Madonna’s Gypsy performers say they are sad about the booing in Romania
By APFriday, August 28, 2009
Gypsy trio criticizes booing of Madonna
BUCHAREST, Romania — A Russian trio performing Gypsy music with Madonna on her worldwide “Sticky and Sweet” tour says it regrets the pop star was booed during her Bucharest concert for criticizing widespread discrimination against Gypsies.
Thousands of people applauded the trio’s performance with Madonna in Bucharest on Wednesday night. But minutes later they booed Madonna when she said discrimination should end against East Europe’s Gypsies, also known as Roma.
In Bucharest on Friday, the Kolpakov Trio said it believes it is the only time the tour has been booed, but declined to say if Madonna had commented about Gypsies at other concerts.
Band member Vadim Kolpakov said “Madonna was surprised” by the booing.
Two members of the band are Roma, while the third is a Russian Jew.
Tags: Bucharest, Celebrity, Concerts, Eastern Europe, Europe, European Union, Gypsies, Music, Roma, Romania
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August 28, 2009: 4:48 pm
What does Madonna know? Is she an authority in human rights or Romania’s internal affairs? Has she ever stepped foot outside her hotel while in Bucharest? Has she ever met with people who actually live in Romania day in and day out? People did not boo because they are racist, they booed because her crass generalization was an insult. And ironically, they paid up to $270 to be insulted by this fake, superficial being who may or may not have a high school diploma, yet appears to care so much and be so very knowledgeable. MOST Romanians have nothing against the Roma population per se. Naturally, when you’re transiting a Roma village by car and your windows get smashed with rocks one might feel a tad bit different. However, Romanians do not hate the Roma by default, they hate the criminals and the gangs because they affect the overall quality of life, not because of the color of their skin. I live in Romania, I know how it feels to have to deal with a drunk Roma ethnic and I also know what it feels like to deal with a drunk Romanian ethnic. The only difference is the far greater incidence of the first case. Madonna wouldn’t know any of this. She is an overpaid entertainer who, like many of her species, believes that mysticism combined with activism equals undeniable cool. This is exactly what her statement was meant to bring her. Just a touch of extra-cool and a bit of media buzz. Deep down, she’s still a teenage girl who wants to hang with the cool kids and in order to prove herself she has to be outrageous. Whether that comes by toning up her old body to make it look 20 or by buying an idiotic outfit and then pretending it has a deeper meaning that eludes everyone else or by getting a brand new boy toy or by exhaling wanna-be-wisdom, is less important. Wakie-wakie, you’re not in Junior High anymore, Madge. And Romania is so not the new Malawi. ” regards. |
maria