February 8, 2025 • 40 mins
Sejnur Memisi is a journalist & Roma activist from Germany. He is originally from Kosovo, and escaped 1999 with his family to Germany because of the Kosovo war. He studied Media Management and since April 2020 has produced Podcasts about Sinti & Roma. He began the podcast (Sinti Roma News, formerly RYMEcast) in the German language. 3 of his German speaking Podcast episodes were nominated for media prizes, CIVIS Media Prize & the German Podcast Prize. Since 2023 he is in the Commission Audio for the Civis Media prize, where he can use his vote to nominate other podcasts. In March 2024, he started a new English-language Podcast, “Amaro Voice” about European Roma.
Watch Amaro voice on YouTube, and listen wherever you get podcasts. You can listen to part 1 of this crossover, when Sejnur interviews us, on Amaro Voice. Follow @amaro_voice on Instagram.
The Romani crush this episode is everyone.
Welcome to Romanistan Festival is March 28-30, 2025 in New Orleans!
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Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, ramana Sound listeners, just popping in to
remind you that our first everWelcome to Ramana Sound Festival
is happening March 28th to 30th2025 in New Orleans, cottage,
(00:27):
magic, bimbo Yaga Productionsand us and anyone who's been
contributing to our book tourfundraiser, which is still
ongoing, and you can kick in,get a signed copy of Secrets of
Romani Fortune Telling, get atarot card, get all kinds of
things to help.
But basically it's happening.
Go to romanosanpodcastcom.
There are so many really cool,exciting events.
I will just give you thequickest of rundowns.
(00:49):
We're starting off with aliterary panel, then we're doing
a live recording of RomanasanPodcasts at Cafe Istanbul.
Then we're doing afortune-telling pop-up, followed
by a literary salon with LilithDorsey and her ritual blessing,
and then our Tarot andAncestors Communication Workshop
(01:09):
, rounding out the evening withBB's Kitchen, a Romani-style
feast with tea leaf reading.
There's so many cool thingshappening.
If you're in New Orleans, pleasestop by, share with your
friends in New Orleans, fly inif you can.
We would love to see you.
Romanosanpodcastcom you can getall your tickets there and,
yeah, we just can't wait.
(01:29):
So thanks for being here.
Enjoy this wonderful episode wehave prepared for you.
Our Amaro Voice crossoverepisode.
Yay.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Welcome to Romanistan .
Speaker 1 (01:52):
We're your friendly neighborhood gypsies I'm Paulina
and I'm Jez.
We're here with Senor Nenishiand we are so excited because
this is our Amara Voicecrossover.
You can listen to Amara Voicefor part one, where we are
interviewed, and now we aregoing to talk to Seynour
ourselves.
(02:13):
We're so excited.
Thank you for being here.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Seynour Memishi is a journalist and Roma activist
from Germany.
He is originally from Kosovoand escaped in 1999 with his
family to Germany because of theKosovo War.
He studied media management and, since April 2020, has produced
podcasts about Sinti and Roma.
He began the podcast Sinti RomaNews, formerly Rhyme podcast,
(02:42):
in the German language.
Three of his German-speakingpodcast episodes were nominated
for media prizes Civis MediaPrize and the German Podcast
Prize.
Since 2023, he is thecommission audio for the Civis
Media Prize, where he can usehis vote to nominate other
podcasts.
In March 2024, to nominateother podcasts In March 2024, he
(03:06):
started a new English-languagepodcast, amaro Voice, about
European Roma, so welcome.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
We're so happy to have you.
Thank you.
We always start off askingabout where you and your family
are from your vita and where youare now.
And you say in your bio yourfamily escaped the your vita and
where you are now.
And you say in your bio yourfamily escaped the war in Kosovo
and you're in Germany andyou're doing activist and
journalist work that we are veryimpressed by.
Would you like to share alittle bit about your experience
coming to Germany as a refugeeand how that might have shaped
(03:38):
your advocacy?
Speaker 4 (03:49):
So first I was born in Pristina it's the capital of
Kosovo in 1992.
And then we lived in the Romaneighborhood.
It was called Muravskas.
But on this Roman neighborhoodit wasn't just like for Roma
people.
There was also living likeTurkish people and Albanian
people, because Kosovo formerlywas part of the Ottoman Empire,
before it was Yugoslavia.
So in that time it wasYugoslavia and in 1999 we had a
(04:13):
war and we needed to escape, butwe didn't know where we should
go.
So my parents wanted to go toItaly, because a lot of people
from our communities live innorth of Italy.
But my uncles and my aunts,they were living in Germany
before, because some of themcame as guest workers to work in
(04:34):
Germany.
But some of them came alsobecause in the Balkans we had
two different wars, one in 1992and one in 1999, and some of our
family members came to Germanybecause of the war from the 92.
And so that's why we came up toGermany, because my grandma was
with us.
So for my dad it was importantto just bring his mom to his
(04:56):
siblings that they can see her.
So actually we wanted to goback to Italy, but then family
members told us no, stay here inGermany, germany, and then this
is how we ended up to stay inGermany and, yeah, so it was
very difficult because we neededto go from country to country,
so it took many time and also itwasn't always.
(05:20):
I can say the escaping in thebeginning wasn't always legal,
you know.
So well.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Thank you for sharing that.
That's definitely a reallyinteresting story and I love how
your parents just listen toyour family, like that's what
you do you just listen towhatever the family says.
So we want to ask you ourfamous question, do you?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
consider yourself a rebel.
I would say yes, but we neededto be a rebel, you know, because
in the beginning we escaped thewar and in the war we escaped
it because people weresystematically killing Romani
people or you know.
So sorry trigger warning Iforgot the trigger warning, so
(06:09):
the system was like a genocide,but still not recognized as it.
And to escape from the war youneed to be a rebel, I think.
But always when you start anactivist, you kind of when you
are younger, you have moreenergy, you kind of more rebel.
And I would say now maybe I'mmore little bit, not so much
(06:31):
rebel when I was starting, Idon't know, like eight years ago
, so now I'm more wiser, I knowwhen should I be rebel and when
I should not be rebel.
Because if I feel like in thebeginning, when I started, I was
some in the wrong time rebel,what maybe was doing for my work
more difficult than it shouldbe, uh, for your work.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Do you mean your work in journalism like?
Speaker 4 (06:55):
you were.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
You're being a rebel there I mean like being as
activists, as journalism beforein the media, yeah, I mean, it's
so important to I think you'reabsolutely right that genocide
in Kosovo is not really talkedabout enough or recognized as
genocide, and there are so manythings that are ongoing that we
(07:19):
need to make noise about, eventhough the system doesn't want
us to.
And yeah, that's what we reallyappreciate about your work too,
and oh, let's see, we wouldlove to know what inspired you
to start podcasting and what hasthe experience been like for
Speaker 4 (07:38):
you so my inspiring was so do different things.
I will start shortly, becausemy dad is also a journalist, so
he had his own radio show inKosovo, in Pristina.
We had our own radio show andour own TV show where Roman
people in media and alsojournalists was doing different
(07:59):
kind of work.
So my dad was in the you know,redaction we say in Germany
redaction I don't know how tosay for English, for he was
choosing the topics, what theyshould talk about, like for
research and for radio.
He was moderating his own show.
He was talking about romani,people from, from the balkans.
He was playing romani music,like balkan roman music.
(08:22):
And so I was three or four.
Uh, one day he took me to hisjob, because I remember as a kid
I was listening to his radioshow and I always ask him can
you take me to your job?
I want to see how you work.
So I think I was four.
Then he took me to the studio,to the radio, where he was
working.
I can remember and since then Iwas very passionate and in love
(08:45):
with this work and I said like,no, I want to be something with
media, something likejournalists.
And then when I was killed Iwas like playing moderating for
my grandma and her friends inthe in the roman neighborhood.
So I was doing like shows anddoing something, acting and like
just doing the same like my dadwas doing.
