Kali Sara in Prague: The first year of the festival will commemorate an ancient Romani legend and present Romani artists from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary – Romea.cz

The organizers of the festival, Martin Fečo together with Milan and Robert Telvák, aim to create a similar tradition in the Czech Republic, which would remind the rich history and culture of the Roma. “It is important to remember the history of the Roma and the legacy of our ancestors,” said Martin Fečo for the news website Romea.cz.

As part of the festival, a statue of Kali Sara will be unveiled in Prague, which will be consecrated by a parish priest in the chapel of the Chamber of Deputies on May 10, 2024.

The Kali Sara Festival will present Roma artists from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary to the general public. Among the performers will be, for example, Varadi Olasz from Hungary, Mamuko Berci and the rapper PAT from Slovakia, and there will also be traditional Roma dulcimer music under the direction of Josef Feč, who invited the excellent players Holub and Boldio to the festival.

The festival promises to become an important cultural event that will show that the Roma community can organize events at a high level and thus present unique artists and quality Roma music to the general public. “We want to show that we Roma can also do events at a high level,” emphasizes Fečo.

The legend of Saint Sara (Kali Sara, Sara le Kali) is one of the most interesting Roma legends, which is closely connected with the biblical figures of the three Marys. Every year on May 24, in the French village of Saintes Marie de la Mer, where the Rhone River flows into the Mediterranean Sea, thousands of Roma from all over Europe gather to take part in a ceremony symbolizing the welcoming of the three Marys by Saint Sarah.