“The boy learnt, because he was ambitious, but for music and love for books …”
After 50 kilometres from Iași to Huși and Vaslui, the road passes through Pietriș, Dolhești commune. On a wide & dusty road, an old lady appears in front of me, swinging with two buckets of water. She heard of Tîrșu Nicolae, the accordion player and of Violeta Măcinoi, the singer of traditional Romani music: “Beautiful people, who knew how to make people forget about their sadness or bitter moments. Before they were the finest musicians from the area, people were coming to have fun for their sake. Now they are separated, they left, but their son Ionuț, was ambitious, but for music and love for books.”
Ionuț is a young Romani person of 25 years old and is a master’s degree student in the 1st year at Accountancy, diagnostic and evaluation, within the University ‘’Alexandru Ioan Cuza’’ from Iași. He comes from a family with a single parent. He was raised more by his grandmother, Ecaterina because his mother, Violeta, had to go to work abroad after his father chose not to join them. It wasn’t easy at all for him, but all the hardships he met made him even more ambitious for the fulfilment of his dream: “I want to be one of the best musicians, I want to be better than my father.”
Native talents and commitment
Ionuț inherited the musical talent of his father and at the age of 14 years old he fell in love with ‘’tarabană’’. He started studying by himself, and at 20 years old he already sang in different bands of Romani music. More than that, Ionuț had another gift, dancing. “Not only dancing but also music are one of the most spectacular art forms that give you the freedom to shine, to be yourself. At the same time, dancing and music don’t involve making only a few dance steps on certain rhythms, but they spread around you emotions, naturality and unique experiences.”
Discrimination victim
Even if he is of Romani ethny, from the gipsies people, Ionuț Măcinoi does not have the physical features specific for this ethny. Even if he could hide himself without mistrust, he always assumed his affiliation to the Romani ethny. He felt discrimination not only from educators and teachers but also from his classmates. This period of his life, which wasn’t an easy one, didn’t make him but more ambitious and determine Ionuț to fight against discrimination, by activating in different associations and starting projects and campaigns against discrimination.
Friends’ opinion
Ionuț is appreciated and loved by the majority of the people who know him. One of his best friends, Cătălin says that he is a model boy, from whom you can learn: “He is a boy from whom you can learn. He remains the same in difficult times, he is self-critical and if he has the possibility, he helps everybody. He is a fighter, he went further trusting his instincts. This is more important than any dream, it’s good to know yourself, to know your own principles, in order to choose which way to go further in life. ”
Present and future matter now
At present, our young man, plays in a band of Romani music, he studies the accordion, he takes part in Youth Roma People, an organisation of young people that has as a purpose to change the perception of the majority people on the Romani people, he is a Romani dance instructor and he intends to complete his master’s degree and to work in the field of Accountancy, without neglecting his passions.
“We are Romanian people as well!”
Beyond the world in which hate, misguidance and despise towards Romani culture & traditions, are in the foreground, there are Romani people who are silent, gipsies that daily want to be better and want to demonstrate that including themselves can be an example for the young people of Romania .
According to Ionuț’s words: “God never gives you a burden you cannot carry. He knows you well and gives you difficulties that you can surpass. You must only be a good man, strong and open in front of the people. Each of us has a place in this society. ”
This article can also be read here http://romanoylo.blogspot.ro/2014/12/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html
