleTriana, SevilleTriana is a neighborhood and administrative district in the city of Seville that lies on the west bank of the Guadalquivir river. Like other neighborhoods that were historically split from the main city, it was known as an arrabal. Triana is placed in an almost-island between two branches of the...
, a neighborhood traditionally linked to Gitano history. - SacromonteSacromonteSacromonte is a neighbourhood of Granada, in Spain. It derives its name from the nearby Sacromonte Abbey, which was founded in 1600 on the hill of Valparaiso outside the old city, and is built over catacombs ....
, the traditional Gitano quarter of GranadaGranadaGranada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
. - George BorrowGeorge BorrowGeorge Henry Borrow was an English author who wrote novels and travelogues based on his own experiences around Europe. Over the course of his wanderings, he developed a close affinity with the Romani people of Europe. They figure prominently in his work...
, an English missionary and traveller who studied the Gypsies of Spain and other parts of Europe. - QuinquiQuinquiQuinqui jargon is associated with quinquilleros , a reduced and possibly vanishing semi-nomadic group who live mainly in the northern half of Spain. They prefer to be called mercheros....
, a nomad community of Spain with a similar lifestyle, but of unrelated origin.