Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)ROMA gipsies have celebrated their historic arrival in Andalucia.
The first record of Roma people in Andalucia was made on November 22nd 1462 by Jaen governor Don Miguel Lucas de Iranzo.
The November 22nd has since been officially recognized as the Day of Andaluz Gipsies.
Celebrations were held throughout the region with dances, fairs and sports games.
Andalucia is home to 38% of Spain’s Roma people, with the northern outskirts of Granada hosting the single largest gipsy commune.
There are 20 Granadian villages where gipsy population is over 15 per cent of the total.
Despite the fanfare, Luisa Heredia of the Fundación Secretariado Gitano pressure group has called attention to the ongoing social exclusion and poverty suffered by many of the 300,000 Andaluz Roma people.
We, artists from the entire world, united in the Artists’ Initiative against Romaphobia and Antitziganism, hope that the Gipsy Kings will sign up on http://artists-for-roma-net.ning.com Their presence on our common website will mean an important moral support!
Thank you!