Among FAST's many projects (including building homes for families living in makeshift shelters, and providing education, food and fun for children) is a particular project that has grabbed my attention. The new “Rroma Music Project” has been created to help to keep the traditional Rroma music alive, to be shared and enjoyed throughout the community and the wider regions. The project involves teaching children to play a variety of instruments (including the guitar) and singing, both in local schools and in their own Educational Centre. The families of these children simply aren’t able to pay for their children to have music lessons or instruments; so the work is done by passionate voluntary teachers...

 

This is Vasilica, a very talented guitarist from Tarlungeni. He plays mainly traditional Roma songs, and is currently undergoing training for him to be able to teach others these songs, and so is the best man for the job of keeping these songs going through the generations. As any music lover and/or musician will know, music is about community, tradition, hope, joy and the ability to speak something powerful, sometimes without words!