Singer form the Para band performs with children from Divé maky at summer Bashavel. (source: Courtesy of Divé maky)
THERE ARE several ways to support Roma; one is to educate young Roma and help them nurture their talent. The Divé Maky / Wild Poppies programme has been doing this since 2005, and several times a year, the results are presented to the public.
This year’s Christmas Bashavel on December 2 will feature the launch of the second CD containing a selection of the best music from this year’s summer Gypsy Bashavel. A bashavel is a Roma feast, and this event represents the culmination of the year-round activities of children participating in the Divé Maky programme.
Divé maky finds donors and patrons to support Roma talents, as well as tutors and assistants who work with the teachers and families of Roma children, and help them study, graduate from school and find a proper application for their skills. Many young Roma are good musicians and dancers, and with the help of famous show-business personalities, they put on performances for the public.
The evening of December 2 in the Aréna Theatre in Bratislava will mark the launch of their new album, a live recording of the annual Gypsy Bashavel that took place at the end of August this year, and also a concert of the participating performers, along with musicians like Anita Soul, Lasky, from the Slovak band Para (who will also baptise the new CD), and Barborka Botošová. Matej “Sajfa” Cifra will host the event.
Tickets cost €8 - the proceeds go to support Roma artists – and a special ticket including the new CD will cost €12. More information (in Slovak) can be found at www.divemaky.sk.
