Village celebrations

This chapter presents a detailed ethnography of the professional activity of the Roma musicians of Ceuaş. Two village celebrations are analyzed: a Hungarian banquet and a Roma wedding. The description focuses on the interactions between the musicians and their clients, on the repertoire played, and on the participants’ emotional experiences. It is argued that the “service” that Roma musicians provide to their customers is generally the same whether they are playing for a Gaje or Roma audience. The comparison between the two gatherings suggests that they share a similar structure, fostering increasingly affective communion between the guests. By the end of these events, musicians arouse bittersweet feelings in their audience by playing slow “table” songs.