Our Next SCPN gathering will be:Nov. 18, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.
Luther Burbank Art and Garden Center
2050 Yulupa Avenue, Santa Rosa
Donations of $5.00 to $3.00 suggested at the door.
No one is turned away for lack of funds.
**WheelchairAccessible**
The SCPN Presents
BREAKING "Gypsy" STEREOTYPES SEPARATING FACT FROM FICTION
With Sani Rifati, President - "Voices of Roma"
What do you know about so-called Gypsies? How does reality stack up to our Pagan views, beliefs, and assumptions about the Roma? What is the real history of the Roma and their origins?
Join us as Sani Rifati sheds the light of truth on both the romanticized and negative "Gypsy" stereotypes we have all grown up with. We are honored to have Sani Rifati, the current President of the "Voices of Roma" organization, to present and speak about the real "Roma."
VOICE OF ROMA
(VoR) was founded in 1996 and incorporated as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization in 1999. It is the mission of Voice of Roma (VoR) to promote and present Romani cultural arts and traditions in a way that
counters both romanticized and negative "Gypsy" stereotypes, and in so doing, to contribute to the preservation of Romani identity and culture.
BIOGRAPHY
Sani Rifati is a Rom (Gypsy) from Kosovo,former Yugoslavia. He is a Roma drummer (dumbek and trap drums, cajon), singer, dancer and dance instructor. He began dancing at a young age in his neighborhood (mahala) in Pristina, learning from uncles, neighbors, and especially his mother, Djevria. In his late teens, Sani performed with Kheljen Roma, a traveling dance troupe in the former Yugoslavia. He spent summers with his cousin, Esma Redzhepova (the Queen of Romani Music) in Sutka, Macedonia, where he learned traditional Balkan Romani dances.
Since coming to the U.S., Sani has been teaching Balkan music and dance in the Bay Area, New York, Portland Main, Boston, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison Wisconsin, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Thousand Oaks in California, Portland Oregon, and Seattle. He teaches dance workshops, integrating information about his cultural traditions and the current plight of the Roma. Last decade Sani has been educating general public about the real Roma, down playing the hype of the "Gypsy" image and counter-acting the stereotypes, has also served as a resource for books and articles on traditional Romani dance and music and is a Romani human rights activist and the president of Voice of Roma, a nonprofit educational and charitable organization.
POTLUCK FEAST
Since our gathering is at the dinner hour, we ask that you bring a potluck dish and/or non-alcoholic brew to share that serves 4-6 people. Let's treat ourselves to a good meal. Please bring your own place setting. There will be hot water available for tea.
We ask non-members to make a donation of $5 - 3 to help us cover operating costs. No one turned away for lack of funds.