In this page we present some famous people who are/were Roma or have/had Romany ancestry. Since the list would be quite long, we do not include here Flamenco artists, as their belonging to the Gitanos people is well-known and only few of them are not Roma.
Some of the personalities listed here have kept their Romany identity secret or were suggested to do so, while others have declared it openly.
The order in which they are presented here is by their profession in first place and then by their birth nationality.
Professions: Artists, Writers, Scientists, Actors & Actresses, Musicians & Singers, Nobel Prizes, Pioneers & Adventurers, Presidents of the Republic, Parliament Members, Preachers, War Heroes, Journalists, Fashion Designer, Sport.
Additional category: Fictional Characters.
Order by countries here.

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Artists

	France
Micaela Flores Amaya “La Chunga” (Marseille, 1938)
Even though “La Chunga” is known worldwide as a Flamenco dancer (and Flamenco artists are not included in this webpage), her mention here is as a Romany painter. Grown-up in Barcelona, she was first a talented dancer since her childhood, and later she began to paint by spontaneous inspiration. Her “shining naďf” style was praised by Picasso, who said of her: “How can it be possible that a Gipsy girl without studies expresses such a sensibility and colours in her paintings...”.  She has also featured as cinema actress. She has been awarded the Golden Medal of the Fine Arts Circle of Madrid, and other prizes.
	Hungary
David Beeri (Nyírbéltelek, Szabolcs-Szatmár, 9/7/1951)
Born Károly Pongor Beri, he is a Rom artist that has created his own spiritual style of modern painting, that results of combining surrealism, expressionism, cubism and other trends according to his own rules. His works have been presented in many exhibitions, mainly  in Hungary, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Japan and the USA.
Tamás Péli (Budapest, 1948 - Budapest, 22/11/1994)
Tamás Péli was the first Hungarian Rom that graduated as a professional painter, at the National Art Academy of Amsterdam. His works are acknowledged worldwide and considered among the masterpieces of visual arts. He has handed down his passion among Roma, teaching his art to a group of disciples, and has inspired the following generations of Roma artists.
Italy Antonio Solario (Civita in Abruzzo, around 1465 - 1530)   Born in Abruzzo, where Roma settlements are among the earliest ones in Italy. Known as “Lo Zingaro” (The Gypsy), he was at first a traveller smith, following his father's tradition. Solario was a Renaissance painter of the Neapolitan school, but he studied in Bologna, Venice, Florence and Rome. Back in Naples, he became the most recognized painter in his time. A naturalist, his background landscapes were better accomplished than those of his contemporaries. His best known work is a series of twenty frescoes in the monastery of San Severino.
Romania (Erdély)
Mircea Lacatus (Szamosújvár/Gherla, 24/3/1962)
Romany sculptor, graduated at the University of Arts in Bucharest, Romania. Resident in Vienna, has exposed his works in several international art contests, mainly in Austria, Romania, Croatia and Japan. His website here.
		Slovakia/Hungary
János Balázs (Alsókubin, present-day Slovakia, formerly Hungary, 1905 - 1977)
Born in a family of Gypsy musicians, János Balázs excelled in painting and poetry. His creative art is unique and mysterious, rich in colours, and conveys the expression of the deepest feelings of both Hungarian and Romany cultures. Even though he began his artistic career in his latter years, he has achieved a place among the greatest painters of the 20th century.
	Sweden
Rosa Taikon Janush (Tibro, 1926)
Silversmith jeweler, she is the sister of Katarina Taikon, writer. Her handicrafts are exposed in exhibitions and museums, mainly in Sweden.
	Ukraine
Katarzyna Pollok (Kiiev, 1961)
Internationally recognized painter and sculptor, she is a Sinti woman committed to minority rights and often dealing with the memory of the Gypsy Holocaust (Porhaymós). At present resident in Germany, she realizes art exhibitions worldwide, including Jewish Museums of the Shoah. "I have respect for the Holocaust identity, and with this special identity of the European Roma I found my second home in Israel. In Israel I found more security and understanding for me as a child of a child survivor of the Holocaust than in Europe or India". – Katarzyna Pollok Katarzyna's website

