Princes Amongst Men: Journeys With Gypsy Musicians

by Garth Cartwright

Wide-ranging, irreverent and humorous, packed with fascinating - and sometimes tragic - details on lands and people who are rarely heard from.

Princes Amongst Men is the only book to provide an overview of Gypsy music across the Balkans, documenting remarkable artistry in former Yugoslavia, Romania and Bulgaria. It is also the only travelogue available through terrain many consider to be Europe's 'Badlands', covering ghettoes and villages, railways and motorways, weddings and funerals, festivals and dive bars.

No other writer has emulated the spirit of Jack Kerouac on the Balkan roads, in search of adventure, artistry and romance.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Music

352 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

Reviews

[Vilis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tīri jauki Dienvidaustrumeiropas apceļošanas iespaidi apvienojumā ar kruto čigānu mūziķu aprakstiem, tikai reizēm autors pārspīlē ar centieniem līdzināties Keruakam savos aprakstos.

[Adam Dupaski · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Princes Amongst Men" is a great account of Balkan Romani music with overall solid insights into historical, ethnic, and mythic backgrounds. Cartwright's journey through Serbia , Macedonia, Romania, and Bulgaria makes for illuminating reading at the intersection of travelogue and exploration of little-known musical traditions. The fact Cartwright had ins with Esma Redzepova, Boban Markovic, Fanfare Ciocarlia, and a slew of other heavyweights makes this imperative reading for anyone interested in Romani music.

Despite my fascination with the subject, however, I found Cartwright's writing rather weak. In attempting to reflect the energy of this music and the excitement of his travels, he reverts far too often to corny stream-of-consciousness pseudo-Beat jargon and cringe-worthy attempts at hip-hop slang. His text really could have benefited from better editing, as what passes for style can be quite clumsy and is often riddled with poor grammar. Additionally, Cartwright's interminable comparisons to American blues and references to hip-hop culture grow stale and seem an easy out in trying to describe the social complexity and unique passion of Romani music.

Ultimately this is a highly enjoyable read, though, and I hope it helps spread word of these fantastic musicians. And even though they are Hungarian, I do wish there had been a visit paid to the group Parno Graszt!

[Nicki Pfaff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I'm traveling the Balkans this summer, mainly to check out the Guca festival in Serbia, this book is indispensable to planning my trip! For everybody who doesn't want to run away to the Balkans, this book is still superb in its empathetic voice toward a beautiful culture and people.

[Lemar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rollicking good fun and important account of gypsy music in the Balkans. As someone who loves Jazz Manouche, the music of Django Reinhardt this opened a whole new element of Roma music and Culture.

[Scott]

I couldn't get thru this one. Too much gypsy music talk, not enuff travel. The unpronouncable names make it a harder read.

[Emma Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It's colourful and vibrant and a real gem. My colleague recommended it to me, and I kept it as my 'bath book' and dipped into it whenever I had a soak. Utterly fascinating journey round southern and eastern Europe and the Balkans. I was actually fortunate enough to see Esma Redzepova live a few years ago, so it was lovely to read all about her and her life. I believe there is a CD which accompanies this book, which i'll need to seek out. I think i'm going to keep coming back to this book again and again. What a joy!