Sounding Roman

How do marginalized communities speak back to power when they are excluded from political processes and socially denigrated? In what ways do they use music to sound out their unique histories and empower themselves? How can we hear their voices behind stereotyped and exaggerated portrayals promoted by mainstream communities record producers and government officials? Sounding Roman: Music and Performing Identity in Western Turkey explores these questions through a historically-grounded and ethnographic study of Turkish Roman (Gypsies) from the Ottoman period up to the present. Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork (1995 to the present) collected oral histories historical documents of popular culture (recordings images song texts theatrical scripts) legal and administrative documents this book takes a hard look at historical processes by which Roman are stereotyped as and denigrated as çingene---a derogatory group name equivalent to the English term gypsy and explores creative musical ways by which Roman have forged new musical forms as a means to create and assert new social identities. Sounding Roman presents detailed musical analysis of Turkish Roman musical genres and styles set within social historical and political contexts of musical performances. By moving from Byzantine and Ottoman social contexts we witness the reciprocal construction of ethnic identity of both Roman and Turk through music in the 20th century. From neighborhood weddings held in the streets informal music lessons to recording studios and concert stages the book traces the dynamic negotiation of social identity with new musical sounds. Through a detailed ethnography of Turkish Roman (Gypsy) musical practices from the Ottoman period to the present this work investigates the power of music to configure new social identities and pathways for political action while testing the limits of cultural representation to effect meaningful social change.