Writers

	Austria
Ceija Stojka (Kraubath bei Knittenfeld, Steiermark, 23/3/1933)
Born Margarethe Stojka in a family of Lovari Roma, traditionally horse-traders. Being a child she was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau as well as her whole family; then she was transferred to different concentration camps until she was liberated from Bergen-Belsen. Then Ceija decided to study and became a writer; her first book was the first literary work about the Holocaust written by a Romni. She is also a self-taught painter and her works have been presented in exhibitions. She has published also a collection of poetry.
Austria-Hungary   Johann “Kalitsch” Horváth (Felsőőr/Oberwart, present-day Austria, formerly Hungary, 1912-1983)   Storyteller and writer, Kalitsch was the only member of his family that survived after having been deported to Auschwitz, where he lost his first wife and three children. Then he married his wife's sister and rebuilt himself a family. With his accounts he has awakened the Austrian people to the existence of the minority groups and has contributed to keep alive the Romany dialect of Burgenland.
	Belarus'
Valdemar Kalinin (Vitebsk, 1941)
Valdemar Kalinin is a contemporary Rom writer, following the Russian Romany literary school. Author of the poetry collection Romany Dreams, written in Belorussian, English and a double version of Romany: in Cyrillic and Latin alphabets. He has been awarded with the Hiroshima Prize for Peace and Culture in 2002 and the Roma Literary Award from Open Society Institute of Budapest in 2003. He has also written a translation of the Bible in Romany language.
	Finland
Veijo Baltzar (Suonenjoki, 9/6/1942)
Veijo Baltzar is the first Rom in Finland to have published a book about his own people. He was still very young when began writing, and his works have always achieved success not only in Finland but also in Sweden. Poet, novelist and playwright, has founded the Romany Theatre “Drom” (Way) and has been awarded in his country and abroad.
	Germany
Philomena Franz (Biberach an der Riss, 12/7/1922)
Born in a Sinti family of musicians, in her youth she was a folk singer and dancer in a theatre company. Then she was sent to Auschwitz and transferred to other concentration camps, from which survived but having lost her family. She became a writer and in 1995 she was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz, that is the highest civil honour conferred in Germany.
Greece   Patricio Kassimati Hearn (Yakumo Koizumi) (Levkás, Greece, 27/6/1850 - Okubo, Japan, 26/9/1904)   Poet, journalist, translator and language teacher, belonged to the Heron Romanichel family. Educated in Ireland, England and France, in 1889 settled in Japan and married the daughter of a traditional Samurai family. Since 1895 he is known under his Japanese name Yakumo Koizumi. He was the author of several books about Japan and its culture, and was teacher of English literature at the Imperial University of Tokyo and at Waseda University.     Russia   Nikolay Aleksandrovich Pankov (Sankt-Petersburg, 1895 - Moscow, 1959)   A pioneer among Russian Gypsy writers, Nikolay Pankov's literary talent was the result of a self-taught education. In 1922 he moved to Moscow and became acquainted with Romany organizations, with which he co-operated in the promotion of Romany language and culture. Author, poet, translator and journalist, he wrote articles and poetry for the journal Novyi Put'; translated into Romany some works of Aleksandr Puškin, created a Romany alphabet and contributed with the production of a Romany-Russian dictionary. He was also a member of the Gypsy Lore Society of Liverpool, England. He was the father of the scientists Natalya Pankova and Lyubov Pankova.     Olga Pankova (Sankt-Petersburg, 1911 - Moscow, 1983)   A niece of Nikolay Pankov, she began her career writing for the journal Novyi Put'. She also translated Puškin's prose and poetry into Romany. She was the author of a collection of verses titled “Amaré Divesa” (Our Days), published in Moscow in 1933, which was the first Romany literary work written by a woman.     Nina Aleksandrovna Dudarova (Sankt-Petersburg, 1903 - Moscow, 1977)   Being a governess and a teacher, her literary work has been mainly devoted to children. She taught in the school of the Romen Theatre. Besides having written several books of poetry for children, she has also translated some of Puškin's works and wrote articles for journals like Novyi Put' and Romano Drom.     Serbia   Alija Krasnići (Crkvena Vodica, Serbia, 1952)   Ali Krasnići belongs to the Gurbet Roma and is one of the few authors who writes prose in Romany. He is among the most popular and awarded writers in ex-Yugoslavia, having published more than forty books and many other literary works in different genres: prose, poetry, drama and also books for children. He is the author of a Romany dictionary which includes abstract terms not borrowed from other languages. He is also a translator of Serbian and Romany. After the war in Kosovo, he lives as a refugee in Kragujevac, Serbia, having lost his properties and saved only his manuscripts.     Slovakia   Elena Lacková (Veľký Šariš, Czechoslovakia, 22/3/1921 - Košice, 1/1/2003)   Born Elena Doktorová, she was the first Romany girl who graduated at the Univerzita Karlova of Praha, the oldest and most important Czech university. She enjoyed reading since her childhood, but her first literary works were lost during the hard times of WWII. She has written several novels, tales and plays about the Romany Holocaust. In 2001 she was honored with the Rabbi Chatam Sofer Memorial Medal, the highest award given by the Slovak Museum of Jewish Culture, for her documentary work about the Shoah.
		Spain/France
Matéo Maximoff (Barcelona, 17/1/1907 - Paris, 24/11/1999)
His father was a Russian Kalderash that migrated to France and his mother a Manouche (French Sinti). Matéo Maximoff survived the ″Porhaymós″ during the World War II; he became an outstanding writer in Romany and French, and advocated for schooling of Roma children. His literary works have been translated into several languages. Having became Evangelical pastor, he completed a translation of the New Testament in Kalderash Romany.
	Sweden
Katarina Taikon (Almby, Örebro, 29/7/1932 - Ytterhogdal, Härjedalen, 30/12/1995) Not having had access to school education because of her ethnicity (Kalderash Roma), she achieved in becoming a well-known writer, mainly of books for children. Her literary work "Katitzi" is a story inspired in her childhood.
		Ukraine/Poland
Bronislawa Warmiak Wajs "Papusza" (present-day Ukraine, formerly Poland, 1910? - Poland, 1987) She was undoubtedly one of the greatest Romany writers , her devotion to learning began in her early childhood. Belonging to a family of wandering musicians, there was no interest in literature among her people, so she was taught to read and write by a Jewish lady, who also lent her books. She survived the persecution during the World War II and was the author of a collection of poems and songs.
	United Kingdom
Louise Doughty (Rutland, East Midlands, 1963) British playwright, critic and broadcaster. She discovered that both her parents are Roma through the postcards they received, which were written in Anglo-Romany. Her last two novels, Fires in the Dark and Stone Cradle, deal with the Romany life. Louise's website
	United States
Cecilia Woloch (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) American writer and poetess of Carpathian Romany origin. Graduated in English and Theater Arts at the Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, she has been working as free-lance teacher of poetry and creative writing, leading workshops for children and youth, for teachers, professional writers, participants in social programs and residents of a shelter for homeless women. Among her poetry books, “Tsigan: The Gypsy Poem” tells the author's personal journey of identity with the forces that have shaped the Roma people's fate and fortunes. Cecilia's website