(09:06):
And then when I came to Germany,I wanted to do something with
media.
That's why I was in media arts,in media management school, so
I learned everything how to editvideo, audio, to do website
graphics, everything that youknow about media.
I learned everything in schooland also started after that.
I wasn't sure if I should do onmicrophone or in front of
(09:31):
camera, so I wasn't ready forthat.
And then I decided to be behindthe scenes and I was doing for
German TV companies.
And then, during my activismwith Tanny Pehr and Dickie
Labista, I was more empoweredand said, okay, that's a good
option to combine journalism,media with Roma.
And I started first withInstagram.
(09:51):
So my Instagram page was calledBefore Roma Youth Media.
So I was doing stories.
I wanted just to change thenarrative about our people and
to show that we are very diverse.
And also the beginning my ideawas like how I can change the
narrative.
I was just doing instagramstories about famous romani
people from the world and then Ilistened podcasts like for a
(10:11):
long time since 2014-15, Ilistened true crime podcasts,
but also like podcasts about prowrestling.
So this is how I came up topodcast then, because I realized
this is kind of modern versionof radio, because before I
wanted to work for radio but inGermany I got never the
opportunity.
And then I was doing researchon Spotify, just wrote Sinti and
(10:32):
Roma or just Roma, and to seewhat is on Spotify about Roma
and I realized there was justfew interviews from German media
with Romani, rose or otherpeople from the city, roma
activism and NGO work and Irealized there's nothing.
And then I said, ok, then COVIDCorona pandemic started and
(10:53):
then it was the best opportunitybecause I had time, I was at
home and then in April 2020, Ijust started and the beginning
wasn't so perfect because of theaudio quality.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
But I just started.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
That's wasn't so perfect because of the audio
quality, but I just started.
That's amazing, what a story.
I just I love that your dadinspired you.
Yeah, he was a OG podcasterback in the day.
I think it's amazing all thework that you've done and I
definitely want to say thank youLiterally thank you so much for
all that you've done and yourfamily.
Really interesting story.
What is your current vision foryour podcast, amado Voice?
Speaker 4 (11:49):
So it's important for me because also started
activism with telepanic Navistabefore that before because I
started to be activists verylate in 2017.
Before that I wasn't so activeso I never knew.
I knew that we have manydifferent Romani people also
Sinti, manoush and other groupswho are similar like Roma in
(12:10):
Europe but also across the worldthat we are so diverse.
I kind of knew a little bit ofsome things, but when I started
with my international activism Irealized how diverse really we
are.
And then I was doing researchon my own.
So this is important for mewith this podcast to show that
we are.
And then I was doing researchon my own.
So this is a part for me withthis podcast to show that we are
many different Romani Sinti,traveler, vanuish and other
groups from Europe and the wholeworld.
(12:31):
So in the beginning was focusedEurope, but then we realized no
, we need to do more.
We are more diverse than Europe.
So there are many that we haveRoma in Brazil, we are in South
America, we have Roma in othercontinents, in Morocco, etc.
So we want to show differentvoices from different groups and
communities from Europe andalso in media.
(12:55):
It's sadly that our peopledon't have so much
representation and voices, so wewant to try that's why I'm with
our voices to show differentpeople and to give them a voice.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
That's beautiful.
Yeah, you're right.
There are so many differenttypes of Roma all over the world
, and we've been wanting tointerview people from South
America and other places that wehaven't got to yet.
It's just, there's an endlessamount of content.
We just keep doing interestingthings and finding interesting
(13:29):
people.
Our listeners have probablyheard of the organization Dike
Na Bister, which translates toLook and Don't Forget.
We love their work with Roma,genocide Remembrance Initiatives
and education for young people.
It's so important to get theyoung people involved, and
you've been a volunteer withthem since 2017.
(13:49):
We would love to know moreabout your work with them, but
also how others can get involvedand support it.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
So I basically started 2017 as a participant
for the German group.
So one of from the organizersfrom Germany, who was part of
the people who createdTechnipair and Technipair
organized Diki Nyavista.
So he always asked me do youwant to participate for Diki
Nyavista?
But in 2015 and 16, I wasworking for German media company
(14:20):
and we always, because of thelive shows, I couldn't have the
time in summer to go to DickeNeubister.
Then my contract was finishedin 2017 in summer and then he
asked me do you want to come toDicke Neubister said yeah, okay,
why not?
So I was, in 2017, participantfor the German group because in
Dicke Neubister as a specialist,we have different participants
(14:41):
from different countries.
So every country is one or twongos who bring their
participants from their country,so almost like 20 to 22
countries who brings theirparticipants.
And then in 2018, I wasfacilitator.
So I was doing a workshop forthe first time and I mean, of
(15:02):
course, I learned english inschool, but my english wasn't so
good.
Maybe I'm speaking now.
It was very bad.
But because of dick in abyssal,because I was every year there
and I had a lot of friends, Imet friends and people.
Then, of course, of this youhave, you have more practice,
because if you just learn inschool, if you don't have to
practice, you will not learn it.
And then in 2018, like I said,I was facilitator doing a
(15:24):
workshop and then since 2019, Iwas part of the media team.
So in dikina vista we have ourown media team.
One guy, delphi lakatos we willhave also an interview with him
.
He was doing like short movies.
He's a filmmaker from poland,so he was doing movies.
Then we have other movie makerfrom slovakia who is roma, who
(15:45):
was doing something.
Then we had people who wasdoing photos, or people who was
writing description and postingfor website or who was creating
the description for instagramand facebook.
So we was working together.
I was mostly doing likeinstagram stories and doing
interviews for my podcast.
So since 2019, I was part ofthis media team and then also
(16:05):
just in 2023, I was the Germangroup leader.
So we have also group leaderswho brings their participants.
So Dikinabisa is basically youhave the organizing team who
invites many NGOs from Europe.
They give you like we have onehostel where everybody sleeps,
(16:26):
so every NGO brings their peoplefrom five to nine participants
from one country.
So this example one NGO fromGermany, then other from Spain,
italy, different countries, andevery NGO has one group leader
and the group leader has the jobto care about his participants
or her participants.
(16:47):
You know, going to Auschwitz isalways emotionally, so you need
to care for people.
But also we have in theuniversity in Krakow Krakow we
are we have in the universityworkshops.
So as group leader you need totake care that your participants
go to the workshops, somethinglike this.
And then we have thefacilitator.
We have 20 facilitator, soevery workshop group has two or
(17:08):
three facilitator, so you havelike 10 workshop groups.
Every workshop group do thesame.
We have a calendar, like inschool, but I will do the same.
But we mix them.
You know, like in one workshopgroup you have two, three
participants from germany, two,three participants from spain,
from italy.
We mix them that people can getto know each other and can
connect internationally.
And in the last few years wehad also few one, two, three
(17:32):
participants from the usa.
Last year we had participantsfrom brazil and other from
canada.
We had also sometimes just oneor two persons who came, came
very far away and immediatelydoing videos and stories and
pictures for posting, because wepost on Instagram, on Facebook
and on the websitesecondaugusteu more about
(17:54):
Antikinamista.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
It's such an important program.
We're just so grateful that itexists.
We really do need so much moreeducation around Roma and Sinti
and the Holocaust, and it's agreat program.
I know someone, naomi NikronovDikla Collective, who did it a
few years back and she only justhad the most wonderful things
(18:17):
to say about it.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
As we're talking about Romani representation in
media and literature, we heardthat you have been researching
Romani heroes and characters inDC and Marvel.
We've talked with Robin Bader afew times on the podcast about
Romani comic book heroes andwould love to know what you've
been researching about Roma incomics and anime.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Yeah, so I had two years ago a project with the EVZ
Foundation.
So EVZ Foundation supportsJewish and Romani projects.
It can be related to theHolocaust but also other topics
like empowerment.
