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Meet the Artist: Pretty Loud
The group Pretty Loud was formed in 2014 as part of the GRUBB Foundation. It was established as the world’s first female Roma hip-hop band, with the goal of using music to educate young Roma women about their rights and foster critical thinking.
Their work is characterized by directly addressing social issues within the Roma community. Through their lyrics – written in Romani, Serbian, and English – they focus on themes such as child marriage, promoting female education, and combating gender-based violence. Musically, the band blends contemporary hip-hop with traditional Roma rhythms, while dance and choreography remain vital components of their performances.
To date, they have performed at numerous musical and cultural events across Serbia and Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia). A standout moment was their 2020 performance at the international Women of the World (WOW) festival in London, which garnered attention from global media like the BBC and The New York Times. That same year, in collaboration with UN Women Serbia, they released the song and video “Ravnopravno” (Equally) as part of a global campaign against violence toward women. Their mission is to fight “for all women in the world, not just Roma women. We fight for women to have more self-confidence. We want them to believe in themselves and not doubt that what they are doing is good and that it will pay off.”
Listen to what members of “Pretty Loud” have to say about their participation on our creative project – Roma Soul Food!
The group has received several awards for its social engagement, including the ELLE Award for Activism (2021) and the BeFem Award for their contribution to the struggle of Roma women. Today, Pretty Loud continues to operate as both a musical act and an activist platform, using concerts and workshops to spread messages about the Roma community. While the lineup has evolved since its founding, the group currently consists of Zlata Ristić, Silvia Sinani Ibraimović, and Elma Dalipi.
As part of the Roma Soul Food project, they will present themselves as authors and performers of two songs on the digital music album that creatively link Roma tradition, culinary practices, and elements of contemporary Roma culture.
The Roma Soul Food project is co-funded by the European Union.