Scientists

	Armenia
Kerope Petrovich Patkanov (Patkanyan) (Naxičevan-na-Donu, Russian Empire, 4[16]/5/1833 - Sankt-Petersburg, 2[14]/4/1889)
Scientist and orientalist, he belonged to the Armenian Roma people. He studied at the Lazarevsky Institute of Eastern Languages and became an expert in Armenian history, culture, language and literature. In 1863 he graduated as Master in Eastern Literature for his studies on the Sassanid history and in 1864 as Doctor in Literature for his work on the composition of the Armenian language. In 1871 he was appointed professor at the University of Sankt-Petersburg. He translated into Russian some works of Armenian writers and performed a research on the languages and culture of Caucasian Gypsies and other nomadic groups, and wrote articles on geography and history for encyclopaedic publications.
	Russia
Sofia Vasilyevna Kovalevskaya (Moscow, 15/1/1850 - Stockholm, 10/2/1891)
Born Sofia Krukovskaya in a well-educated Romany family that belonged to the Russian nobility, she was a genius in mathematics since her childhood. She was able to explain algebraic formulae which she had not studied before, following a method corresponding to the historical development of algebra. In 1869 she moved to Germany with the purpose of studying natural sciences but women were not admitted in the university; nevertheless, she was allowed to attend lectures. However, in 1874 she achieved in getting her doctorate, with the highest qualification. In 1884, she was appointed as professor at the University of Stockholm, Sweden, a chair that was officialized five years later, becoming the first female university professor in Scandinavia and the third in Europe (after two Italian women).
Natalya Pankova and Lyubov Pankova Two sisters, the daughters of Rom writer Nikolay Aleksandrovich Pankov.
Natalya Nikolayevna Pankova (Moscow, 1924 - 1991)
She graduated in Chemistry and worked at the Institute of Organic Subproducts and Dyes as Research Assistant. During her professional activity, she was acknowledged for the invention of thirty advanced processes of cyanide dyes, for which she obtained the certificates of authorship. Natalya Pankova was not only an outstanding scientist, she was also a gifted artist, singer, dancer and painter.
Lyubov Nikolayevna Pankova (Moscow, 1925)
She is a PhD in Biology and Senior Research Assistant at the Central Institute of Labour Capacity and Labour Organization for the Disabled. She wrote many specialized books and carried on more than fifty scientific works dealing with human and animal physiology, clinical, anatomical and nervous characteristics of children and youngsters, and other scientific topics. She has also written her life experience, in which important facts of the national history are recorded.
See also: Schack August Steenberg Krogh, under Nobel Prizes

