Celebration Of Gypsy Culture
The 2010 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month had high expectations after following the hugely successful month in 2009.
The event was staged in the visitor hotspot that is Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay. With the doors opening at 10.30am it was an early start for most, but none-the-less people flooded in for the early showing of the film Coming To The UK, a Pavee Ceilidh film. The audience to this event were diverse in age, gender and background, with many different cultures and traditions all in the same room.
The event programme encompassed over four hours of entertainment that included a circus act, Irish and hip-hop dancing and an accordion duet during the lunch break at Midday.
What started as a small scale event in 2009 has now escalated into the Pierhead Building being full and almost getting to the point of overcrowding. The performers were not the only attraction inside the building, as the room was decorated with various posters and signs presenting what had happened since the last Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month and the progression that has been made throughout the year by the companies that were trying to promote their services even further at the 2010 event.
I spoke to one of the organisers at the event who said that "I could have never imagined the event to be so successful as it has been today", which was true, as there was no seats available in the centre of the room which left people standing yet all focused on the main performing area. Kathleen Cassidy took to the stage to perform her Irish dancing routine that had the enthusiastic crowd joyfully clapping in time to the high paced jumpy tune of the violin, which was followed by Daniel Flynn performing a typical hip-hop dance act to a heavy rap track that contrasted Kathleen's earlier performance.
There were also more relevant performances to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month over the course of the day. As the event broke for Lunch, a duet of traditional Roma accordionists played a 30 minute show that had people on their feet, applauding by the time they had finished.
Other forms of traditional entertainment were also available later on in the day, as the live Roma music had come to an end, local Gypsies demonstrated their skills of flower making, basket weaving and fortune telling, which stood out as more of a hands on and interactive performance that engaged the audience.
The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month event was a huge success that out did its expectations even when they were set so high. Speaking to a more elderly spectator at the event, they said that "I had come last year, and it was brilliant, but this year is even bigger and more popular".
With flowing activities and performances you never found yourself unoccupied or uninterested. By smashing all expectations this year, The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month event has found itself with a high reputation, which it will no doubt live up to again next year in 2011.
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