Romano Drom

Romano Drom, which in Romani language means "gypsy road," leads us on the road of the musical tradition of the Olah gypsies from Valachia, traditionally horse traders and traveling salesmen who entered Hungary in the middle of the 19th century.

The Olah gypsies lived on the margin of society for a long time. They created their own music expressing Roma life. They traditionally don't use any instruments apart from domestic utensils, such as water cans, wooden spoons or any other percussion implement. The prime instrument however is the voice. And besides melodic songs, their specialty is the imitation of the bass with their mouth, the szájbögözés as well as the pergetés, a rolling onomatopoeic sound with bits of sentences interjected used in dance tunes to replace instruments. Since the '60s young gypsies have introduced the guitar and sometimes the mandolin or the tambura. Since then this music style is in mutation and has become more and more popular.

For Romano Drom the power of the Olah gypsies' traditional music is in its voices and vocal games. Living in Budapest, where East and West flow together, the inspirations however are many and various. Sound colors and instrumentations combine traditional and contemporary compositions. Their music is strong on vocals and word play.
—Courtesy Calabash Music