Actors & Actresses

Croatia Dunja Rajter (Našice, Yugoslavia, 3/3/1941)   Dunja Rajter is an actress and singer. She studied in the Theatre Academy of Zagreb, and then moved to Germany, where she achieved success. Initially known as theatre and cinema actress, in the 70's she also performed as singer and some of her songs reached the German hit parade. Since the civil war that divided former Yugoslavia, she has been involved in supporting needy children and hospitals in her native country. She has also recorded the Croatian National Anthem for the Football World Cup in Germany 2006.     French Algeria Tony Gatlif (Al-Jazair, 10/9/1948)   Born Michel Dahmani in an Andalusi Gypsy family. His troubled youth has been the school in which he learnt the backround for the films of which he is director, characterized by their crude realism. Since he presented his first feature film in 1975, his popularity has been continuously increasing.     Germany Manoush (Köln, 5/1971)   Her birth name is Marcia Nicole Rani, she is the daughter of a survivor from the Romany Holocaust. Actress, playwright and singer, she mainly performs the role of the ″bad girl″ in action and thriller movies. She acts also as stuntwoman in difficult scenes. Settled in the United States, she has also her own music band. Her performances are usually controversial for their crudeness and violence, althogh she personally admits not being of such character in real life.     Russia     Yul Brynner (Vladivostok, 7/7/1915 - New York, 10/10/1985)     An undoubtedly controversial person, his origins have been a mystery for many. Actually he had only 1/4th of Romany blood, and 1/4th Jewish, by his mother Marousia Blagovidova, whose father was a Russian Jew and her mother a Russian Gypsy. It was anyway among Roma that he began his adventurous life, playing guitar in Romany circles and working as a trapezist in circus. He was elected Honorary President of the Roma, an office that he kept until his death.     The Buzylyov Family   A family of actors, musicians, singers, dancers and artists, the Buzylyov have featured in several films, some of them of worldwide success, like “Tabor Uhodit V Nebo” and “Sibiriada”. They have not only acted, but also composed songs for the films. The best known members of the eight siblings are: Viktor, the elder brother, a great composer; Dmitryi, the most famous, poet and actor; their younger sister Alena Buzylyova, who has become a recognized singer, and also Mikhail, actor.     Nikolay Slichenko (Belgorod, 27/12/1934)   Theatre actor since his youth, he survived the World War II, in which he lost his father and other members of his family. He has won several important awards as People's Artist of the USSR (1981), State Prize of the USSR (1987), and the Order for the Service to Fatherland (2004). In 1977 he was appointed as Producer of the Romen Theatre of Moscow. There is also a star named after him.     United Kingdom   Sir Charles Chaplin (Walworth, London, 16/4/1889 - Vevey, Switzerland, 25/12/1977)   Born Charles Spencer Chaplin, his parents were music hall artists. It is usually assumed that he was Jewish, an assertion that seems not to be true. He felt strongly identified with the Jews and manifested his defence of the Jewish people, but there is not any documented source to assert with certainty if he had also Jewish ancestry. On the other side, it is known that his mother, Hannah Smith, was Romanichel, and probably also his father was. He was knighted in 1975.         Sir Michael Caine (Rotherhithe, London, 14/3/1933) Born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, it was a tradition of his Romanichel family to call Maurice the firstborn son. As an actor, he was awarded twice with the Oscar (1986 and 1999). He was knighted in the year 2000 for his contribution to performing arts.     Bob Hoskins (Bury St. Edmund's, Suffolk , 26/10/1942)     Robert William Hoskins, as many Gypsies, spent his youth travelling and performing occasional activities like working in circus. Then he turned to the cinema and succeeded as actor. His family on his mother's side are German Sinti.     Other British actors having Romany ancestry – though dating back to some generations ago – are Sir Sean Connery, Sir Roger Moore, both having featured James Bond, and Leonard Whiting.     Stuntmen: There are many Roma who have played in famous films as stuntmen (men who replace the actors in scenes which require special skills and efforts); they are not famous, nor their names are listed in the credits either, yet, they deserve acknowledgement for their participation even though it is not possible to mention them by name. Roma have been engaged mainly in Bible history films and “spaghetti” Westerns.

Musicians & Singers
(except Flamenco)

Argentina Sandro also known as "Sandro de América" or "Gitano" (Buenos Aires, 19/8/1945)   His civil name is Roberto Sánchez, his actual name should be Sándor Papadópulos. With forty years of artistic career, Sandro is the most popular Argentinian pop singer, and the first Latin-American singer who achieved an overflowing full stage at the Madison Square Garden of New York several times. Sandro became a rock'n roll star in the sixties, inspired by Elvis Presley. His passionate style conquered the female public in Argentina and throughout the continent. By his artistic talent and renewal ability, his music has always been abreast of the times, and today he is mainly a romantic ballade singer.

Víctor Heredia (Buenos Aires, 24/1/1947)   Even though this artist is well known for his commitment with the Native peoples of Latin-America rather than for his belonging to the large Heredia family (Andalusian Gitanos), his Romany origin is found in his immediate ancestry. Born in Monserrat, a district of Buenos Aires that is traditional settlement of Andalusian Gypsies, he achieved popularity as an excellent singer being still very young, performing in concerts with recognized international artists like Joan Manuel Serrat, Alfredo Zitarrosa, and others.   Owing to his commitment against dictatorship in Latin-America, he was banned by the regime, and a sister of him is among the “desaparecidos”.  His songs are a poetic expression of the feelings of an entire generation and a voice of the Native peoples.

Belgium Django Reinhardt (Liberchies, Belgium, 23/1/1910 - Fontainebleau, France, 16/5/1953)     Jean-Baptiste Reinhardt was the first and still the greatest European jazz musician. His origins have never been a mystery, he belonged to one of the most numerous German Sinti families, of the Eftavagarya group. Even after two of his fingers were seriously damaged by an accident, Django outstandingly performed violin, guitar and banjo with the use of his healthy fingers. Django's particular style is also defined “Gypsy Jazz”.   The Reinhardt Family counts with many outstanding jazz musicians, among them the violinists Schukarnak Reinhardt and Martin Weiss, and the guitarists Babik Reinhardt, Hänsche and Maurice Weiss.

Bulgaria   Reyhan (died on 25/7/2005, she was 19 years old) Reyhan was a popular Romany singer. She recorded some albums, mainly in Turkish language, and was becoming a star when died as a consequence of a road accident.

