ABOUT THE PROJECT
Roma Soul Food is a transnational project that brings together Roma communities from Serbia, Greece, and Slovenia to explore how music and cuisine reflect and shape contemporary Roma identity.
By capturing the voices of Roma artists and culinary practitioners, the project preserves oral traditions while presenting them in new, creative formats.
Through collaborations with musicians and on-site recordings of recipes told in Romani and local languages, the project weaves a rich audio-visual narrative that blends heritage with innovation. In doing so, it strengthens cultural resilience, fosters social inclusion, and connects Roma expression with diverse audiences across Europe.
This project focuses on the contemporary cultural expressions of Roma communities in Serbia, Greece, and Slovenia, with a special emphasis on Roma music and cuisine. While Roma culture has often been portrayed through a lens of marginalization and exclusion, many Roma today live modern lives, blending tradition with innovation. The project seeks to highlight these dynamic aspects of Roma identity, challenging stereotypes and showcasing the community’s vibrant contributions to Europe’s cultural diversity.
Despite being one of Europe’s largest ethnic minorities, Roma communities continue to experience significant social exclusion. In Serbia, only 24% of Roma feel integrated into society; in Greece, the vast majority live outside urban centers; and in Slovenia, only 10% report integration. European strategies such as the EU Roma Strategic Framework 2020–2030 aim to address these gaps, but they often focus solely on socio-economic issues. This project offers a cultural and creative perspective, using artistic and culinary practices to promote integration and intercultural understanding.
The initiative brings together artists, researchers, and Roma communities to create and share cultural content that is both rooted in tradition and oriented toward the future. It will result in a digital music album co-produced by contemporary Roma musicians, including Pretty Loud, Džipsi, and Ivan Kurtić, who bring a mix of hip-hop, pop, and neo-folk styles. Alongside the music, field recordings of traditional recipes will be captured in both native and Romani languages, forming an audio-visual archive that reflects the oral and lived heritage of Roma communities. Video materials will also be recorded on-site to support documentation and research, with the goal of preserving and sharing Roma cultural expressions in innovative digital formats.
By combining music and cuisine, the project presents a unique and accessible entry point into Roma culture. It seeks not only to preserve heritage but to activate it—making it visible, relevant, and economically viable.
The digital album and accompanying content will be distributed through online platforms, enabling broad circulation while minimizing environmental impact. The project also supports young Roma artists by providing them with new opportunities to perform, collaborate, and reach wider audiences, while ensuring fair compensation through royalties and shared authorship.
Ultimately, the project contributes to a broader vision of European cultural resilience and inclusion. It nurtures local talent, strengthens intercultural dialogue, and provides a platform for Roma voices to be heard and valued. Through creative expression, the project affirms that Roma culture is not only part of Europe’s heritage but also an essential force shaping its present and future.
Deliverables
D3.4 Interview Evaluation Report
D3.3 Oral History Interview Guide