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An interview with Per\u0142a Krystyna Markowska, singer, leader of the band Per\u0142a i Bracia<\/em>, and president of the Centre for Roma Advice and Information in Poland.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Roma flag consists of two horizontal stripes \u2013 blue at the top, symbolizing the sky, freedom, and spirituality, and green at the bottom, representing the earth, nature, and rootedness. In the center is a red wheel \u2013 the wheel of a wagon, symbolizing the Roma journey and identity. The wheel also refers to the Indian chakra, reminding us of the Roma\u2019s ancestral origins in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n E-Drom:<\/strong> Krystyna, why was the song \u201cDjelem, Djelem\u201d chosen as the Roma anthem?<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Djelem, djelem <\/strong>(Short Version)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Djelem, djelem, lungone dromensa,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maladilem baxtale Romensa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Romale, katar tumen aven?<\/p>\n\n\n\n E, cheasa baxtale Romalen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Translation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I travelled long, long roads, <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Djelem, djelem <\/strong>(Long Version)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Djelem, djelem, lungone dromensa, Maladilem baxtale Romensa. Djelem, djelem, lungone dromensa, Maladilem baxtale Romensa. Ay, Romale, Ay, Chavale, Ay, Romale, Ay, Chavale. Ay Romale, katar tumen aven, Le tserensa baxtale dromensa. Vi man sas e bari familiya, Tai mudardya la e kali legiya. Aven mansa sa lumake Roma, Kai putaile le Romane droma. Ake vryama \u2013 ushti Roma akana, Ame xutasa mishto kai kerasa. Ay, Romale, Ay, Chavale, Ay, Romale, Ay, Chavale. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Translation<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n I travelled along long roads, The development of the traditional Roma culture portal E-Drom was co-financed by funds from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, originating from the Culture Promotion Fund.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An interview with Per\u0142a Krystyna Markowska, singer, leader of the band Per\u0142a i Bracia, and president of the Centre for Roma Advice and Information in Poland. Introduction Per\u0142a Krystyna Markowska \u2013 a distinguished artist, vocalist, Roma activist, and head of the Centre for Roma Advice and Information in Poland. Born in Otwock, n\u00e9e Wi\u015bniewska, she … Czytaj dalej \u201cDjelem, Djelem\u201d \u2013 The Song that Unites Roma People<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bez-kategorii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12198"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12205,"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12198\/revisions\/12205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-drom.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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Per\u0142a Krystyna Markowska<\/strong> \u2013 a distinguished artist, vocalist, Roma activist, and head of the Centre for Roma Advice and Information in Poland. Born in Otwock, n\u00e9e Wi\u015bniewska, she comes from the Polska Roma group. For many years she has combined artistic work with social engagement, becoming one of the most recognizable Roma women leaders in Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per\u0142a is also the founder and leader of the band Per\u0142a i Bracia, which performs vocal-instrumental Roma music, drawing inspiration from jazz and from the traditions of the Sinti and Eastern European Roma. In their new arrangements of old songs, the group preserves authenticity and emotional honesty, always performing live. On stage, Per\u0142a is accompanied by her husband \u2013 guitarist Zdzis\u0142aw Markowski. Together they create music that connects generations and reminds audiences of the enduring strength of Roma culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roma Anthem \u2013 \u201cDjelem, Djelem\u201d<\/strong>
Today we meet to talk about \u201cDjelem, Djelem\u201d, the Roma anthem. The lyrics were written by \u017darko Jovanovi\u0107 \u2013 a Serbian Roma poet and activist who fought in the resistance movement during World War II and later settled in Paris. The text is based on a traditional Roma melody from the eastern Balkans. The song carries the memory of the Roma genocide, but also a message of unity, strength, and pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the First World Roma Congress, held in London in 1971, the piece was officially adopted as the Roma anthem, together with the Roma flag. It was a groundbreaking moment \u2013 the first time Roma people appeared on the international stage, presenting their own national symbols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roma Flag<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Per\u0142a Krystyna Markowska:<\/strong> Honestly, there aren\u2019t many historical sources explaining this in detail. The decision was made at the 1971 Roma Congress in London. It was the participants who proposed this song. Perhaps there were no other suggestions, or perhaps they simply felt that Djelem, Djelem best expressed the spirit, unity, and history of the Roma people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-Drom:<\/strong> What message does the song carry?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per\u0142a:<\/strong> It\u2019s a song about travelling and about encounters \u2013 about how Roma people, wherever they are, carry the same memory and longing for freedom and togetherness. In our songs, meanings are often hidden. When we sing \u201cthere is no bread, there is no water,\u201d it\u2019s not just about hunger \u2013 it\u2019s about the lack of life and hope. Djelem, Djelem also hides such deeper meanings: it speaks about life, about the fate of the Roma, about our history and the experience of persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-Drom:<\/strong> The song speaks of travelling \u2013 Roma people still move around today, though in different ways. Is that symbolism still relevant?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per\u0142a:<\/strong> Very much so. Travelling is a part of us \u2013 only the means have changed. Today it\u2019s not wagons and horses, but cars, trains, and planes. Many families move in search of work, a better life, or simply to be with their relatives. And not because Roma are \u201cromantic\u201d and love to wander \u2013 it has never been a matter of romanticism, but of history and necessity.