Czech     Jožka Kubík (Hrubá Vrbka, Horňácko, Moravia, 9/4/1907 - 8/2/1978)   Jožka Kubík belonged to the almost extinct group of Moravian Roma. His family were traditionally blacksmiths and musicians. He learnt to play violin in his childhood and at the age of fifteen he was leading a folk ensemble. He was the first musician that introduced cymbalon among violins and violas in a Czech folk orchestra, which required the development of a more elaborate playing style. He was one of the few Moravian Roma who survived the Romany Holocaust. In 1990, an asteroid discovered by Czech astronomers was named JožkaKubík in his honour.     Iva Bittová (Bruntál, Moravia, 22/7/1958)   Born from a Gypsy father and a Jewish mother, Iva Bittová inherited her talent from her father, who was a renowned musician in Czechoslovakia. She is an outstanding violinist and a legend of modern Czech music. Her style is defined as avant-garde, an original mix of folk and contemporary music created by herself. She is also a composer of many of her works and employs unique, personal techniques of performing. She has achieved international success and gives concerts throughout Europe and the USA. Her sister Ida Kelarová is a singer and musician of international esteem, founder of the ensemble “Romanó Rat” (Gypsy Blood).

France Biréli Lagrčne (Saverene, Alsace, 4/9/1966)   Following Django's footsteps, the guitarist Biréli Lagrčne revealed himself an infant prodigy being only 13 years old when he did his first recording. Born in a family of excellent self-taught musicians, Biréli still lives in caravan as an authentic Manouche. A master of versatility, he passed to modern fusion music in the 80's and returned back to traditonal Gypsy Jazz in the 90's, having created his own style. He is the founder of “Gypsy Jazz Project”.     Alabina (“Los Nińos de Sara”, the cousins Antonio, Ramón, Santiago and Coco)   The group Alabina, which achieved international success, is composed by Los Nińos de Sara together with the Israeli singer Ester Zach (“Ishtar”). The four cousins are Gitanos and have grown up as musicians in the school of Flamenco. However, they have developed their own genre, which is a fusion of Middle Eastern folk, rumba, North African rhythms and other styles to which they add a slight Flamenco flavour.

Germany Drafi Deutscher (Berlin, 9/5/1946 - Frankfurt am Main, 9/6/2006)   Drafi Franz Richard Deutscher was the son of the Hungarian classical pianist Drafi Kálmán. He was a Schlager and pop singer, composer and producer. Very successful in Germany, he also composed some international hits for well-known artists. He used many different pseudonyms and held an excessive life-style.     Marianne Rosenberg (Berlin, 10/3/1955)   She is a Schlager music singer, the daughter of Roma Auschwitz survivor Otto Rosenberg. She achieved success in the seventies, not only in Germany but also in neighbouring countries. She is still in activity and her songs usually reach a position in German charts.

Ayọ (Köln, 14/9/1980)

“Afro-Gypsy” is how this half-Yoruba and half-Romanian Romany singer is defined. Her name is Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin, and Ayọ is her stage name, meaning Joy in her father's language. Her music is a mixed style like herself. Her first album, soul-raggae-folk genre, has achieved great success, going platinum or gold in Europe. Although closer to her African roots, she is also influenced by her Romany heritage and lifestyle.

Greece   Kostas Pavlidis (Athens, 4/11/1974)   Kostas Pavlidis is one of the most qualified contemporary singers of Greece. He has been performing since his childhood, and signed his first professional record contract being only fifteen years old. In his artistic career he has featured the music of the most prestigious composers of Greece, as well as his own compositions. In 1993 he participated in the Romany music concert that was then released in the album “Songs of Greece's Gypsies”. Since then he has been recording with the most important Greek artists, and is contributing to the modernization of the Greek Romany musical culture.     Yiorgos Mangas (Livádia, Viotia, 23/8/1952)   Yiorgos Mangas is a Greek Rom, considered the best contemporary soloist clarinet player in Greece. His particular style and technique, using complex scales over a modal harmonic background, slides and unexpected changes, and his personal way of interpretation and improvisation ability have conquered the public not only in his native land but throughout Europe and America. His rousing pieces and stage performance create a lively atmosphere in the audience.     Eirini Merkouri (Ilion, Athens, 26/5/1981)   Eirini Merkouri is a pop singer of rising popularity in Greece. She belongs to a Romany family of musicians. Her first solo album was released in 2001.

