The National Centre for Roma Culture – Romano Kher supported the achievement of the first album of Christmas carols in Romani in Romania. It contains a collection of 10 carols among which some are of the most popular Christmas songs translated into Romani, Roma folk songs and an author piece. About three hundred participants in the Roma Excellency Awards Gala festivity, the December 2014 edition listened to these carols first audition interpreted by the pop singer Rodica Tudor, winner of Mamaia Festival, in 2012. Translation, creation and adaptation in Romani belong to Mrs.Prof.Delia Grigore.
Creating the CD of carols in Romani is fully consistent with some of the objectives of the new management plan of The National Centre for Roma Culture – Romano Kher, namely those related to cultural production in Romani language, to the preservation and development of traditional Roma culture and to promotion of Roma elite, including that of music industry.
Making a CD of carols performed in Romani is particularly important in at least three respects: it is an unique cultural act in the contemporary folk music landscape in that it is the first of its kind in Romania and Europe; it opens a Romani music production series, being the first time when carols from Roma folk music with texts written in Romani, and traditional Romanian and universal carols translated into Romani and author carols with texts written in Romani are put together; it promotes and develops the standard Romani language by cultivating the ritual-religious language inventory.
Providing this CD to the public will lead to promoting authentic Romani culture and, indirectly, to combat stereotypes and prejudices towards Roma.
The CD will also be used as auxiliary teaching material in education, to Romani language courses – as part of linguistic exercise in translation, back translation, study of vocabulary and syntax and morphology various features, but also to Roma history and culture courses – as an example of ritual folklore, and to Romani literature courses – as a sample of contemporary literary text inspired by folklore.