A romák vagy cigányok egy Indiából származó nép, mely a 15. században vándorolt be Európába. Önmagukat romnak, vagyis „embernek”, illetve néha kálonak, „feketének” nevezik. A magyarországi vándorcigányok néhol manusnak, „embernek” is nevezik magukat.
Tény, hogy a romák hosszú vándorlás után jutottak el Európába, és az is kétségtelen, hogy ennek kiindulópontja India volt, ez azonban nem jelenti azt, hogy eredeti szülőhazájuk is ez lett volna.
A cigányok állítólagos indoeurópai eredetének elmélete egyetlen tényre hagyatkozik, nevezetesen a roma nyelvre. Ez az elmélet azonban nem vesz figyelembe számos olyan kulturális jellemvonást, amely sokkal fontosabb, mint a nyelvi eredet. A cigányok ‒a roma nyelven kívül‒ semmilyen más módon nem kötődnek Indiához. Ha következetesen alkalmaznánk azt az elméletet, miszerint egy nép eredetét nyelvének eredete határozza meg, akkor az összes észak-afrikai népet arabnak kellene tekintenünk, az askenázim zsidókat germán csoportnak, a sephard zsidókat a spanyol nép egyik vallási kisebbségének, az amerikai négereket pedig, akik ma már azt sem tudják, hogy őseik milyen nyelven beszéltek, angoloknak kellene tekintenünk.
Az idők folyamán sokan megpróbálták bebizonyítani a cigányok indiai eredetét, ezek a próbálkozások azonban mindig kudarcot vallottak, amikor a konkrét bizonyítékokra került volna sor. Ilyen próbálkozás volt Firdawsi munkája is, amelyet ma már senki sem vesz komolyan. Azok a népek, amelyek állítólag rokonságban álltak a cigányokkal (mint pl. a dom, luri, gaduliya lohar, lambadi, banjara stb. népek), valójában semmilyen közös eredetet nem mutatnak velük. Az egyetlen, ami közös bennük, a nomád életmód és az általuk űzött foglalkozások ‒ csakhogy ezek a foglalkozások minden nomád népre jellemzőek. Minden ilyen elmélet kudarcának okozója az, hogy eleve rossz feltevésből indul ki, figyelmen kívül hagyja a cigány nép szellemi kultúráját, amely teljesen más eredetű, mint az indiai.
"Közismert tény, hogy az Indiában élő népek közül egyik sem áll genetikai-rokoni kapcsolatban a romákkal. Ez igaz azokra a nomád népekre is, amelyeket egyébként szintén a „cigány” névvel illetnek. A névazonosság még a tizenkilencedik századból ered, a brit gyarmati rendőrség nevezte így az itteni nomádokat az Angliában élő cigányokkal való hasonlóságuk alapján. Nem véletlen, hogy a névvel együtt ugyanazokat a diszkriminatív szabályokat is alkalmazták rájuk, amit az angliai romákra. Később aztán a legtöbb európai kutató abból a téves feltevésből indult ki, hogy a nomád életmód a roma identitás egyik sarokköve, ezért kutatásaik alapjául a romák és az indiai nomád népekkel való összehasonlítás állt, anélkül azonban, hogy a rokonság bármilyen konkrét bizonyítékát fel tudták volna mutatni. Történt mindez azért, mert makacsul ragaszkodtak ahhoz a feltevéshez, hogy a romák nomád eredetűek".
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Roma hírességek
Politikusok és aktivisták
- Damian Draghici – (born 1970) Ambassador for European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, musician, Romania
- Jovan Damjanović – Serbian politician – The first Romani appointed as minister in a government anywhere in the world [1]
- Rajko Djuric – (born 1947) Serbian writer and academic, leader of Roma Union of Serbia
- Alfonso Mejia-Arias – musician, writer and politician, Mexico
- Ian Hancock – Romani scholar and activist, born in UK, living in USA, Professor at the University of Texas
- Lívia Járóka – Hungarian Member of the European Parliament
- Mădălin Voicu – (born 1952) Romanian politician. His father, Ion Voicu, is Romani
- Ştefan Răzvan – (? – 1595) Prince of Moldavia, Ruled Moldavia for four months. (Romani father)
- Nicolae Păun – Romanian politician
- Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia – Ex-member of the European Parliament, founder of the Romani Union, Spain
- Viktória Mohácsi – (born 1975) Hungarian Member of the European Parliament
- Ronald Lee – (born 1934, in Montreal), Canadian Romani novelist, activist and U.N. delegate
- Romani Rose – German Sinto activist
- Dávid Daróczi – (1972–2010) Government Spokesperson of the Republic of Hungary
- Rudolf Sarközi – chairman of the Austrian Romani association Kulturverein.