In the past, travelling was work: making pots, repairing tools, trading horses, fortune-telling. It wasn\u2019t adventure \u2013 it was survival. When a community no longer needed certain services, people had to move on. During the war, they travelled to hide and to save their lives.
Today, the reasons are often the same as for many Poles: better opportunities, employment abroad, or more openness in Western societies. In countries like the UK or Ireland, Roma people find work more easily, as diversity there is a normal part of life. So yes \u2013 the journey continues, but it has changed form. It\u2019s not romanticism \u2013 it\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-Drom:<\/strong> For young Roma people \u2013 what message does Djelem, Djelem carry?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per\u0142a:<\/strong> Young people understand very well what an anthem means. They know that every nation has one \u2013 and so do we. When they hear Djelem, Djelem, they stand up immediately, because it\u2019s more than just a song. It\u2019s a symbol of community, memory, and dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-Drom:<\/strong> During our Summer Workshop Camp \u2013 a camp for young Roma from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, focused on developing social skills and strengthening Roma identity \u2013 the artist Angelo Czureja, who led the singing workshops, announced that he would perform Djelem, Djelem, the Roma anthem. Everyone stood up at once. The Roma sang, while the non-Roma stood silently in respect. The atmosphere was deeply solemn. It was a moment that showed just how powerful and unifying this song is. What do you think lies behind that power?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per\u0142a:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s the shared emotion \u2013 that collective experience. Even if not everyone knows the words, the anthem touches something deep inside. It carries not only history but also emotion, memory, and a sense of unity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-Drom: Do you perform Djelem, Djelem with your band Per\u0142a i Bracia?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per\u0142a:<\/strong> No, we don\u2019t. Out of respect for the anthem, we don\u2019t include it in our concerts. If I were to sing it, I would perform it as an anthem \u2013 solemnly and with reverence. But not every concert or festival is the right context. I wouldn\u2019t want people to dance to the anthem \u2013 that would feel disrespectful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-Drom:<\/strong> How do you feel about various interpretations of this song \u2013 from traditional to modern, like those by Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra or Viki Gabor?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per\u0142a:<\/strong> I\u2019ve heard many versions. Sometimes it\u2019s no longer the anthem, but rather a traditional song with different words and rhythm \u2013 and that\u2019s fine, as long as people know the difference. When someone announces Djelem, Djelem as the anthem, we stand up \u2013 because then it\u2019s a symbol. But when it\u2019s performed artistically, it becomes a folk song again \u2013 and that\u2019s beautiful in its own way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-Drom:<\/strong> The Roma flag was adopted at the same Congress as the anthem. What does it mean to you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per\u0142a:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s very meaningful. The blue is the sky and freedom, the green is the earth and rootedness, and the red wheel represents our journey and our origins in India. It\u2019s everything that\u2019s in our hearts. Older generations may not display it openly, but young people identify with it strongly. I often see them wearing T-shirts with the flag or posting it on social media \u2013 and that\u2019s wonderful. It shows pride in being Roma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-Drom:<\/strong> So the anthem and the flag still unite Roma people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per\u0142a:<\/strong> Yes \u2013 and more than ever. Older Roma didn\u2019t need to show who they were; they simply knew. Today\u2019s youth want to express it \u2013 and that\u2019s great. In a world where pop culture makes everything look the same, these symbols help us preserve our identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-Drom:<\/strong> Thank you, Krystyna, for this conversation and for reminding us that a song can be more than just music \u2013 it can be memory, pride, and community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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I met happy Roma.
Oh Roma, where do you come from?
With joyful, happy Roma! \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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I met happy Roma.
I travelled along long roads,
I met happy Roma. \u00a0
Oh Roma, oh children,
Oh Roma, oh children,
Where do you come from,
With your happy homes and bright roads? \u00a0
I once had a large family,
But the black legion killed them.
Come with me, Roma of the whole world,
For the Roma roads are opening again. \u00a0
Now is the time \u2013 rise, Roma,
Let us unite and build together.
Oh Roma, oh children,
Oh Roma, oh children. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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