Hungary János Bihari (Nagyabony, 21/10/1764 - Budapest, 26/4/1827)     János Bihari was the most renowned violinist of his time, and is the most representative interpreter of the “verbunkos” genre. There are 84 of his compositions that show his great talent, so that he was requested to perform in the most important ceremonies, including the whole Congress of Vienna. He was also the author of the Rákóczi March, that later inspired Ferenc Liszt and Berlioz.     István Dankó known as Pista Dankó (Szeged-Szatymaz, 14/6/1858 - Budapest, 29/3/1903)   Author and performer of Hungarian folk music, he was also called "Nótafa" (folk singer). In his native city he composed music for more than four-hundred poetry works. Then he moved to Szatmar and married Ilonka Joó, the daughter of the mayor of that city; the couple had to run away -in Romany style- after her father's disapproval because Dankó was a Gypsy. In his career he met the most important personalities of the time and even became their personal friend, including Prime Minister István Weckerle and many recognized Hungarian writers and poets like Géza Gárdonyi. Dankó's musical style was widely successful among the general audience. He composed “A magyarok bejövetele” -“March of the Hungarians”-, for the celebration of the thousandth anniversary of the Hungarian State, in 1885. Twenty years after his death, a statue of him was erected in Szeged by the Tisza river. Pista Dankó was the second Hungarian Rom after János Bihari to earn such honour.     György Cziffra (Budapest, 5/11/1921 - Senlis, France, 17/1/1994)   A great pianist, he interpreted classic compositors like Liszt and Chopin in a particular way. Born in a humble family of Hungarian Roma, was internationally acknowledged as an outstanding pianist and master of improvisation. After the WWII, he was imprisoned for political reasons and suffered tortures which aimed at damaging his hands. Having been released, he emigrated to France and his ability was restored. His performances in Western Europe credited him as an exceptional, poetical pianist.     Roby Lakatos (Budapest, 1965)   Roby Lakatos is a direct descendant of János Bihari and a member of a traditional family of Romany musicians, within which he received his musical formation, then completed at the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Budapest. He is an extraordinarily versatile violinist, able to combine classic, jazz and folk styles in a single performance. Composer and arranger, he has founded his own ensemble and has performed in international festivals with prestigious orchestras. Violinist Sir Yehudi Menuhin was among his admirers.       Ferenc Snétberger (Salgótarján, 1957)     Ferenc Snétberger belongs to the Sinti group. His career as guitarist was developed since his childhood, cultivating different genres, from classic to jazz, folk and tango. His first composition for guitar and orchestra, “In Memory Of My People” was done by the initiative of Israeli musicians to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Shoah. Ferenc Snétberger dedicated this work to the memory of the Romany Shoah, inspired in the deeply passionate Romany music.      Kálmán Balogh (Miskolc, 1959)   Born into a Romany family of recognized musical tradition, Kálmán Balogh is a virtuoso cymbalist. He graduated at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Budapest, and in 1985 he has been awarded as Young Master of Folk Arts. The cymbalon is a particularly unique instrument typcal of Hungarian Gypsies, a hammer dulcimer played with mallets, which Kálmán Balogh plays with mastery and understanding. He has founded his own ensemble and has achieved international success.     Elek Bacsik (Budapest, 22/5/1926 - Glen Ellyn, Illinois, 14/2/1993)   Guitarist and violinist, he began to play since his youth as it is common among Hungarian Roma. In 1949 he left Hungary, following his personal friend György Cziffra. After having played in ensembles in Europe with some notable figures of Jazz, in 1966 he emigrated to the United States, where he completed his career as Jazz musician. He was also violinist in Elvis Presley's orchestra, recorded with Dizzy Gillespie and appeared in many concerts with great representatives of American Jazz.     Mexico   Lila Zellet Elías (México DF, 2/4/1971)   Lucila Tellez Elías Nemer belongs to a Syrian-Lebanese Romany family. She is a dancer and singer, costume and set designer, as well as art director in theatre, dance, opera and films since 1991, and professor of visual arts and art history since 1993. Her work is dedicated to the research, conservation and diffusion of musical and choreographic Romany and Middle Eastern expressions, as well as new proposals bonding Romany culture and Latin America. She has developed a system of dance education to professionalize the choreographic Romany forms in the school she founded, Madrasat Al Mosharabía, one of a kind in Latin America. Director of the Romany dance and music ensembles “Egiptanos” (2003) and “Cigáni” (2004), both created to spread and promote the Romany culture. Her specialty is Moorish singing and dancing, recreating the historical moment of the meeting between the Eastern and Western worlds.       Netherlands The Rosenberg Trio Stochelo (19/2/1968), Nonnie (9/3/1956) & Nous'che (23/2/1965)   The Rosenberg family are Sinti with a long tradition as musicians. Since their childhood, Stochelo and his cousins learnt to play guitar and other string instruments from their parents and uncles. They were used to perform in Gypsy camps and churches throughout Europe, but not for the common audience until 1989, when these talents were convinced to let their music be known, performed in theatres and recorded.     Jimmy Rosenberg (Asten, 10/4/1980)   Born Joseph Rosenberg in a Sinti family, he was revealed to be a great guitarist at the age of 13. Being still a teenager, he played with geniuses like Biréli Lagrčne, Stéphane Grappelli, Stochelo Rosenberg and others, and toured in concerts in Europe and the United States, including the Carnegie Hall of New York. Nevertheless, he still prefers living as a true Sinti, in a caravan.     