«These Songs Tell About Our Life, You See»

Underlying the songs of the Finnish Roma are historical depth and cultural and situational signification. Songs as tradition are in a state of continuous change and it is from this perspective that the features, nature and functions of music must be considered, chronologically and locally as part of the surrounding culture and its plurality.

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Based on intensive fieldwork among the Finnish Roma, the Kaale, between 1995 and 2015, this book explores their traditional songs. It presents an introduction to the subject of traditional Romani music and offers different interpretations of how the Roma themselves produce meaning for the songs. Performing the music is not a repetition of heritage - instead, the meanings of the songs are aimed at different contexts of everyday life in various musical practices. They not only maintain a community spirit, but also underline gender identity or create a boundary with the majority population.