Gypsy Caravan 2 features musicians and dancers in an incredible display of Roma traditions from India, Macedonia, Romania and Spain. Their performance at the Fine Arts Center provides an opportunity to learn about the diverse traditions that have been nurtured and maintained by Gypsies in a concert that follows the migration of the Roma people from Rajasthan, India to Western Europe.

Gypsy Caravan is composed of four distinctive music and dance ensembles: Maharaja, dazzling musicians and dancers from northwest India, the origin of the Gypsies; Esma Redzepova, Macedonia's Queen of the Gypsies performing with Ensemble Teodosievski; Fanfare Ciocarlia, a 10-member Romanian brass band creating dizzying tempos and intricate rhythms; and Antonio El Pipa Flamenco Ensemble, Spain's mesmerizing and charismatic vocal and dancing family troupe. The evening's performance begins with a procession of all of the musicians and dancers bringing to mind the journey of the Roma people, and concludes with a newly commissioned collaborative work featuring Maharaja and Antonio El Pipa Flamenco Ensemble.

The Roma people migrated westward from northwest India in the 11th century. By 1500, Roma people lived through Europe, bringing music, dance, fortune telling, agricultural labor, metalworking and basketry traditions, and more to the places the lived. However, they remained a people on the move due to political oppression and even violence. While the experiences of the Roma people vary widely, they do share a common thread in their art: they preserve elements of their Roma identity while integrating cultural elements of their new homeland. Gypsy Caravan II: A Celebration of Music and Dance reflects that common thread in a lively, emotional, engaging show.

Asian Dance & Music and the Center Series present Gypsy Caravan II on Sunday, October 21, at 7:30PM. For tickets and information, call the Fine Arts Center Box Office at 545-2511 or 1-800-999-UMAS, or go to our website at www.fineartscenter.com.