Khamoro is halfway through: exhibition, screening, classical music, and jam session

We are exactly halfway through the festival! And there is still so much to look forward to. Wednesday, May 29th, offers a rich accompanying program and two musical events. There will be a classical music concert and a musical jam session at the same time.

Wednesday's program begins at 5:00 PM with a guided tour of the exhibition Stories of Survivors at the Clam-Gallas Palace. At the largest Roma festival in the world, we must not forget the darkest chapter of Roma history – the Roma Holocaust. The exhibition presents authentic memories of those who suffered unimaginably during the Second World War and provided testimony about it. Through photographs, texts, and, above all, audio recordings, it brings to life the powerful stories of six Roma men and women who were imprisoned in the concentration camp in Lety u Písku. The exhibition is part of the Roma and Sinti Center in Prague project, managed by the Museum of Romani Culture.

If you are interested in the topic of Roma women's emancipation, come to the screening of the documentary Carmen at 6:00 PM at the Instituto Cervantes. Its main character, the fearless, unconventional, and courageous Carmen, comes from the "Las 600" neighborhood in southern Spain and leads an association of feminist Roma women fighting against systemic racism and sexism. In the film, director Irene Baqué shows a woman who strives to strengthen the rights, power, and voice of Roma, as well as Arab and Spanish women, while constantly grappling with the difficulty of promoting feminism within the Roma community.

For several years now, a classical music concert in the beautiful Jerusalem Synagogue in the center of Prague has been an annual part of Khamoro. You might ask, classical music, modern elements, and Roma rhythms – how do these go together? Perfectly! The musical ensemble Lavutari di Praga, led by Ivan Herák, one of the most sought-after violin virtuosos in the Czech Republic, will convince you of this. Together with him, many other acclaimed musicians will perform: his sons Ivan and Filip, Josef Šenki, Sebastin Holub, Milan Novák, Josef Holub, Zoltán Vörös, and Petr Novák. They will all accompany Erika Nováková, a singer with a voice like a bell! Experience a slightly different kind of classical music and enjoy the breathtaking setting of the Jerusalem Synagogue starting at 7:00 PM.

At the same time, at 7:00 PM, the final item on Wednesday's program begins: a Jam Session at Klub Famu. Imagine a place where the only common language is rhythm, melody, and, above all, improvisation. A space for inspiration, discovering new musical possibilities, and building bridges between Roma musicians from different European countries. The musicians play improvisationally, without preparation, which often helps them in creating new compositions. At the largest Roma festival, young Roma musicians from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovenia, Portugal, and Belgium will experience this. And you can be there too!

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