The Caravan rolls into town

By Daniel Nelson “I’ve seen all the recent Gypsy films, including all those shown at the Barbican in June, and this is the best”, a fellow journalist said at the end of Gypsy Caravan. I don’t know if she’s right as I haven’t seen the others, but there’s no doubt that Caravan is tremendous fun. The music of the five bands on a six-week tour of North America is wonderful – from the steel-cutting voice of Juana la del Pipa to the rare Rajasthani knee dance of Harish, a member of the Maharaja troupe; from 78-year-old Nicolae Neacsu’s violin string-pulling to Fanfare Ciocarlia’s infectious brass. Sales from Ciocarlia’s first album enabled them to bring electricity to their Romanian hometown. A film with such music can’t fail (“better than being the father of 1,000 sons”, says one performer). But it also has touching behind-the-scenes glimpses from the tour, and, more tellingly, revealing insights when the camera travels home with the Roma stars to India, Macedonia, Romania and Spain – a device several of the performers initially resisted. The home scenes include Caliu of actor Johnny Depp’s favourite group, Taraf de Haidouks, returning for the wedding of his son to a 13-year-old girl, and the funeral of Neacsu, the patriarch who was his family’s main source of income. The hostility and racism that have marred 1,000 years of life since the community left India and hit the road is alluded to, not least in the US where a receptionist at one of the tour’s hotels leaves a note for a colleague about the “scary” Roma guests with their funny way of looking at you. Roly-poly singer and rights advocate Esma Redzepova recalls how her marriage to an Gorja (non-Roma) scandalised communities on both sides of the divide (“Have all the white girls died?”). Another musician recalls how Roma children in his school were placed together at the back of the classroom. Roma as targets of Hitler’s genocide are mentioned. Overall, however, the film keeps a lightness of touch, preferring to persuade by pictures and sound rather than by preaching. In a brief cameo, Depp says: "It would be great if, by experiencing the Romany people and their music, people can learn about them. What you've believed about these people your entire life has been a lie." The film won’t eradicate the lies, but it’s life-affirming and entertaining. It’s a tribute to a people who have never gone to war and make marvellous music – two distinctions that put them way ahead of much of humanity. * Gypsy Caravan opens 28 September at the ICA in London

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