So I had a project where I wasdoing about heroes a podcast
series about fictional heroesbut also real life heroes like
(19:05):
Holocaust survivors.
So on the fictional heroes, Iwas doing research about DC,
marvel and also anime Are youinto DC, Marvel and anime, so do
you know a little bit.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah, I wouldn't call myself well versed in comics,
but I think they're really cooland fun and I'll see the movies
and I'll like flip throughcomics in the store and things
like that.
Paulina, you grew up readingcomics though.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Yeah, I do like a lot of comics and I have been I.
What's really weird is, as wehave been talking in our
previous episodes with Robin,like comics that I actually
really love Doom and things likethat.
It's rare that I read theorigin stories or sometimes I
have, but a lot of the times Ijust kind of remember the gist
of the characters and a lot ofcharacters are actually roma.
(19:51):
So I was like shocked to hearthat some of my favorite
characters had some like romanihistory or even interactions you
know what I mean, like magnetoand stuff like that.
But I'm a fan.
I like some anime, but not toofamiliar with it.
I know I I watch some now, butprobably newer vampire stuff on
(20:13):
netflix, stuff like that yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
So I like also the marvel movies, but for only the
marvel movies.
But I would say myself more asa c fan.
So I like to the whole batmandark universe and that it's more
realistic and not likesuperpowers so you need to train
and to gain everything.
So I like this kind of thestory and I'm more into anime
and manga.
So first, when we talk aboutmarvel, you maybe heard about
(20:39):
stan lee, who created Marvel anda lot of characters for Marvel.
So Stan Lee, his family, isoriginally from Romania, so his
family came as immigrants to theUSA from Romania.
But Stan Lee was born in USA.
So it's interesting becauseMarvel has a lot of romantic
characters, even more than DC.
(21:00):
Dc has maybe just one or two,just one character, but marvel
has a lot.
So it's interesting.
But also, the marvel charactersnever got titled with racial
slur, always romani or different.
Of course the superpowers orother stuff can be talked about
if it's stereotypics.
But he knew about roma.
So my theory.
(21:22):
So the question is like wow, heknew a lot about roma in that
time.
So my theory maybe his familygrew up with roma in romania or
his family was roma from romaniawho immigrated to usa.
So that's just my theory, it'snot proof, but it's proof that
his parents came from romania asimmigrants USA.
(21:43):
So a lot of characters.
So in Marvel you maybe heardabout Nightcrawler.
He's not Roma but he gotadopted by a Roma family.
So his mom is called Margalie,so she has like witchcraft
superpowers and she adoptedNightcrawler when he was like a
baby, and then Doctor Doom.
She adopted Nightcrawler whenhe was like a baby and then Dr
(22:04):
Doom.
So in the next Marvel cinematicuniverse he will be played by
Robert Downey Jr, so Dr Doom isalso a Roma character.
Then you have Scarlet Witch andher twin Quicksilver.
So for these two there's liketwo stories, two different
background stories.
So one of them's where they arehalf jewish and half romanian
(22:25):
as children from magneto likemagneto is jewish but created a
spy identity as a roman to fightagainst nazis and his wife was
roman.
And the other story aboutscarlet witch and quicksilver is
that they are both full romafrom sovakiya, like sokovia, and
Sokovia is like a fictionalcountry which should be like
(22:46):
between Serbia and Bulgaria inthe Balkans, and they got raised
by their aunt and uncle who areRoma.
Then in DC you have Nightwing.
Nightwing was the first Robinfor Batman.
So you have one comic book.
It was called Gffing knights,volume 20, something like this.
(23:06):
It was released in 2001.
So if you just google robinromani on google and go to
pictures, then you will see somescreenshots from this comic
where they use romani languagein the comic when he was talking
to his grandpa or to otherpeople.
And there's also another comicbook it's called Nightwing,
annual, volume 1 in 1997.
(23:28):
So on this you can find thatthey use Romani language when he
was talking to his parents orto his dad.
Like Nightwing, his dad isRomani and his mom is like
American and also the fans.
You know, in this fictional erayou have, like this, canon and
(23:49):
non-canon about stories.
So in 2015 fans asked dc ontwitter if his romani identity
is canon.
Dc approved before on tweet andthen in anime, maybe you heard
about Sailor Moon and on SailorMoon one character is called
(24:09):
Sailor Pluto and it's not 100%sure, but people discuss about
this and say that she's Roma.
And then there is an anime.
It's called Fullmetal Alchemistand Fullmetal Alchemist had a
movie.
It's called conqueror ofshambhala.
The main character of fullmetal alchemist meets a woman
(24:31):
who is called noah.
So it's in the time after thefirst world war, where they
chose roma and sinti people whowas faced discrimination from
the naz, from the Germans.
So it's about this time.
So the movie is calledConqueror of Shambhala.
And then there is also oneanime from the 90s, cowboy Bebop
(24:53):
.
There is one character calledFire Valentine, but for her they
said she had amnesia, so shewas thinking that she was Roma.
But it's not 100%, but theywere talking about Roma, and
there's also many other alimeswho are maybe not that much
famous.
In the 70s there were also afew alimes about Roma from Japan
(25:16):
.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Wow, that's so interesting.
Yeah, wow, that is so cool, sointeresting yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Wow, that is so cool.
Yeah, there's so manyopportunities to get more Romani
content out there with Romaniactors and writers is where my
brain immediately goes.
But I also didn't know thatthere was Romani representation
in Full Metal Alchemist.
I had a student years back whenI was teaching shout out to
Fatima who kept telling me towatch it.
(25:42):
She said it was so good, so nowI'm definitely going to.
That's so cool thank you so muchfor doing that research too,
because I think that people getso excited when they hear of
romani representation in thingsand it gives them an opportunity
to see themselves in literatureand it's an they might do
(26:02):
something with that.
They might work on the nextproject, so that's.
That's really cool.
What are some of your favoriteroma made representations of
(26:31):
roma in the media or inliterature?
from from roma yeah, yeah, andyou know there's.
There's definitely more andmore out there and um, I'm more
aware of things that arehappening in english literature,
like there, um are books comingout like salvage, or um lynn
(26:52):
hutchinson leaves new book.
But I don't know too much abouteuropean literature or media
representation of roma, exceptfor things that go big like
infamy or something.
But specifically just want toknow if you have any roma
authors, creators that you wouldrecommend for their portrayal
of roma yeah, so I know, likeexample, for media in sweden
(27:16):
they have like their own radioshow about roma in romani
language.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
It's like the radio show is part of the main radio
public media company so it'scalled radio romano maybe you
heard about it.
So they make like moderation onroman language.
So my uncle is moderating therethis world.
Yeah, and I saw also.
Sometimes I cannot understandbecause I think it's czech or
(27:43):
slovakian, but I know romea.
They're doing like media work,videos, different stuff like tv
in c, czech Republic andSlovakia.
I mean, I cannot understand thelanguage, but I see they're
doing good professional work.
I know in Germany a few yearsago one Sinti woman, tayu
(28:05):
Abuzuzunutur.
She created a book withchildren for children.
It's called Chokiziklub, Ithink it's mixed in german and
romani language.
So she just released the secondvolume, I think last year in
2024, and to be honest, I didn'tsaw so much.
I saw that you was publishing abook and also like tayo was the
(28:29):
only to um the like book forchildren.
I think we need more in thisdirection.
But also I saw that we havemany podcasts.
So I'm very happy that in thelast four years, because when I
started like in podcast I feltlike alone.
So it's good that we havedifferent podcasts who represent
(28:49):
different communities from us,maybe different languages.
I know that we have now twodifferent romani podcasts in
romani language, like one fromkosovo, one from north makedonia
, I think, one is fromromalitico and one from radio
romano avaso something like thisand and also in other, like in
hungarian language.
(29:09):
I saw one podcast and yours manyyears ago.
I found out and was listening.
