‘Gypsies’ of St. Louis unite with community in Forest Park
By Stephanie Covington
The World’s Fair Pavillion was vibrant April 9 with the sounds of Chicago’s Gypsy Fire vocalists and a mixture of accordion, keyboard, cymbalon and violin melodies.
Spontaneous dance circles formed inside the pavilion as people of all races and ages joined hands and kicked up their feet. It didn’t matter that some people in the audience didn’t understand the Romani or Bosnian languages the songs were sung in. Everyone was just having fun.
The first St. Louis Roma (Gypsy) Festival proved to be a big hit among St. Louis Romani and others. One of the highlights of the day was a dance contest in which children ages 5 and up competed for cash prizes. Band members of Gypsy Fire cheered the young girls on as they moved to the beat of the music. An anxious parent or two interrupted at times, encouraging their children to step in front of the others to show off.
Cecilia Nadal of Gitana Productions said 778 people came through the pavilion for the event, and more than 200 were Romani. Nadal said calculating the exact number of Romani was difficult, because most were admitted as complimentary guests to ensure their crucial presence at the evnt.
“I learned that St. Louis is up and coming as the U.S. city with the most Roma inhabitants, because of all the Bosnians that settled here,” said Andrea Noble.
Noble said she didn’t know any Roma people before the event, but attended because of her love for music and dancing. Noble didn’t take to the dance floor herself, but watched as the large circle of dancers continued to grow.
Several women from the African dance group Oasis were present at the event. The women wore black ruffled skirts with red, green and yellow trim and dangles of gold sequined coins. Somra Elnubia, director of Oasis, said the event wasn’t any different than others where the dance troupe had performed in the past.
Elnubia described their act as “North and West African dance fusion.” Elnubia has been teaching African belly dance for 30 years. She said most Americans learned belly dance from Gypsies who settled in Elmwood, Kirkwood, Richmond Heights and other St. Louis municipalities during the ‘60s. These Gypsies, she said, often stayed on people’s properties for short periods of time. Elnubia said the Gypsies invited Americans to dance with them and taught them moves.
Along with non-stop music and dancing, the festival offered a message table and vendors selling artwork, jewelry and small trinkets. Hollywood Restaurant, a local Romani establishment, sold authentic food. Nadal said she was pleased that the food was popular among everyone in attendance and noted that the line was long throughout most of the afternoon.
Nadal said a big part of putting on the first Roma Music Festival was building trusting relationships with several of the Roma families.
“The idea of a stranger asking questions is very uncomfortable for the Roma,” said Nadal. “This fact is exacerbated by the fact that many journalists and others have approached the Roma as an oddity or specimen.”
Nadal said having the event outdoors is a necessity because the Romani people are close to nature. She said she hopes to find a bigger venue for the next festival, hopefully making it an annual celebration.
“I think we would love to collaborate with (the Romani) again,” Nadal said. “It could really be a draw for us.”
Nadal said the festival proved that it is entirely possible in St. Louis for a variety of people to come together. Nadal said once the Romani people knew she was sincere in her efforts to get people together and better understand the culture, they began to trust her. Out of that trust came an event that may become a vital St. Louis tradition.
