week 6 response

The movie Latcho Drom directed by Tony Gatlif follows the journey of gypsies through South Asia to the Middle East and finally to Europe. Although the geographic regions that the gypsies visited are very different, the instruments used by them have many commonalities. In each of the three scenes there is percussion to maintain rhythm for the music. The drum is in the form of an instrument which is similar to the tabla. The musicians play this instrument using their palms and fingers. There is also an aerophone that produces a timber much like a flute. In the scenes, cymbals and tambourines were used. The ladies also used idiophones; they wore wooden clappers on their arms so whenever they moved their arms, the wooden clamps moved and "clapped". String instruments accompany the melodies of the vocal performances. The string instrument can be compared to a sitar from India.

The director demonstrated how the gypsies "absorbed" the different cultures into their own music by showing the gypsies visiting different regions and changing up the settings of the musical performances. The film highlights the music's effect on the children especially; the children can be seen mimicking characteristic hand movements, which shows that they are taking in other cultures and adding their own flavor to their own version.

I found the costumes of the movie most interesting. The dress was extremely ornate and elaborate and it really exemplified the beauty that the gypsies embody. The term "gypsy" is often associated with a negative connotation, however, the depiction that the movie uses shows that these members in a positive light. The women's bodies were often adorned with accessories that were actually used as instruments later on. Chimes could be heard whenever the women shook their bodies. This is reminded me of Oceanic music in which objects such shells, which were idiophones, were used to create new rhythms and sounds.