It's very cool that we createdlike our own rubric category,
roma content, and it's also goodfor the algorithm, you know.
So I don't like it's good tohave different stuff.
So not to be to have this kindof mindset, to think you need to
(29:32):
have a competition and just you.
So because I think if somebodyis watching my episode or your
episode in course of thealgorithm, if they see this
consumer is interesting forromani content, they, after my
or your episode, they will getapproved.
How to say they will get toanother episode from other
people.
So like I don't know how to saythis in english.
(29:53):
In english, the word no, thatmakes sense.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Yeah, no, that's.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
The dream is that they'll see that there's demand
and they'll start producing likeexample, if I uh, I'm
interested in anime and Iwatched one amina episode, I
watched rank boy and then, afterI finished rank boy, they will
show me another anime fromdifferent people, so I will
learn more about it.
So this is, I think, good alsofor the algorithm to have more
different content, moredifferent podcasts, different
(30:19):
stuff, also maybe stuff wedidn't have.
So I would like to see morebooks, but also more creative
and artistic content fordifferent people, also not so
many for children.
I saw on tiktok also.
I forgot their name.
I need to look.
So I saw on tiktok because Iknow because of my nieces, they
watch a lot of music forchildren about the letters from
(30:43):
a to z or different stuff.
So I saw like one tiktokchannel who was or two different
tikt channels who was doinglike for Roma children, singing
in Romani language about theletters, about different stuff.
One guy he take like children'ssongs and create it in Roma
Balkan version for children, youknow.
(31:04):
So I think this is like atarget group, but not so many
people did, and when I seesomething new, I like this.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I think that's wonderful at wapa.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
That's so nice who are your romani crushes, and you
know just all you admireanybody I think, we don't have
to get personal I think maybethis should be my secret.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
No, I'm joking please do share all your secrets.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
We would love that no , no, I think this should be
better, uh, as a secret, um, no,but I think I respect everybody
um who go in public and do ngowork or media work or other
works, because it's verycritical and difficult if you're
part of the Romani communitiesor Sinti Traveler Manus.
(31:58):
However, if you go in public andyou say that you're part of
these communities, you alwaysget hate comments or it can be
dangerous.
You know, from people who aremaybe right-wing and also some
people I know lose their jobsbecause they say in public that
they're Roma.
You know, um, from people whoare maybe right wing and also
some people I know lose theirjobs because the same public
that they're roma.
You know, and I respecteverybody who can go in public
(32:19):
and say we are having this ngoand we are doing work for our
people, we want to help ourpeople and it's it's not easy.
If you're roman, going, mangoing, you know, say like this
but about the crush, maybe it'sbetter than a secret.
So I don't know, but I respecteverybody who is doing this, try
this and do this.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Love that Very diplomatic answer.
That's great.
I mean we share that too.
I mean we don't have to agreewith everyone to appreciate that
(33:10):
they're other doing good work.
What do you have coming up onthe horizon that you would like
to share with listeners?
Speaker 4 (33:19):
yes, so I'm just doing right now the amara voice
podcast because of this newproject also with that
foundation.
But I would.
I want to write a book.
I have like two ideas.
One is want to write a book.
I have like two ideas.
One is more to write a book,like fictional, and one is more
serious, not fictional.
And for the serious one, I wantfirst to write a book, but I
(33:42):
don't know if I would publishthis as a book.
I would just to write it and tomake the research and then to
create like a podcast seriesabout it and maybe, if I have
enough writings, then alsopublish as a book.
But I also want to write a booklike fictional, always about
Roma.
I want to do something liketake something real, what is
(34:03):
happening, or some inspiration,but create a fictional version
of it, to combine reality withfiction.
And but I always say I want towrite.
So I start four years ago towrite something about my
experience with the war inkosovo, but I took also the same
some of the reality and createdfictional, so not about me, so
(34:25):
more fictional.
And I just like wrote onechapter and I want to see if I
should continue this, but alsothis I saw it like a learning to
learn first because I do it forthe first time, so I never
published something in the book,so this is a new area for me.
So I just wrote as also likefor podcasting and for other
stuff many texts but not likefor books.
(34:48):
So I want to try and I try totake some time.
So, as I said to myself, so nowin the beginning of year, so I
want to try and and I try totake some time.
So, as I said to myself, so nowin the beginning of year, I
want to do a lot of interviews,but I can publish in the next
five months, just upload themand then I have some time to try
to write something and I willsee.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
So please do keep writing.
I think that if it's so hard towrite a novel I've been trying
to write a novel for years and Iwent to school to write and I
am still finding it very hardbut you just do have to keep
going.
Someone just sent me a book asa gift on screenwriting which
she was using for her novel.
(35:26):
It doesn't really matter, it'smore about plot.
It's called Save the Cat, andso since I just got that in the
mail yesterday as a gift, Ithought I'd mention maybe check
out Save the Cat if you need torethink your plot or something.
I'm sorry about the dog barking, but keep writing.
We need your voice.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Yeah, I am so interested in that and I feel
like Jezna actually had thisconversation where you know we
want to write, but I thinkmaking it like fiction allows us
to be a little bit more I don'tknow like creative, I guess,
even with our own story.
So I feel like I love how youare tying that in with such a
(36:04):
sensitive subject and it's alsolike I don't know why I'm like
this.
I feel like roma just have somuch trauma, like all we could
do is laugh about it sometimes,like all we could do is just
kind of, you know, like what arewe even doing here?
And I think, make itentertaining to a degree.
(36:25):
But I feel like, yeah, sharing,sharing, that is extremely
important and I love your twiston it.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
Yeah, thank you, you just mentioned it like when I
started to write one chapterabout the Kosovo War.
So for me it's a trauma If Iwould just write a biographic so
I would not be able to do it,because it's very traumatical,
this kind of story, to have itas a children, as a kid, and
then I I chose for myself to say, okay, I take something reality
(36:55):
and try to combine it.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
So I think this is the best and also creative way
for myself to combine it and todo it yeah yeah, I think that's
the cool thing about actuallyit's so interesting the person
who sent me the book about plotwe were actually having, excuse
me, we're having a discussionabout how, when you're writing
about traumatic material even ifyou're writing fiction that
(37:16):
might be connected to your lifethere's something very soothing
about being able to put it intoa structure where you are now
organizing the chaos of trauma.
Or, you know, when we look atthe big things that are just so
difficult to express or pin down, and in this world you're
creating, you are creating thestory and there's something
(37:38):
empowering about that and havinga structure to do it really
lets you do it, because it'seasy also to just get lost in
the, in the trauma of writing orwriting about trauma, depending
on how you feel about it.
So, yeah, keep keep going withthat.
Speaker 4 (37:53):
That's amazing and it's also fun, uh, interesting,
because I started to dosomething and then you start to
have like characters.
Then you think about, okay,which age could have this
character, which hair color isher or his or their background,
and then you start to write,first on characters to think to.
(38:15):
Then it feels like you createreally a character you know and
then you can start to write astory yeah, well, I love that
we're so excited.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
please keep us, I'm sorry, oh no, just keep us
updated on your writing, forsure.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
And thank you so much for coming on the show and
talking about everything in youractivism work and we really
appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Yeah, we really appreciate your work and your
time and this has been apleasure, and so, listeners,
please go check out Amaro voicefor part one of this episode and
also just everything else thatAmado Voice has done.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
And, yeah, thank you so much for your time.
Bye, bye.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Thank you for listening to Romanistan Podcast.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
You can find us on Instagram, tiktok and Facebook
at Romanistan Podcast and onTwitter at RomanistanPod, to
support us, join our patreon forextra content or just donate to
our coffee fundraiser, ko-ficombackslash romanisan, and please
rate, review and subscribe.
It helps people find our show.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
it helps us so much you can follow jez on instagram
at jasminavantila and paulina atromaniholistic.
You can get our book Secrets ofRomani Fortune-Telling online
or wherever books are sold.
