Starting at the Beginning | The Anthem

One can possibly start the discussion of Roma music and the Balkans with Djelem Djelem which roughly translates from Romani to "I have travelled, I have travelled". This has become the makeshift anthem of the Romani people. For someone wanting to understand Roma music and the different styles, the anthem provides a good example of the diversity of Roma music.

Symbolically, even the anthem of the Romani people has different versions and different styles. Written by Jarko Jovanovic in the 1960s, the song became popular by the 1967 film I Even Met Happy Gypsies. There has been some discussion about the historical origin and whether the song is an old Romanian song but the water is too murky for me to be able to interpret. What probably is more telling is the lack of accessible and reliable information on the internet for Romani anthem and its historical origin. The best resources i have been able to find were updated in 1998 (Romani.org), a Geocities?!?! page from 2000 (The Patrin Web Journal) and many other google based copies of these sources.

Here is an English translation of Djelem, Djelem

I have travelled over long roads
I have met fortunate Roma
I have travelled far and wide
I have met lucky Roma
Oh, Romani adults, Oh Romani youth
Oh, Romani adults, Oh Romani youth
Oh, Roma, from wherever you have come
With your tents along lucky roads
I too once had a large family
But the black legion murdered them
Come with me, Roma of the world
To where the Romani roads have been opened
Now is the time - stand up, Roma,
We shall succeed where we make the effort.
Oh, Roma adults, Oh, Roma youth
Oh, Roma adults, Oh, Roma youth.

The prevalence of the use of Djelem, Djelem as the Roma anthem can be directly traced back to this film from 1967. After the filmed overwhelming international success, it was adopted as anthem at the First World Romani Congress in London, England, April, 8, 1971. Here is the clip from the film that supposedly make "Djelem Djelem" famous:

Film: "I Even Met Happy Gypsies"
Director Aleksandar Petrovic
Golden Palm Award in 1967 Cannes Film Festival


My personal favorite is by Macedonian singer Esma Redzepova. It doesn't introduce the famous "Djelem Djelem" lyrics until further on in the song and it is somewhat slower, more mournful. And most would agree that Esma Redzepova is one of the best singers that captures a feeling of the song.

1999 New Year's Concert in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam."
Esma Redzepova and the Nederlands Blazers Ensemble with special guest François Castiello (Bratsch)


The anthem is able to describe some of the recurring themes of the Romani people--A feeling of great sadness for the past while also there being no historical or physical reference point and through this common theme; moving forward, living.