Roma music and musicians have shaped the European musical landscape for centuries. East Central Europe owes the transmission, unique flavour and some stunning artistic achievements of their folk heritage to this community, acknowledged to differing degrees in national canons.
To keep this diverse and invaluable heritage thriving, ROMA CONNECTION sets out to set up a showcase and conference programme as well as an international network tailored to the needs of, and efficiently assisting the Roma musical community across V4 countries supported by the Visegrad Fund.
Held in Budapest in March 2025, our first event invites partners and stakeholders from V4 countries to exchange needs and best practices to uncover ways Roma musicians in each country may be supported, and areas that require trans-national action. A conference aiming to foster cooperation between V4 partners, showcase concerts and country-based needs assessment are the project’s immediate goals.
The Roma Connection Conference was followed up by a report summarizing key takeaways at policy level as well as for the network itself. It highlights challenges and opportunities that Romani communities face across the Visegrad Four countries — Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland — while also exploring support mechanisms to preserve and promote their musical heritage.
The needs assessment was based on the insights gathered during the event, and concludes with recommendations for a regionally coordinated support system aimed at strengthening the professional prospects and cultural contributions of Romani musicians in Central Europe.
The Roma Connection Showcase & Conference takes place between 27-29 March in Café Lumen and Rajk college.
THURSDAY 27 MARCH
FRIDAY 28 MARCH
SATURDAY 29 MARCH
Free networking in the evenings!
Gilora was founded in 2021 to help young Roma musicians get more concert opportunities and preserve current layers of Roma song heritage. They conduct ethnomusicological and linguistic research among the Roma, and have been cooperating with two prominent institutions: the Ethnological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and Museum of Romani Culture.
Muzyka Zakorzeniona is active in the fields of audio, photo, video documentation of folk and traditional culture in Poland, as well as CD publishing, and organising music workshops and gatherings. Their knowledge of Roma musical traditions of Poland and dedication to preserving and disseminating this heritage is a great asset to the project.
Tradana has been cooperating with Roma string and cimbal bands through ethnographic research and album production. Tradana is dedicated to help preserve and popularize traditional folk culture and intangible cultural heritage in Slovakia in its regional diversity, and the endangered social and cultural expressions of various social and ethnic groups.
ROMA CONNECTION is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.
CONTACT:
Veronika Vajda, Project Manager
veronika.vajda@hangveto.hu
Watch the full video summing up Roma Connection Conference at Hangvető’s Youtube channel.