- Sani Rifati – Serbian activist
- Ali Krasniqi – Albanian writer and activist
- Bajram Haliti – Kosovar activist
Szerzők Irók
Zenészek
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- Ronnie Wood – (1947–) Guitarist and bassist with Faces, and Rolling Stones
- Carmen Amaya – (1913–1963) Spanish flamenco dancer
- Vicente Escudero – Spanish flamenco singer, dancer and choreographer; occasionally painter, writer and actor.
- Pyotr Leshchenko – Russian (born 1858–1903))
- Grigoraş Dinicu – Romanian composer and violinst
- Anjeza Shahini – Albanian
- Pista Dankó – (born 1858–1903) Hungarian-born bandleader and composer
- Sandro de América – (1945–2010) Argentinian singer and actor
- Adam Ant – (born 1954) British punk/New Wave musician; of Romanichal descent
- Elek Bacsik – (1926–1993) Hungarian-born American jazz violinist and guitarist
- Robi Botos – Canadian musician and composer from Hungary
- Joe Zawinul – Austrian
- Eugene Hütz – Ukrainian singer, guitarist, writer and actor
- Saban Bajramovic – (1936–2008) Serbian singer
- János Bihari – (1764–1824) Hungarian violinist
- Věra Bílá – (born 1954) Czech folk and pop singer
- Iva Bittová – (born 1958) Czech singer, violinist and composer
- Diego "El Cigala" – (born 1968, Madrid) Spanish flamenco singer
- Joaquín Cortés – Spanish flamenco dancer
- "Rayito" Antonio Rayo – Spanish Guitarist, singer and composer. Father Gitano (Iberian Kalo) and mother Japanese
- Panna Cinka – (1711–1772) Hungarian Violinist, born in Kingdom of Hungary in modern Slovakia
- Georges Cziffra – (1921–1994) Hungarian virtuoso pianist
- Drafi Deutscher – (1946–2006) German Sinto songwriter, singer and composer
- Damian Draghici – Romanian, composer and panflute player
- Fanfare Ciocărlia – (formed 1996) Romanian brass band
- "Falete" Rafael Ojeda Rojas – Spanish singer
- Lola Flores – (1923–1995) was a Spanish singer, dancer and actress.
- Lolita Flores – (1958) Spanish singer and actress.
- Antonio Flores – (1961–1995) was a Spanish singer-songwriter and actor.
- Rosario Flores – (born 1963) Spanish singer and actress, Latin Grammy award winner
- Camarón de la Isla – (1950–1992) Spanish flamenco singer
- Kal – Romani world music Band from Serbia
- Gipsy Kings – French (Spanish origin, Iberian Kale) rumba and flamenco singers and guitar players
- Nicolas Reyes – Franco-Spanish singer, guitar player
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- Patchai Reyes – Franco-Spanish singer and guitar player
- André Reyes – Franco-Spanish singer and guitar player
- Diego Baliardo – Franco-Spanish guitar player
- Paco Baliardo – Franco-Spanish guitar player
- Tonino Baliardo – Franco-Spanish guitar player
- Los Niños de Sara – French (Spanish origin, Iberian Kale) rumba and flamenco singers and guitar players
- Antonio ("Tonio") Contreras – Franco-Spanish singer and guitar player
- Ramón Compás – Franco-Spanish singer and guitar player
- Santiago ("Santi") Lorente – Franco-Spanish singer and guitar player
- Coco – Franco-Spanish singer and guitar player
- Ketama – Spanish new-flamenco band
- Sasha Kolpakov – (born 1943) Russian guitarist
- Biréli Lagrène – (born 1966) French jazz guitarist, violinist and bassist
- Denny Laine – British musician (The Moody Blues, Wings)
- Félix Lajkó – (born 1974) Hungarian-Serbian violinist and composer (part Romani)
- Albert Lee – (born 1943) British country/rock guitar player
- Joe Longthorne – (born 1955) English singer and impressionist
- Irini Merkouri – (born 1981) Greek pop singer
- Aggelopoulos Manolis – (1939–1989) Greek singer and actor