Visit romanistanpodcastcom forevents, educational resources
(40:02):
and more.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Email us at romanistanpodcast at gmailcom
for inquiries Romanistan ishosted by Jasmina Vontila and
Paulina Stevens, conceived of byPaulina Stevens, edited by
Victor Pachas, with music byVictor Pachas and artwork by
Elijah Vardo.
Hey, ramana Sound listeners, just popping in to
remind you that our first everWelcome to Ramana Sound Festival
is happening March 28th to 30th2025 in New Orleans, cottage,
(00:27):
magic, bimbo Yaga Productionsand us and anyone who's been
contributing to our book tourfundraiser, which is still
ongoing, and you can kick in,get a signed copy of Secrets of
Romani Fortune Telling, get atarot card, get all kinds of
things to help.
But basically it's happening.
Go to romanosanpodcastcom.
There are so many really cool,exciting events.
I will just give you thequickest of rundowns.
(00:49):
We're starting off with aliterary panel, then we're doing
a live recording of RomanasanPodcasts at Cafe Istanbul.
Then we're doing afortune-telling pop-up, followed
by a literary salon with LilithDorsey and her ritual blessing,
and then our Tarot andAncestors Communication Workshop
(01:09):
, rounding out the evening withBB's Kitchen, a Romani-style
feast with tea leaf reading.
There's so many cool thingshappening.
If you're in New Orleans, pleasestop by, share with your
friends in New Orleans, fly inif you can.
We would love to see you.
Romanosanpodcastcom you can getall your tickets there and,
yeah, we just can't wait.
(01:29):
So thanks for being here.
Enjoy this wonderful episode wehave prepared for you.
Our Amaro Voice crossoverepisode.
Yay.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Welcome to Romanistan .
Speaker 1 (01:52):
We're your friendly neighborhood gypsies I'm Paulina
and I'm Jez.
We're here with Senor Nenishiand we are so excited because
this is our Amara Voicecrossover.
You can listen to Amara Voicefor part one, where we are
interviewed, and now we aregoing to talk to Seynour
ourselves.
(02:13):
We're so excited.
Thank you for being here.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Seynour Memishi is a journalist and Roma activist
from Germany.
He is originally from Kosovoand escaped in 1999 with his
family to Germany because of theKosovo War.
He studied media management and, since April 2020, has produced
podcasts about Sinti and Roma.
He began the podcast Sinti RomaNews, formerly Rhyme podcast,
(02:42):
in the German language.
Three of his German-speakingpodcast episodes were nominated
for media prizes Civis MediaPrize and the German Podcast
Prize.
Since 2023, he is thecommission audio for the Civis
Media Prize, where he can usehis vote to nominate other
podcasts.
In March 2024, to nominateother podcasts In March 2024, he
(03:06):
started a new English-languagepodcast, amaro Voice, about
European Roma, so welcome.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
We're so happy to have you.
Thank you.
We always start off askingabout where you and your family
are from your vita and where youare now.
And you say in your bio yourfamily escaped the your vita and
where you are now.
And you say in your bio yourfamily escaped the war in Kosovo
and you're in Germany andyou're doing activist and
journalist work that we are veryimpressed by.
Would you like to share alittle bit about your experience
coming to Germany as a refugeeand how that might have shaped
(03:38):
your advocacy?
Speaker 4 (03:49):
So first I was born in Pristina it's the capital of
Kosovo in 1992.
And then we lived in the Romaneighborhood.
It was called Muravskas.
But on this Roman neighborhoodit wasn't just like for Roma
people.
There was also living likeTurkish people and Albanian
people, because Kosovo formerlywas part of the Ottoman Empire,
before it was Yugoslavia.
So in that time it wasYugoslavia and in 1999 we had a
(04:13):
war and we needed to escape, butwe didn't know where we should
go.
So my parents wanted to go toItaly, because a lot of people
from our communities live innorth of Italy.
But my uncles and my aunts,they were living in Germany
before, because some of themcame as guest workers to work in
(04:34):
Germany.
But some of them came alsobecause in the Balkans we had
two different wars, one in 1992and one in 1999, and some of our
family members came to Germanybecause of the war from the 92.
And so that's why we came up toGermany, because my grandma was
with us.
So for my dad it was importantto just bring his mom to his
(04:56):
siblings that they can see her.
So actually we wanted to goback to Italy, but then family
members told us no, stay here inGermany, germany, and then this
is how we ended up to stay inGermany and, yeah, so it was
very difficult because we neededto go from country to country,
so it took many time and also itwasn't always.
(05:20):
I can say the escaping in thebeginning wasn't always legal,
you know.
So well.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Thank you for sharing that.
That's definitely a reallyinteresting story and I love how
your parents just listen toyour family, like that's what
you do you just listen towhatever the family says.
So we want to ask you ourfamous question, do you?
Speaker 4 (05:47):
consider yourself a rebel.
I would say yes, but we neededto be a rebel, you know, because
in the beginning we escaped thewar and in the war we escaped
it because people weresystematically killing Romani
people or you know.
So sorry trigger warning Iforgot the trigger warning, so
(06:09):
the system was like a genocide,but still not recognized as it.
And to escape from the war youneed to be a rebel, I think.
But always when you start anactivist, you kind of when you
are younger, you have moreenergy, you kind of more rebel.
And I would say now maybe I'mmore little bit, not so much
(06:31):
rebel when I was starting, Idon't know, like eight years ago
, so now I'm more wiser, I knowwhen should I be rebel and when
I should not be rebel.
Because if I feel like in thebeginning, when I started, I was
some in the wrong time rebel,what maybe was doing for my work
more difficult than it shouldbe, uh, for your work.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Do you mean your work in journalism like?
Speaker 4 (06:55):
you were.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
You're being a rebel there I mean like being as
activists, as journalism beforein the media, yeah, I mean, it's
so important to I think you'reabsolutely right that genocide
in Kosovo is not really talkedabout enough or recognized as
genocide, and there are so manythings that are ongoing that we
(07:19):
need to make noise about, eventhough the system doesn't want
us to.
And yeah, that's what we reallyappreciate about your work too,
and oh, let's see, we wouldlove to know what inspired you
to start podcasting and what hasthe experience been like for
Speaker 4 (07:38):
you so my inspiring was so do different things.
I will start shortly, becausemy dad is also a journalist, so
he had his own radio show inKosovo, in Pristina.
We had our own radio show andour own TV show where Roman
people in media and alsojournalists was doing different
(07:59):
kind of work.
So my dad was in the you know,redaction we say in Germany
redaction I don't know how tosay for English, for he was
choosing the topics, what theyshould talk about, like for
research and for radio.
He was moderating his own show.
He was talking about romani,people from, from the balkans.
He was playing romani music,like balkan roman music.
(08:22):
And so I was three or four.
Uh, one day he took me to hisjob, because I remember as a kid
I was listening to his radioshow and I always ask him can
you take me to your job?
I want to see how you work.
So I think I was four.
Then he took me to the studio,to the radio, where he was
working.
I can remember and since then Iwas very passionate and in love
(08:45):
with this work and I said like,no, I want to be something with
media, something likejournalists.
And then when I was killed Iwas like playing moderating for
my grandma and her friends inthe in the roman neighborhood.
So I was doing like shows anddoing something, acting and like
just doing the same like my dadwas doing.
(09:06):
And then when I came to Germany,I wanted to do something with
media.
That's why I was in media arts,in media management school, so
I learned everything how to editvideo, audio, to do website
graphics, everything that youknow about media.
I learned everything in schooland also started after that.
I wasn't sure if I should do onmicrophone or in front of
(09:31):
camera, so I wasn't ready forthat.
And then I decided to be behindthe scenes and I was doing for
German TV companies.
And then, during my activismwith Tanny Pehr and Dickie
Labista, I was more empoweredand said, okay, that's a good
option to combine journalism,media with Roma.
