GYPSY AND WORLD MUSIC GIG OF DIGNITY AND RESISTANCE A SUCCESS

national | miscellaneous | news report

Tuesday November 19, 2002 21:59

by Chelo Alfonso - Galway Rromani support group

cheliguay at hotmail dot com

THE EVENT OF GYPSY AND WORLD MUSIC CANCELLED BY TAYLOR'S BAR ON RACIST GROUNDS WENT AHEAD IN RICHARDSON'S PUB LAST NIGHT WITH PARTICIPATION OF MANY MUSICIANS AND ACTIVISTS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS IN GALWAY.

AT EIGHT O' CLOCK LAST NIGHT WE WENT TO THE DOOR OF TAYLOR'S BAR TO INFORM PEOPLE THAT THE EVENT HAD BEEN RELOCATED TO RICHARDSONS. SOME PEOPLE ASKED THE MANAGEMENT WHY IT HAD BEEN CANCELLED.WE ARE WILLING TO HEAR THE RESPONSES THEY GOT AND TO HAVE A MEETING IN SHORT TO TRY TO REACH CONSENSUS AS TO WHAT ACTIONS MUST FOLLOW ON GROUNDS OF TAYLOR'S RESPONSE. IT IS CLEAR TO US THAT A PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT A MISTAKE HAS BEEN MADE AND A WILLINGNESS TO HOST SIMILAR EVENTS (WITHOUT CENSORING THE MENTION OF GYPSIES TRAVELLERS OR ACTIVISTS)WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE. OTHERWISE THE ISSUE WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE EQUALITY AUTHORITY.ACTUALLY WE KNOW THAT THE MANAGEMENT IS REGRETTING ALREADY THEIR OVERREACTION TO THE WORD 'TRAVELLERS AND GYPSIES' IN OUR ADVERTISEMENT AS THEY OFFERED FIFTY EUROS TOWARDS THE FUNDRAISING TO HELP ANITA DOLINSKA .HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH THIS MONEY IS EXTREMELY NEEDED FOR ANITA'S AND HER SON'S HEALTH AND WELL BEING IT IS NOT ENOUGH WITHOUT AT LEAST ADMITTING RESPONSIBILITY TO SUCH DISGRACEFUL RACIST ACTS. WE CANNOT FORGET EITHER THAT ANITA AND HER BABY ARE ACTUALLY SUFFERING BECAUSE SUCH ATTITUDES EXIST IN THE WORLD.
LATER ON HOWEVER, THE EVENT WENT ON IN RICHARDSON'S AND IT WAS A REAL SUCCESS. A PROOF THAT RROMANI GYPSY AND TRAVELLER ACTIVISTS HAVE THE MATURITY TO HOLD THIS EVENTS IN MANY PLACES, THUS ENRICHING THE CULTURE BY ENLARGING THE PICTURE. THE MUSIC WAS BUZZING FOR THE WHOLE NIGHT. THE NIGHT WAS CLOSED WITH “DJELEM DJELEM”, THE GYPSY ROMANI ANTHEM, A REMINDER OF THE MILLIONS OF GYPSIES KILLED IN BOTH CONCENTRATION CAMPS, AND BY CARAVAN BURNINGS AND SUCH HATEFUL ACTS THROUGHOUT EUROPE. DIGNITY, RESITANCE AND MUSIC FROM THE HEART CHALLENGED THE STEREOTYPING WITH WHICH OUR PEOPLE HAS HAD TO LIVE WITH FOR CENTURIES.
SO, MISTER SEAMUS, PLEASE RETHINK YOUR POSITION...WE WERE EXPECTING MUCH MORE OF YOU. ACTUALLY TAYLOR'S BAR HAS HOSTED EVENTS FOR MANY ACTIVIST AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS. WE KNOW THAT YESTERDAY THE GALWAY ALLIANCE AGAINST THE WAR MOVED THEIR MEETING IN TAYLOR'S IN SOLIDARITY WITH GYPSIES AND TRAVELLERS.WE FULLY HONOR AND THANK THEIR DECISION. WE EXPECT MUCH MORE OF THESE CANCELLATIONS TO HAPPEN IN SHORT IF WE DO NOT SEE CHANGES IN YOUR POSITION.
HYPOCRISY STINKS SIR. ONE CANNOT GIVE AN IMAGE OF LOVING HUMAN RIGHT ORGANISATIONS AND RUN AWAY FROM THE REALITY THAT THESE ORGANISATIONS REALLY EXIST BECAUSE US, THE GRASSROOTS THE GYPSIES THE TRAVELLERS THE WOMEN, IN SYNTHESIS, THE PEOPLE HAVE OUR RIGHTS VIOLATED ON A DAILY BASIS. BAXTALO!!
HONOR AND HEALTH TO YOU WHO WERE THERE TO FEEL AND SHARE AND CELEBRATE OUR SURVIVAL AND RESISTANCE AND TO SUPPORT OUR SISTER ANITA DOLINSKA DEPORTED BY RACIST POLICIES.
CHELO ALFONSO

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Comments (7 of 7)

Wish We Were There!

by Nice one!W

Tue Nov 19, 2002 22:18

good work

by anti caca pipi lala

Tue Nov 19, 2002 22:28

But next time could you write it in lower case.
The capitalising always comes across a bit manic.
I hope that doesn't take away from your good work.

OOOPS...ITS DUE TO BAD SIGHT ACTUALLY...

by CHELO

Wed Nov 20, 2002 19:17

SORRY I CAPITALISE DUE TO BAD SIGHT AND LAZYNESS...,THAT IS TO AVOID CHANGING FROM LOWER TO UPPER CASE..SORRY...:(

Fair enough

by pp

Thu Nov 21, 2002 11:41

Hi Chelo,
well that's ok, but it is true that it comes across a bit "aggressive", which is not
how ye're.
Take care.

udder side

by Brian

Mon Nov 25, 2002 11:28

Can i just drop a brief note to say that i worked in taylors bar in Galway for quite a while and would now consider it my local when im in town- having worked for Seamus (the manager in question) i can vouch for him and say that i have never in any way found him to be a bigot or racist- that is not to excuse his refusal to provide the venue for the night, whatever his motivations for that were i dont know, if it was a reaction against the "travellers and gypsies" in the poster, then he acted rashly and im sure would retract his reaction if given the chance- i find taylors to be one of the most open-minded bars in Galway, anyone who drinks there will know that, im not sure if a campaign againt its infamously narky manager without giving him the benefit of a chance to redeem himself is in order-
Congrats on the success of the night and i hope peoples awareness of these issues is heightened and that their actions follow suit, it is my opinion tho that Seamus is not the enemy.
just a point of view................
B.

how can i be a part of it?

by dana - me myself and i

Thu Nov 28, 2002 04:52

veggieheady at hotmail dot com

your article opened my eyes just a bit wider. i am in minneapolis, minnesota, usa, and would like to do something as well.
let me know.
thank you and i hope to be hearing about something soon!
dana

sung by many bound for jerusalem

by mihaly mok - m'ilove studies

Fri Jan 31, 2003 21:39

sqiurus at freemail dot hu

12 Krudy utca Budapest H-1088 Hungary

+36309001556

Do anyone fancy e-mailing me the liryc below in its original Gaelic or Old-Irish version? Or just promt a gist I may be given it?
"... the king thou seekest here unless thou bringeth him with thee thou doest not find..."

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GYPSY AND WORLD MUSIC GIG OF DIGNITY AND RESISTANCE A SUCCESS

Comments (7 of 7)