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Gypsy Nights

Zhenya Schevchenko
Gypsy Nights

“Queen of the Gypsies” Zhenya Schevchenko sings 14 Romani songs in her native Russian on this 1975 recording. Backed by an ensemble of piano, violin, guitar, bass, and drums, Schevchenko’s repertoire spans the emotional range from the merry (“I Lyotsa Piesnya”) to the mournful (“Ty Smotri, Nikomu Nie Raskazyvai”). Song lyrics in Russian and brief English synopses are included in the liner notes.

RELATED LESSON PLAN
"A Little Romani Music"

*Content Advisory: While some Roma have and continue to use “Gypsy” as a self-identifier, many consider the term offensive or a racial slur. Romani people are a minoritized ethnic group in Europe who have been persecuted for centuries, and the term “Gypsy” has been used in violent and racist ways. For more information, please see these resources from the European Roma Rights Centre, RomArchive, and Amnesty International.
- Anna Kate Cannon, 2021–22 Dumbarton Oaks Fellow at SFR, and Dr. Adriana Helbig, professor of Music at the University of Pittsburgh, contributed to the research and writing for this statement.
For our policy on controversial recordings, please see our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Track Listing

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101
Zhenya Schevchenko
02:35
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102
Zhenya Schevchenko
03:03
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103
Zhenya Schevchenko
02:43
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104
Zhenya Schevchenko
02:06
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105
Zhenya Schevchenko
03:07
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106
Zhenya Schevchenko
03:47
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107
Zhenya Schevchenko
03:00
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108
Zhenya Schevchenko
03:26
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109
Zhenya Schevchenko
02:30
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110
Zhenya Schevchenko
02:21
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111
Zhenya Schevchenko
03:19
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112
Zhenya Schevchenko
02:56
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113
Zhenya Schevchenko
01:54
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114
Zhenya Schevchenko
02:54