And I started first withInstagram.
(09:51):
So my Instagram page was calledBefore Roma Youth Media.
So I was doing stories.
I wanted just to change thenarrative about our people and
to show that we are very diverse.
And also the beginning my ideawas like how I can change the
narrative.
I was just doing instagramstories about famous romani
people from the world and then Ilistened podcasts like for a
(10:11):
long time since 2014-15, Ilistened true crime podcasts,
but also like podcasts about prowrestling.
So this is how I came up topodcast then, because I realized
this is kind of modern versionof radio, because before I
wanted to work for radio but inGermany I got never the
opportunity.
And then I was doing researchon Spotify, just wrote Sinti and
(10:32):
Roma or just Roma, and to seewhat is on Spotify about Roma
and I realized there was justfew interviews from German media
with Romani, rose or otherpeople from the city, roma
activism and NGO work and Irealized there's nothing.
And then I said, ok, then COVIDCorona pandemic started and
(10:53):
then it was the best opportunitybecause I had time, I was at
home and then in April 2020, Ijust started and the beginning
wasn't so perfect because of theaudio quality.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
But I just started.
Speaker 3 (11:13):
That's wasn't so perfect because of the audio
quality, but I just started.
That's amazing, what a story.
I just I love that your dadinspired you.
Yeah, he was a OG podcasterback in the day.
I think it's amazing all thework that you've done and I
definitely want to say thank youLiterally thank you so much for
all that you've done and yourfamily.
Really interesting story.
What is your current vision foryour podcast, amado Voice?
Speaker 4 (11:49):
So it's important for me because also started
activism with telepanic Navistabefore that before because I
started to be activists verylate in 2017.
Before that I wasn't so activeso I never knew.
I knew that we have manydifferent Romani people also
Sinti, manoush and other groupswho are similar like Roma in
(12:10):
Europe but also across the worldthat we are so diverse.
I kind of knew a little bit ofsome things, but when I started
with my international activism Irealized how diverse really we
are.
And then I was doing researchon my own.
So this is important for mewith this podcast to show that
we are.
And then I was doing researchon my own.
So this is a part for me withthis podcast to show that we are
many different Romani Sinti,traveler, vanuish and other
groups from Europe and the wholeworld.
(12:31):
So in the beginning was focusedEurope, but then we realized no
, we need to do more.
We are more diverse than Europe.
So there are many that we haveRoma in Brazil, we are in South
America, we have Roma in othercontinents, in Morocco, etc.
So we want to show differentvoices from different groups and
communities from Europe andalso in media.
(12:55):
It's sadly that our peopledon't have so much
representation and voices, so wewant to try that's why I'm with
our voices to show differentpeople and to give them a voice.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
That's beautiful.
Yeah, you're right.
There are so many differenttypes of Roma all over the world
, and we've been wanting tointerview people from South
America and other places that wehaven't got to yet.
It's just, there's an endlessamount of content.
We just keep doing interestingthings and finding interesting
(13:29):
people.
Our listeners have probablyheard of the organization Dike
Na Bister, which translates toLook and Don't Forget.
We love their work with Roma,genocide Remembrance Initiatives
and education for young people.
It's so important to get theyoung people involved, and
you've been a volunteer withthem since 2017.
(13:49):
We would love to know moreabout your work with them, but
also how others can get involvedand support it.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
So I basically started 2017 as a participant
for the German group.
So one of from the organizersfrom Germany, who was part of
the people who createdTechnipair and Technipair
organized Diki Nyavista.
So he always asked me do youwant to participate for Diki
Nyavista?
But in 2015 and 16, I wasworking for German media company
(14:20):
and we always, because of thelive shows, I couldn't have the
time in summer to go to DickeNeubister.
Then my contract was finishedin 2017 in summer and then he
asked me do you want to come toDicke Neubister said yeah, okay,
why not?
So I was, in 2017, participantfor the German group because in
Dicke Neubister as a specialist,we have different participants
(14:41):
from different countries.
So every country is one or twongos who bring their
participants from their country,so almost like 20 to 22
countries who brings theirparticipants.
And then in 2018, I wasfacilitator.
So I was doing a workshop forthe first time and I mean, of
(15:02):
course, I learned english inschool, but my english wasn't so
good.
Maybe I'm speaking now.
It was very bad.
But because of dick in abyssal,because I was every year there
and I had a lot of friends, Imet friends and people.
Then, of course, of this youhave, you have more practice,
because if you just learn inschool, if you don't have to
practice, you will not learn it.
And then in 2018, like I said,I was facilitator doing a
(15:24):
workshop and then since 2019, Iwas part of the media team.
So in dikina vista we have ourown media team.
One guy, delphi lakatos we willhave also an interview with him
.
He was doing like short movies.
He's a filmmaker from poland,so he was doing movies.
Then we have other movie makerfrom slovakia who is roma, who
(15:45):
was doing something.
Then we had people who wasdoing photos, or people who was
writing description and postingfor website or who was creating
the description for instagramand facebook.
So we was working together.
I was mostly doing likeinstagram stories and doing
interviews for my podcast.
So since 2019, I was part ofthis media team and then also
(16:05):
just in 2023, I was the Germangroup leader.
So we have also group leaderswho brings their participants.
So Dikinabisa is basically youhave the organizing team who
invites many NGOs from Europe.
They give you like we have onehostel where everybody sleeps,
(16:26):
so every NGO brings their peoplefrom five to nine participants
from one country.
So this example one NGO fromGermany, then other from Spain,
italy, different countries, andevery NGO has one group leader
and the group leader has the jobto care about his participants
or her participants.
(16:47):
You know, going to Auschwitz isalways emotionally, so you need
to care for people.
But also we have in theuniversity in Krakow Krakow we
are we have in the universityworkshops.
So as group leader you need totake care that your participants
go to the workshops, somethinglike this.
And then we have thefacilitator.
We have 20 facilitator, soevery workshop group has two or
(17:08):
three facilitator, so you havelike 10 workshop groups.
Every workshop group do thesame.
We have a calendar, like inschool, but I will do the same.
But we mix them.
You know, like in one workshopgroup you have two, three
participants from germany, two,three participants from spain,
from italy.
We mix them that people can getto know each other and can
connect internationally.
And in the last few years wehad also few one, two, three
(17:32):
participants from the usa.
Last year we had participantsfrom brazil and other from
canada.
We had also sometimes just oneor two persons who came, came
very far away and immediatelydoing videos and stories and
pictures for posting, because wepost on Instagram, on Facebook
and on the websitesecondaugusteu more about
(17:54):
Antikinamista.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
It's such an important program.
We're just so grateful that itexists.
We really do need so much moreeducation around Roma and Sinti
and the Holocaust, and it's agreat program.
I know someone, naomi NikronovDikla Collective, who did it a
few years back and she only justhad the most wonderful things
(18:17):
to say about it.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
As we're talking about Romani representation in
media and literature, we heardthat you have been researching
Romani heroes and characters inDC and Marvel.
We've talked with Robin Bader afew times on the podcast about
Romani comic book heroes andwould love to know what you've
been researching about Roma incomics and anime.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
Yeah, so I had two years ago a project with the EVZ
Foundation.
So EVZ Foundation supportsJewish and Romani projects.
It can be related to theHolocaust but also other topics
like empowerment.
So I had a project where I wasdoing about heroes a podcast
series about fictional heroesbut also real life heroes like
(19:05):
Holocaust survivors.
So on the fictional heroes, Iwas doing research about DC,
marvel and also anime Are youinto DC, Marvel and anime, so do
you know a little bit.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Yeah, I wouldn't call myself well versed in comics,
but I think they're really cooland fun and I'll see the movies
and I'll like flip throughcomics in the store and things
like that.
Paulina, you grew up readingcomics though.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Yeah, I do like a lot of comics and I have been I.
