Global Gypsy: Balkan Romani Music, Appropriation, and Representation

In a heightened atmosphere of xenophobia, Roma, as Europe’s largest minority and its quintessential “other,” face the paradox that they are revered for their music yet reviled as people. Balkan Gypsy music is simultaneously a commodity, a trope of multiculturalism, and a potent in-group symbol in cosmopolitan contexts. Carol Silverman is Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Folklore at the University of Oregon.