Santino Spinelli together with the Alexian group and his wife Daniela De Rentiis were once again guests of the Croatian Romani Union “KALI SARA” this April. In addition to attending the conference, the Spinelli and Alexian group performed at the Croatian National Theater performing a concert as part of the artistic and cultural program on the occasion of World Roma Day.
I was very pleased with my performance with the Alexian group at the Croatian National Theater, a really beautiful place full of enthusiastic people. There was a magical atmosphere. It is always a great pleasure to return to Croatia, a very beautiful country with very warm and kind people. Music opens the door to the heart, Santino Spinelli shared with us.
In June 2012, Spinelli sang the prayer “Our Father” in Romani language to Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of World Family Day, and at that time as many as 800,000 people were present. In October 2015, he performed several of his compositions for Pope Francis with the Alexian group on national television. Since then, he has held over three thousand concerts around the world and gathered fifty-four professional musicians from around the world, and organized the European Orchestra of Peace in August 2020 on the occasion of marking the International Day of Remembrance of Roma Victims of Genocide – Samudaripen. Back then, in the center of Zagreb, on Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square, they held an evening concert for all the citizens of Zagreb and visitors to this city.
Spinelli is a welcome guest at the celebrations of important Roma days and always speaks with praise about the professionalism and quality of the organization of the events of Croatian Romani Union “KALI SARA” and Veljko Kajtazi.
The conference was important not only because of the participation of the most important Roma representatives and representatives of the highest Croatian institutional positions, but also because of the Declaration on the Roma Diaspora, which was not a choice, nor because of nomadism, but because of the tragic event. Forced mobility was a fact and no one has yet recognized the Roma diaspora from India. That is why the Declaration adopted in Zagreb is an important historical fact, and all hopes that it will benefit the Roma in terms of social inclusion, artistic and cultural promotion, and respect for human rights, says Spinelli.