Mariska Veres (Den Haag, 1/10/1947 - 2/12/2006)   She was the daughter of the Hungarian Gypsy violinist Lajos Veres. She was a pop singer and her career began in the 60's, either as soloist or with different bands. She achieved popularity as the lead vocalist of The Shocking Blue; she joined the group with the condition that her relationship with the members would be only professional. An enigmatic beauty with a beautiful voice, she held a healthy life: in the era of youth revolution, she was known for having withdrawn from alcohol, smoking, and other activities that marked that period. After the group's end in 1974, she continued her career as soloist, or singing with several Jazz musicians. She was a very popular in the Netherlands until her sudden death.          Poland   Edyta Górniak (Ziębice, 14/11/1972)     Edyta Górniak is the daughter of a Gypsy father and Polish mother. Her childhood was marked by discrimination because of her Romany origins, however, she achieved in becoming the first pop star in Poland and later in Europe and Asia. She was the first Polish singer that participated in Eurovision (1994), and her second place is the highest classification reached by Poland in that contest until now. She sings in Polish and English, and has received many awards and has also sung in duet with José Carreras.       Romania   Sergiu Celibidache (Roman, Romania, 11/6/1912 - München, Germany, 14/8/1996)   Sergiu Celibidache was undoubtedly one of the greatest orchestra conductors of the 20th century. He belonged to the numerous Romany minority of Romania. He was the Chief Conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1945 to 1954 and of the Orchestre National de France from 1973 to 1975. Celibidache was also the guest conductor of the Orchester des Süddeutschen Rundfunks, Stuttgart, and co-operated with the Münchner Philharmoniker. By personal conviction, he refused to recording his performances for commercial purposes.       Maestro Ion Voicu (Bucharest, Romania, 8/10/1923 -1997)   Considered the best violinist of Romania of all times, Ion Voicu was the founder of the Chamber Orchestra of Bucharest in 1969. He has performed with the most prestigious orchestras as the Berliner Philharmoniker and the London Symphony Orchestra, and with celebrities like Yehudi and Hepzibah Menuhin, David and Igor Oistrakh, Henryk Szeryng, Leonid Kogan, Cristoph Eschenbach, Monique Haas, etc.     Gheorghe Zamfir (Găeşti, Dâmboviţa, 6/4/1941)       Gheorghe Zamfir is the most famous nai (pan-flute) virtuoso. Graduate as conductor in Bucharest, has introduced the pan flute in the most varied musical genres and has created the nai-organ style with innovative interpretations. He has performed in concerts worldwide, including Carnegie Hall of New York. For his achievements, he has received the Order for Cultural Merit of France, and the title of Chevalier of France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Zamfir has also published essays and poetry, and is also a painter, having presented his works in exhibitions. He has also a foundation for humanitarian and cultural purposes.     Johnny Răducanu (Brăila, Romania, 1/12/1931)   Called “Mr. Jazz of Romania”, is a pioneer of Jazz music in his country and an outstanding performer, mainly as pianist. He belongs to a Romany family of long musical tradition. He has played and recorded with many of the greatest Jazz artists, has been awarded with the Price of Excellence by the Union of Romanian Composers and has received an honorary membership of the New Orleans Jazz Academy. He is also the founder of the Romanian Jazz school and the President of Romanian Jazz Federation.     Russia   “Steshka” Stepanida Soldatova (1787 - 1822)   Steshka, as she was popularly known, was an extraordinary singer and dancer. She began her career in the Gypsy chorus being still very young. At sixteen years of age, she was impressed by Italian Bel Canto style, so that she decided to study this discipline ‒ a quite unusual choice for a Gypsy artist in those times ‒ and then she applied professional techniques to Russian folk song, creating her own style by harmonizing the qualities of the Italian Opera with the traditional Gypsy genre. She had her own ensemble, a typical Gypsy one. She became a legend for many generations of musicians and composers. She had also great human qualities, and supported with her money many poor families besides her own one. When Napoleon invaded Russia and was in Moscow, he called for her to listen to her singing, but she was performing for the Russian troops in another place.      Mikhail Erdenko (1885 - 1940)   Mikhail Erdenko was the founder of a dynasty of Russian Roma musicians, singers, dancers and artists. An outstanding violinist, he was professor at the Moscow conservatory and a personal friend of Lev Tolstoy, for whom he also played. He was a master in arrangements of popular music, of which the most celebrated is his version of the Kol Nidrei, a Jewish prayer in Aramaic which is said in the Synagogue at the evening service on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Erdenko's Kol Nidrei is still considered to be the most beautiful version of the prayer       The Erdenko Family       Almost all members of the Erdenko family are devoted to Gypsy folk music, song and dance, performing arts and circus. Several of them have become well known artists in Russia and worldwide: Lyubov Erdenko, she was an outstanding dancer and composer; Aleksandra Tushenko, singer and dancer; the couple Roza and Nikolay Erdenko, musicians and artists who are at present the senior representatives of the family.     