What's really weird is, as wehave been talking in our
previous episodes with Robin,like comics that I actually
really love Doom and things likethat.
It's rare that I read theorigin stories or sometimes I
have, but a lot of the times Ijust kind of remember the gist
of the characters and a lot ofcharacters are actually roma.
(19:51):
So I was like shocked to hearthat some of my favorite
characters had some like romanihistory or even interactions you
know what I mean, like magnetoand stuff like that.
But I'm a fan.
I like some anime, but not toofamiliar with it.
I know I I watch some now, butprobably newer vampire stuff on
(20:13):
netflix, stuff like that yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
So I like also the marvel movies, but for only the
marvel movies.
But I would say myself more asa c fan.
So I like to the whole batmandark universe and that it's more
realistic and not likesuperpowers so you need to train
and to gain everything.
So I like this kind of thestory and I'm more into anime
and manga.
So first, when we talk aboutmarvel, you maybe heard about
(20:39):
stan lee, who created Marvel anda lot of characters for Marvel.
So Stan Lee, his family, isoriginally from Romania, so his
family came as immigrants to theUSA from Romania.
But Stan Lee was born in USA.
So it's interesting becauseMarvel has a lot of romantic
characters, even more than DC.
(21:00):
Dc has maybe just one or two,just one character, but marvel
has a lot.
So it's interesting.
But also, the marvel charactersnever got titled with racial
slur, always romani or different.
Of course the superpowers orother stuff can be talked about
if it's stereotypics.
But he knew about roma.
So my theory.
(21:22):
So the question is like wow, heknew a lot about roma in that
time.
So my theory maybe his familygrew up with roma in romania or
his family was roma from romaniawho immigrated to usa.
So that's just my theory, it'snot proof, but it's proof that
his parents came from romania asimmigrants USA.
(21:43):
So a lot of characters.
So in Marvel you maybe heardabout Nightcrawler.
He's not Roma but he gotadopted by a Roma family.
So his mom is called Margalie,so she has like witchcraft
superpowers and she adoptedNightcrawler when he was like a
baby, and then Doctor Doom.
She adopted Nightcrawler whenhe was like a baby and then Dr
(22:04):
Doom.
So in the next Marvel cinematicuniverse he will be played by
Robert Downey Jr, so Dr Doom isalso a Roma character.
Then you have Scarlet Witch andher twin Quicksilver.
So for these two there's liketwo stories, two different
background stories.
So one of them's where they arehalf jewish and half romanian
(22:25):
as children from magneto likemagneto is jewish but created a
spy identity as a roman to fightagainst nazis and his wife was
roman.
And the other story aboutscarlet witch and quicksilver is
that they are both full romafrom sovakiya, like sokovia, and
Sokovia is like a fictionalcountry which should be like
(22:46):
between Serbia and Bulgaria inthe Balkans, and they got raised
by their aunt and uncle who areRoma.
Then in DC you have Nightwing.
Nightwing was the first Robinfor Batman.
So you have one comic book.
It was called Gffing knights,volume 20, something like this.
(23:06):
It was released in 2001.
So if you just google robinromani on google and go to
pictures, then you will see somescreenshots from this comic
where they use romani languagein the comic when he was talking
to his grandpa or to otherpeople.
And there's also another comicbook it's called Nightwing,
annual, volume 1 in 1997.
(23:28):
So on this you can find thatthey use Romani language when he
was talking to his parents orto his dad.
Like Nightwing, his dad isRomani and his mom is like
American and also the fans.
You know, in this fictional erayou have, like this, canon and
(23:49):
non-canon about stories.
So in 2015 fans asked dc ontwitter if his romani identity
is canon.
Dc approved before on tweet andthen in anime, maybe you heard
about Sailor Moon and on SailorMoon one character is called
(24:09):
Sailor Pluto and it's not 100%sure, but people discuss about
this and say that she's Roma.
And then there is an anime.
It's called Fullmetal Alchemistand Fullmetal Alchemist had a
movie.
It's called conqueror ofshambhala.
The main character of fullmetal alchemist meets a woman
(24:31):
who is called noah.
So it's in the time after thefirst world war, where they
chose roma and sinti people whowas faced discrimination from
the naz, from the Germans.
So it's about this time.
So the movie is calledConqueror of Shambhala.
And then there is also oneanime from the 90s, cowboy Bebop
(24:53):
.
There is one character calledFire Valentine, but for her they
said she had amnesia, so shewas thinking that she was Roma.
But it's not 100%, but theywere talking about Roma, and
there's also many other alimeswho are maybe not that much
famous.
In the 70s there were also afew alimes about Roma from Japan
(25:16):
.
Speaker 3 (25:18):
Wow, that's so interesting.
Yeah, wow, that is so cool, sointeresting yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Wow, that is so cool.
Yeah, there's so manyopportunities to get more Romani
content out there with Romaniactors and writers is where my
brain immediately goes.
But I also didn't know thatthere was Romani representation
in Full Metal Alchemist.
I had a student years back whenI was teaching shout out to
Fatima who kept telling me towatch it.
(25:42):
She said it was so good, so nowI'm definitely going to.
That's so cool thank you so muchfor doing that research too,
because I think that people getso excited when they hear of
romani representation in thingsand it gives them an opportunity
to see themselves in literatureand it's an they might do
(26:02):
something with that.
They might work on the nextproject, so that's.
That's really cool.
What are some of your favoriteroma made representations of
(26:31):
roma in the media or inliterature?
from from roma yeah, yeah, andyou know there's.
There's definitely more andmore out there and um, I'm more
aware of things that arehappening in english literature,
like there, um are books comingout like salvage, or um lynn
(26:52):
hutchinson leaves new book.
But I don't know too much abouteuropean literature or media
representation of roma, exceptfor things that go big like
infamy or something.
But specifically just want toknow if you have any roma
authors, creators that you wouldrecommend for their portrayal
of roma yeah, so I know, likeexample, for media in sweden
(27:16):
they have like their own radioshow about roma in romani
language.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
It's like the radio show is part of the main radio
public media company so it'scalled radio romano maybe you
heard about it.
So they make like moderation onroman language.
So my uncle is moderating therethis world.
Yeah, and I saw also.
Sometimes I cannot understandbecause I think it's czech or
(27:43):
slovakian, but I know romea.
They're doing like media work,videos, different stuff like tv
in c, czech Republic andSlovakia.
I mean, I cannot understand thelanguage, but I see they're
doing good professional work.
I know in Germany a few yearsago one Sinti woman, tayu
(28:05):
Abuzuzunutur.
She created a book withchildren for children.
It's called Chokiziklub, Ithink it's mixed in german and
romani language.
So she just released the secondvolume, I think last year in
2024, and to be honest, I didn'tsaw so much.
I saw that you was publishing abook and also like tayo was the
(28:29):
only to um the like book forchildren.
I think we need more in thisdirection.
But also I saw that we havemany podcasts.
So I'm very happy that in thelast four years, because when I
started like in podcast I feltlike alone.
So it's good that we havedifferent podcasts who represent
(28:49):
different communities from us,maybe different languages.
I know that we have now twodifferent romani podcasts in
romani language, like one fromkosovo, one from north makedonia
, I think, one is fromromalitico and one from radio
romano avaso something like thisand and also in other, like in
hungarian language.
(29:09):
I saw one podcast and yours manyyears ago.
I found out and was listening.
It's very cool that we createdlike our own rubric category,
roma content, and it's also goodfor the algorithm, you know.
So I don't like it's good tohave different stuff.
So not to be to have this kindof mindset, to think you need to
(29:32):
have a competition and just you.
So because I think if somebodyis watching my episode or your
episode in course of thealgorithm, if they see this
consumer is interesting forromani content, they, after my
or your episode, they will getapproved.
How to say they will get toanother episode from other
people.
So like I don't know how to saythis in english.
(29:53):
In english, the word no, thatmakes sense.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Yeah, no, that's.
