If you want ethnic music at your wedding or party, Vasily Romani of the Vasily Romani Gypsy Band suggests, first finding out who the band members are, what part of the country they are from, and the type of music they play. “We play Russian Gypsy music,” he says proudly.
Recently they played for a wedding at the American Museum of Natural History. “The Guggenheim Museum gave them my phone number, because when Russian President Putin was here in 2000 we played at the Guggenheim, and in 2002 when there was an exhibition of women artists, both the Russian government and Russian Embassy were involved, so again we played.”
Vasily came here in 1991 from Russia. “I came for the freedoms of America. I used to work in a famous gypsy theater in Moscow,” he says. “It was the Romana Theatre, where I played guitar and sang. It was a big group, with 75 musicians and dancers.”
Vasily started his New York-based band in 1995, when the Moscow cabaret was here. “In our band we have balalaika, guitar, accordion, a show group of four to five dancers, a violin, and sometimes the Hungarian instrument called a cymbol, which is like strings.”
They’ve performed for several plays at La Mama Theatre. “One show was ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ and the other was ‘The Defense of Prague.’ Now they’re going to make a movie, and we have been invited to play for that too.”
They’ve played Russian weddings in Brooklyn International Cabaret, and in The Russian Samovar, where they also play often for celebrations and holidays and for parties with high profile guests like Oscar De La Renta and Barbara Walters. They’ve also performed on “The Late Late Show” with Conan O’Brien.
“Gypsy music is special,” says Vasily. “In the 19th century gypsys were popular and famous for their beautiful, bright costumes. In Russia, people invite gypsys to weddings because they bring luck and good fortune.
“When I perform at the opening of a play or a new business, their business goes very well. We definitely bring luck to people. The American who sponsored me when I came here opened his own travel business, and we played for him at his opening party,” says Vasily. “He told us we brought him a lot of luck".
“We are so happy to be able to give people our energy, our talent, the beauty of our musical arts, and the gypsy rhythm. This is my job, to make people happy.”
Around the world, Russian Gypsy musicians and dancers bring a lavish
profusion of passion, romance and festivity to wedding celebrations.
Lords and Ladies, Kings and Queens would not think of a wedding
without gypsy musicians.
Russian Gypsy (Roma) singer Vasily Yankovich video
For more than a thousand years, when
nobility celebrates a marriage, they call for gypsy musicians
whose long tradition of passionate and enticing music is believed
to bring good luck to the wedding couple and great joy to the
family and guests.
Whether you plan a grand celebration or an intimate time of reception,
Gypsy singer Vasily Yankovich promises an occasion of mirthful delight and pleasing merriment
for you and all your guests. A rich tradition of the music,
dance and culture of the gypsies is an absolutely incredible
experience of passion, romance and festivity.
Classical Gypsy singer Vasily Yankovich (Romani) was named the best Roma (Gypsy) singer in the United States recently. Known expert in Russian Gypsy music Vasily Romani hails from the Moscow Gypsy Theater Romen and is now based in New York City.
He has toured extensively nationally and internationally and recently led his group, Vasily Romani Gypsy Band, in a concert at Carnegie Hall.
Vasily plays professionally seven-string Gypsy Guitar. He performs as a guest singer with based in Boston Russian Gypsy traditional music and dance show VIA ROMEN, or with his own band Vasily Romani Gypsy Band and solo.
Vasily Yankovich (Romani) sings classical Gypsy songs and romances, he also has a big repertoire of Russian, Ukrainian, Italian and international popular songs.
Russian Gypsy flyers, free MP3 download of Russian Gypsy music, concert announcements, Gypsy dance photos, Russian 7-string guitar concert programs, articles about Gypsy guitar from Russian newspapers on Google groups Russian Gypsy (Roma) music and dance. You may need to become a member to be able to view archives.
If you want ethnic music at your wedding or party, 
Vasily came here in 1991 from Russia. “I came for the freedoms of America. I used to work in a famous gypsy theater in Moscow,” he says. “It was the Romana Theatre, where I played guitar and sang. It was a big group, with 75 musicians and dancers.”
They’ve performed for several plays at La Mama Theatre. “One show was ‘The Brothers Karamazov’ and the other was ‘The Defense of Prague.’ Now they’re going to make a movie, and we have been invited to play for that too.”
“Gypsy music is special,” says Vasily. “In the 19th century gypsys were popular and famous for their beautiful, bright costumes. In Russia, people invite gypsys to weddings because they bring luck and good fortune.
“We are so happy to be able to give people our energy, our talent, the beauty of our musical arts, and the gypsy rhythm. This is my job, to make people happy.”
