Little Money Street: In Search of Gypsies and Their Music in the South of France

Gypsy culture is a misunderstood, fascinating ,sad and rich culture that is explored with keen insight by author Fernanda Eberstadt;she presents all facets, warts and all. The pretext for writing this book was the exploration of the music of the Perpignan band Tekameli Religious Gypsy Songs who reside in southern France, specifically in the Gypsy homeland of St. Jacques which is a section of Perpignan, home of the largest Gypsy population in Western Europe. She uprooted her family for her project and the result is an investigative bit of journalism that is part history, part social commentary and all appreciation for a culture that is a paradox. Eberstadt's writing style is entertaining and keeps the account of her life among the Gypsies completely enthralling. Her descriptions of daily life and the characters involved brings everything to life. Her year and a half exploration is funneled into snippets of time that stretch the duration, revealing glimpses into a secret society that lives on the fringes of society, complete with outcasts comes all the epidemics associated with poverty; drugs, alcoholism and AIDS are just some of the afflictions affecting these outsiders. There is no romantic vision drawn by the author but rather a vivid portrayl as close to real life as you can get without being there I suppose. She befriends the lead singer of Tekameli, Moise and his wife Diane and a cast of characters that all seem to interrelated in her quest for learning more about Gypsies. Along the way she makes friends with various family members, learns about their childrens prearranged marriages and lots of other familial practices. Children are not children in the western sense as they grow up very quickly, even marrying while still teenagers. The sense of the world is shrouded in generations old traditions that value family more than money. Ambition is almost a foreign word and practically nonexistent. Men are chauvinistic and women accept their role for the most part; married men have numerous women while young women must go through a ritual before marriage to prove her virginity that would make medieval times seem modern. Some of the things revealed are almost beyond twenty first century comprehension. Nonetheless the author has a way with words that captures the imagination; it is a vivid,colorful, visceral world the Gipsies inhabit in Perpignan. An example would be her description of attending a cockfight that is superb(I've seen a few myself)and when asked if she enjoyed it she "begins sifting through layers of interest, boredom,, exquisite discomfort, squemishness and self-disgust" which is a perfect description of feelings that matches her perceptible description of the action she saw. It is this type of language(I'll spare you the description of the cockfight)that is used throughout the book that brings the culture to life. Besides thoroughly enjoying the book I really had a good time listening to Ida Y Vuelta. Their spiritual music is uplift

This book offers a peek into a culture that interests many people but which is a mystery to most. Fernanda Eberstadt has dispelled some of the stubborn myths, both good and bad, that plague the Gypsies and in some instances replaced them with painful truths that make me wish for the mythical again. The history of Gypsy music, the process by which it is born, and the dicotomy in the attitudes of dismissal and respect the Gypsy people show it is, in itself, a great read. I can't wait to listen to some of the music mentioned. I'm familiar with the Gypsy Kings but I want to hear the truer, less polished version of this art form. Eberstadt shows the tragedy and comedy of the Gypsies and believe me they can soar high and fall fast. But I was left with the feeling that as long as they feel a sense of control over their lives the Gypsies will always be Gypsies.