Speaker 4 (29:56):
The dream is that they'll see that there's demand
and they'll start producing likeexample, if I uh, I'm
interested in anime and Iwatched one amina episode, I
watched rank boy and then, afterI finished rank boy, they will
show me another anime fromdifferent people, so I will
learn more about it.
So this is, I think, good alsofor the algorithm to have more
different content, moredifferent podcasts, different
(30:19):
stuff, also maybe stuff wedidn't have.
So I would like to see morebooks, but also more creative
and artistic content fordifferent people, also not so
many for children.
I saw on tiktok also.
I forgot their name.
I need to look.
So I saw on tiktok because Iknow because of my nieces, they
watch a lot of music forchildren about the letters from
(30:43):
a to z or different stuff.
So I saw like one tiktokchannel who was or two different
tikt channels who was doinglike for Roma children, singing
in Romani language about theletters, about different stuff.
One guy he take like children'ssongs and create it in Roma
Balkan version for children, youknow.
(31:04):
So I think this is like atarget group, but not so many
people did, and when I seesomething new, I like this.
Speaker 3 (31:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
I think that's wonderful at wapa.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
That's so nice who are your romani crushes, and you
know just all you admireanybody I think, we don't have
to get personal I think maybethis should be my secret.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
No, I'm joking please do share all your secrets.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
We would love that no , no, I think this should be
better, uh, as a secret, um, no,but I think I respect everybody
um who go in public and do ngowork or media work or other
works, because it's verycritical and difficult if you're
part of the Romani communitiesor Sinti Traveler Manus.
(31:58):
However, if you go in public andyou say that you're part of
these communities, you alwaysget hate comments or it can be
dangerous.
You know, from people who aremaybe right-wing and also some
people I know lose their jobsbecause they say in public that
they're Roma.
You know, um, from people whoare maybe right wing and also
some people I know lose theirjobs because the same public
that they're roma.
You know, and I respecteverybody who can go in public
(32:19):
and say we are having this ngoand we are doing work for our
people, we want to help ourpeople and it's it's not easy.
If you're roman, going, mangoing, you know, say like this
but about the crush, maybe it'sbetter than a secret.
So I don't know, but I respecteverybody who is doing this, try
this and do this.
Speaker 1 (32:40):
Love that Very diplomatic answer.
That's great.
I mean we share that too.
I mean we don't have to agreewith everyone to appreciate that
(33:10):
they're other doing good work.
What do you have coming up onthe horizon that you would like
to share with listeners?
Speaker 4 (33:19):
yes, so I'm just doing right now the amara voice
podcast because of this newproject also with that
foundation.
But I would.
I want to write a book.
I have like two ideas.
One is want to write a book.
I have like two ideas.
One is more to write a book,like fictional, and one is more
serious, not fictional.
And for the serious one, I wantfirst to write a book, but I
(33:42):
don't know if I would publishthis as a book.
I would just to write it and tomake the research and then to
create like a podcast seriesabout it and maybe, if I have
enough writings, then alsopublish as a book.
But I also want to write a booklike fictional, always about
Roma.
I want to do something liketake something real, what is
(34:03):
happening, or some inspiration,but create a fictional version
of it, to combine reality withfiction.
And but I always say I want towrite.
So I start four years ago towrite something about my
experience with the war inkosovo, but I took also the same
some of the reality and createdfictional, so not about me, so
(34:25):
more fictional.
And I just like wrote onechapter and I want to see if I
should continue this, but alsothis I saw it like a learning to
learn first because I do it forthe first time, so I never
published something in the book,so this is a new area for me.
So I just wrote as also likefor podcasting and for other
stuff many texts but not likefor books.
(34:48):
So I want to try and I try totake some time.
So, as I said to myself, so nowin the beginning of year, so I
want to try and and I try totake some time.
So, as I said to myself, so nowin the beginning of year, I
want to do a lot of interviews,but I can publish in the next
five months, just upload themand then I have some time to try
to write something and I willsee.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
So please do keep writing.
I think that if it's so hard towrite a novel I've been trying
to write a novel for years and Iwent to school to write and I
am still finding it very hardbut you just do have to keep
going.
Someone just sent me a book asa gift on screenwriting which
she was using for her novel.
(35:26):
It doesn't really matter, it'smore about plot.
It's called Save the Cat, andso since I just got that in the
mail yesterday as a gift, Ithought I'd mention maybe check
out Save the Cat if you need torethink your plot or something.
I'm sorry about the dog barking, but keep writing.
We need your voice.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Yeah, I am so interested in that and I feel
like Jezna actually had thisconversation where you know we
want to write, but I thinkmaking it like fiction allows us
to be a little bit more I don'tknow like creative, I guess,
even with our own story.
So I feel like I love how youare tying that in with such a
(36:04):
sensitive subject and it's alsolike I don't know why I'm like
this.
I feel like roma just have somuch trauma, like all we could
do is laugh about it sometimes,like all we could do is just
kind of, you know, like what arewe even doing here?
And I think, make itentertaining to a degree.
(36:25):
But I feel like, yeah, sharing,sharing, that is extremely
important and I love your twiston it.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
Yeah, thank you, you just mentioned it like when I
started to write one chapterabout the Kosovo War.
So for me it's a trauma If Iwould just write a biographic so
I would not be able to do it,because it's very traumatical,
this kind of story, to have itas a children, as a kid, and
then I I chose for myself to say, okay, I take something reality
(36:55):
and try to combine it.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
So I think this is the best and also creative way
for myself to combine it and todo it yeah yeah, I think that's
the cool thing about actuallyit's so interesting the person
who sent me the book about plotwe were actually having, excuse
me, we're having a discussionabout how, when you're writing
about traumatic material even ifyou're writing fiction that
(37:16):
might be connected to your lifethere's something very soothing
about being able to put it intoa structure where you are now
organizing the chaos of trauma.
Or, you know, when we look atthe big things that are just so
difficult to express or pin down, and in this world you're
creating, you are creating thestory and there's something
(37:38):
empowering about that and havinga structure to do it really
lets you do it, because it'seasy also to just get lost in
the, in the trauma of writing orwriting about trauma, depending
on how you feel about it.
So, yeah, keep keep going withthat.
Speaker 4 (37:53):
That's amazing and it's also fun, uh, interesting,
because I started to dosomething and then you start to
have like characters.
Then you think about, okay,which age could have this
character, which hair color isher or his or their background,
and then you start to write,first on characters to think to.
(38:15):
Then it feels like you createreally a character you know and
then you can start to write astory yeah, well, I love that
we're so excited.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
please keep us, I'm sorry, oh no, just keep us
updated on your writing, forsure.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
And thank you so much for coming on the show and
talking about everything in youractivism work and we really
appreciate you.
Speaker 1 (38:42):
Yeah, we really appreciate your work and your
time and this has been apleasure, and so, listeners,
please go check out Amaro voicefor part one of this episode and
also just everything else thatAmado Voice has done.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
And, yeah, thank you so much for your time.
Bye, bye.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
Thank you for listening to Romanistan Podcast.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
You can find us on Instagram, tiktok and Facebook
at Romanistan Podcast and onTwitter at RomanistanPod, to
support us, join our patreon forextra content or just donate to
our coffee fundraiser, ko-ficombackslash romanisan, and please
rate, review and subscribe.
It helps people find our show.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
it helps us so much you can follow jez on instagram
at jasminavantila and paulina atromaniholistic.
You can get our book Secrets ofRomani Fortune-Telling online
or wherever books are sold.
Visit romanistanpodcastcom forevents, educational resources
(40:02):
and more.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Email us at romanistanpodcast at gmailcom
for inquiries Romanistan ishosted by Jasmina Vontila and
Paulina Stevens, conceived of byPaulina Stevens, edited by
Victor Pachas, with music byVictor Pachas and artwork by
Elijah Vardo.
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