Nikolay Ivanovich Erdenko (Kursk, 29/11/1945)   Talented violinist, he is the “patriarch” of modern Gypsy Russian folk. Being still a student, he was called to play with a symphonic orchestra in Japan, and then declined a proposal to teach in the conservatory of Tokyo. Nikolay Erdenko is considered an expert by outstanding musicians who have had him as a counsellor and teacher. Musician and singer, his style is abreast of the times but keeping the deep Romany soul of traditional folk. He has participated in soundtracks of films about Gypsy stories, including the most celebrated film of this genre, “Tabor Uhodit V Nebo”. He has recorded albums with his wife Roza and their daughters, in Romany and Russian.     Loyko (Sergei Erdenko, Oleg Ponomarev, Alesha Bezlepkin, Vadim Koulitskii, Georgy Osmolovsky, Leonsia Erdenko)   Leonsia Erdenko The name of this Russian Gypsy folk ensemble was given in honour of Loyko Zabar, a legendary Gypsy fiddler of the 19th century. Founded by Sergei Erdenko, son of the dancer Lyubov Erdenko, and his cousin Oleg Ponomarev, grandson of the violinist Vasily Ponomarev, both families of a long artistic tradition. Originally a male group, then joined them the vocalist Leonsia Erdenko, daughter of Nikolay and Roza. All of them professional musicians, they have received classic music education in addition to the folk tradition inherited from their ancestry. Besides the group, Leonsia has a brilliant career of her own, having studied piano, folk dances, Flamenco, and acting. She belonged to the Trio Erdenko and has also participated in different projects with other musicians and groups. Loyko's Website     The Zhemchuzhny Family A dynasty of Romany Russian artists and musicians, founded by Nikolay Mikhailovich Zhemchuzhny (Voronezh, 20/5/1923 - Moscow, 22/1/1993) A great musician and singer of remarkable creativity, performed traditional Russian Gypsy songs and composed a great number of his own. His folk style is comparable with the cante jondo in Flamenco for its deep emotional charge. His music is also performed in several films, including “Tabor Uhodit V Nebo”, and in many plays of the Romen Theatre of Moscow. He performed with his wife Olga Sergeyevna Aleksandrovich (Vitebsk, 15/3/1922), an outstanding Gypsy dancer.   Lyalya Zhemchuzhnaya     Their son Georgii Nikolayevich Zhemchuzhny (Saratov, 5/5/1945) is an actor and director, began his career in his father's ensemble and graduated at the Russian Academy of Theatre and Arts. In 1973 he became director at the Romen Theatre. Married to Ekaterina Andreevna Buddyzhenko Zhemchuzhnaya (Shchekino, Tula, 23/3/1944), a talented actress and singer belonging to a family of musicians. She began her career in the Romen Theatre of Moscow and has played leading roles in several romances and dramas, acting and performing folk songs. Their daughter, Olga “Lyalya” Georgievna Zhemchuzhnaya (Moscow, 31/5/1969) is also an outstanding actress and singer, graduated at the Russian Academy of Theatre and Arts. She has acted in several plays with her mother, and has achieved remarkable quality roles in dramas like “Olesya” and “Tzyganka Aza”.       Diana Aleksandrovna Savelyeva (Lvov, Ukraine, 16/5/1979)   Diana Savelyeva is a soprano singer, daughter of the dancer Aleksandr Savelyev and grandniece of Nikolay Zhemchuzhny. She is a talented artist since her childhood; she won the first prize in song contests at the age of seven, and soon her solo performances were applauded by the public of different countries. She studied musical drama at the Romen Theatre of Moscow. She participates in many international concerts and Gypsy festivals, performing various musical genres, including blues, soul, Middle Eastern and other styles. She played the role of Esmeralda in the Russian version of Notre-Dame de Paris, being up to now the only authentic ethnic Gypsy to have featured such a role.       Alyosha Dmitrievich (Aleksey Ivanovich Dmitrievich) (Sankt-Petersburg, 23/3/1913 - Paris, 21/1/1986)   Musician, dancer and singer. His career began in his childhood into a family ensemble, together with his three brothers and two sisters; he was guitar player and dancer. In 1919 they emigrated to Vladivostok and subsequently to China and Japan, and performed in several countries of Asia and Europe. Ten years later, the family moved to France, where his artistic talent and acrobatic dance style were widely appreciated. In 1940 he settled in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and performed in theatres around South America, where he was known as “Gypsy Baron”. In the sixties he discovered to be also a gifted singer and recorded songs, including a duet with his personal friend Yul Brynner. He became very popular among the Russian public in Europe and the United States.     Pavel Serebryakov (Tsaritsin, 1909 - Sankt-Petersburg, 1977)   Pavel Serebryakov was born in a Romany family. Being a gifted musician, at the age of 19 he moved to Sankt-Petersburg (then called Leningrad) to study piano at Russia's oldest conservatory, where he started his brilliant career: in 1938, he became the Director of the same Leningrad Conservatory, a position that he kept for almost thirty years, until his death. He was not only an outstanding pianist, but also a popular hero, having saved the lives of many colleagues and students who were considered enemies of the regime.     The Kolpakov Trio (Aleksandr Kolpakov, Vadim Kolpakov and Tamara Cherepovskaya)   Aleksandr “Sasha” Kolpakov (Orenburg, 1943) began playing the Russian seven-string guitar in his childhood and has been the musical director of the Romen Theatre of Moscow. His nephew Vadim Kolpakov is a musician, composer, vocalist, dancer and dramatic actor. Graduated at the Romany Performing Arts School Gilori, he learnt to play seven-string-guitar from his uncle. He has performed for presidents and authorities of different nations and participated in many musical projects. His concerts worldwide include performances at the Carnegie Hall of New York and the Kremlin. The female member of the trio is Tamara Cherepovskaya, a Romany singer and dancer who has toured in Europe and America also as soloist.