Where do they hail from? Where does the multi-cultured society of Brooklyn stem from? In short, it is a bunch of nomadic groups, who have trekked, travelled and transferred their communities from their place of origin and have created similar style communities in New York.
Brooklyn contains this nomadic/gypsy style atmosphere. In Williamsburg the languages of Polish, Ukrainian, Spanish, Yiddish and others can be heard amongst the streets filled with art, cafes and music venues. Nomads, and here I call them a type of gypsy group who have relocated with their original music, dishes and cultures transporting them across from Europe, South America and the former USSR.
It quite a phenomena to witness such a transformation. Preservation of original rituals,rites, customs and practices perpetuate an ethnic group or religious community. I have seen this first hand in Brooklyn.
I saw an Amsterdam based Gypsy band play on the streets of Bedford Avenue and North 5th street with Romanian gypsy lyrics. Equipped with a violin, double bass, horns (the music type), percussion and guitars they filled the air with musical genius. Their music evoked that sense of European aura. They are preserving and sustaining their roots and origins.
(The band was called Caspian Hat Dance)
May we all take a lesson from it.
Preserve whilst not allowing for your roots to fall into disrepair.
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