A FESTIVAL celebrating Roma culture is set to return to Glasgow next month.
On September 6 and 7, a range of singers, dancers, musicians and performers from across the UK and Europe will come to Glasgow for the second Ando Glaso Roma Festival.
The two-day festival has a packed programme of cultural events, from traditional dance and live music to workshops exploring customs, costumes, language and more.
The festival aims to show the Roma community’s shared cultural heritage while also challenging outdated stereotypes.
Organisers said they hoped the programme will bring people together through "the power of music and dance".
Festival founder, Janos Lang (below), said: “We are thrilled to host our second Roma Festival in Glasgow, bringing together an incredible array of Roma talent from across the UK and Europe.
“This festival not only showcases the richness and diversity of Roma culture but also underscores the importance of intangible cultural heritage in empowering Roma people and challenging negative stereotypes.
“By celebrating our traditions and contemporary expressions, we aim to foster a sense of community and pride while educating and inspiring others.
“It is an honour to see this festival grow, providing a platform where tradition meets innovation, creating unforgettable moments for everyone involved.”
On September 6, the festival will be held at Drygate Brewery, offering a range of performances from contemporary pop to traditional dance.
Some of the most anticipated events include a performance from Slovak singer Vanesa Horakova, Glasgow’s own Romane Cierhenia – a family group of Polish-Roma musicians and dancers – and the band ZOR.
In the evening, audiences can see the debut performance of Ruva, a new dance show which was created in collaboration with charity KaskoSan and Ando Glaso to showcase top Roma musicians and dancers from across Scotland and England.
On September 7, the festival will take place at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), where there will be various workshops exploring Roma culture and language.
In light of the riot in Leeds which broke out last month after an “ongoing disturbance” involving children being removed by agency workers, festival organisers have chosen to screen the Roma Kids documentary, presented by Stacey Dooley, which explores child removals from Roma communities by authorities in Hungary.
Closing the festival, the CCA will be filled with music celebrating the vibrancy of Roma culture, beginning with a performance from the Ando Glaso Collective, which features musicians and singers from Romania, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
There will also be a flamenco performance from TuFlamenco, a duet between Lulo Reinhardt and Yuliya Lonskaya, a performance from the band Rootless, before opening up the evening with a festival experience with live music and bands until the early hours.
To find out more about Ando Glaso Roma Festival and to buy tickets, visit andoglaso.org.
