Talk:Hungarian folk music
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[edit] hungarian or roma/gypsy music?
this article leaves the impression that, in the end, hungarian folk music is indeed gypsy music. this is incorrect. by the nineteenth century, many of the wandering musicians who played at weddings, village festivals, and even for the rural elite and wealthier peasants in hungarian speaking territory, were gypsies--and also jews. roma and jews were two groups that were largely denied regular means for making a living in society. playing music was one means open to them, and so in time they developed a tradition and reputation of excellency in music. but they by far and wide were not the only musicians playing this music. as many ethnic hungarians played this music as well, but a stereotype nonetheless developed that this was exlcusively or particularly gypsy music being played in transylvania and hungary proper. just as jews were wrongly believed to be, in a negative stereotype, the masters of a parasitic capitalism, the music of hungary that is the cultural heritage of all hungarian-speaking musicians--be they roma, jewish, or hungarian--became known as gypsy music, even in the hungarian language. and this stereotype is, unfortunately, quite alive and well in the us and europe today.
hungarians, gypsies, jews and even other ethnic minorities over centuries created this music together. it is a unique musical tradition with a lot of variation of style (depending on village and region) but which also has a great deal of uniformity across hungarian-speaking territory. it is by far hungarian music. roma in others countries play different music--this should be the most obvious reason why this is not a specifically gypsy or roma music, even if there is similarity between hungarian music and the music in neighboring regions to hungarian speakng ones or in other parts of central europe.
the roma have played an important part in the history/development of many countries' musical traditions and have added important elements--certain inspiration, ornamentations, innovations--not to mention the role they have played in many central and eastern european countries in keeping alive and preserving these musics through the ages, and in the wake of the nazi deluge. . .and one should also take note of the role the roma have played, along with jews--but also along with other non-roma and non-gypsy musicians of various nationalities that wandered and taught or taught other wanderers their music--in carrying musical styles and innovations across borders.
and within each of these traditions, there are specific tunes and melodies that are known to be or thought to be specifically roma or gypsy--but it remains incorrect to regard the whole of each of these traditions as specifically "gypsy."