- Sofi Marinova – Bulgarian singer
- Boban Marković – Serbian brass bandleader and trumpet player
- Jerry Mason – American Singer, Guitarist
- Carlos Montoya – (1903–1993) Spanish flamenco guitarist
- Ramón Montoya – (1889–1949) Spanish flamenco guitarist
- Ivo Papazov – (born 1952) Bulgarian jazz clarinetist
- Manitas de Plata – (born 1921) Spanish guitarist
- Valentina Ponomaryova – (born 1939) Russian singer
- Dzej Ramadanovski – born 1964 in Belgrade (former Yugoslavia), modern Serbian folk singer
- Johnny Răducanu – (born 1931) Romanian jazz musician
- Esma Redzepova – (born 1943) Macedonian singer and songwriter
- Django Reinhardt – (1910–1953) Belgian-born jazz guitarist
- Jimmy Rosenberg – (born 1980) Dutch swing guitarist
- Marianne Rosenberg – (born 1955) German singer and songwriter
- Tchavolo Schmitt – (born 1954) French jazz guitarist
- Taraful Haiducilor – (Taraf de Haïdouks) Romanian band, formed 1989
- Nicolae Neacşu ("Culai") – Lăutar, was the leader of Taraf de Haïdouks
- Wally Tax – Dutch rock singer, of The Outsiders
- Martin Taylor – (born 1956) British guitarist
- Manuel Torre – (1878–1933) Spanish flamenco singer
- Isabel Pantoja – Spanish singer
- Encarnación Salazar and Antonia Salazar, better known as "Azúcar Moreno". Spanish singers
- Ion Voicu – (1923–1997) Romanian violinist and orchestral conductor, founder of Bucharest Chamber Orchestra
- Sotis Volanis – Greek pop folk singer
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- Radoslav Banga – of Czech group Gypsy.cz
- Joy Olasunmibo Ogunmakin – Ayọ (stage name), German singer
- Didem – Turkish Bellydancer
- Romica Puceanu – (1928–1996) Romanian singer (Urban Lăutarească Music)
- Gabi Luncă – (born 1938) Romanian singer (Urban Lăutarească Music)
- Nicolae Guţă – (born 1967) Romanian singer (Manele Music)
- Florin Salam – (born 1979) Romanian singer (Manele Music)
- Adrian Copilul Minune – (real name Adrian Simionescu, born 1974) Romanian singer (Manele Music)
- Cher Lloyd – Popular singer (including rapping)
- Esma Redžepova – Macedonian vocalist, songwriter, and humanitarian. Born in Skopje
- Pere Pubill Calaf "Peret" – (born 1935) Catalan Spanish singer, guitar player and composer
Szinészek
Előadók
Boxolok
- Ivailo Marinov – also known as Ismail Mustafov, Ismail Huseinov or Ivailo Khristov) is a Rom Bulgarian boxer, who won the bronze medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in light flyweight, and the gold medal in the same category at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Serafim Todorov – was a Bulgarian/Georgian boxer at the 1996 Summer Olympics who won a silver medal. He is the last boxer to ever defeat the highly regarded Floyd Mayweather Jr.
- Boris Georgiev – is an amateur boxer from Bulgaria who won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the Light Welterweight class
- Jem Mace – Bareknuckle Boxing Champion, Father of Modern Boxing; called "The Gypsy," but denies Romani ancestry in his autobiography
- Johann Wilhelm Trollmann – German light-heavyweight boxer killed during the Porajmos
- Silvio Branco – Italian light heavyweight Boxing Champion
- Michele di Rocco – Italian Light Welterweight Boxing Champion
- Faustino Reyes – Spanish Boxing he won the silver medal in the featherweight division (– 57 kg), 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona
- Billy Joe Saunders – British Boxing, represented Great Britain in the 2008 Olympics
- Norbert Kalucza – Hungarian Boxing
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