Performing Street Music-cum-begging in Switzerland: the Negotiating and Shifting of Social Categories among Hungarian Speaking Roma Migrants from Slov
Performing Street Music-cum-begging in Switzerland: the Negotiating and Shifting of Social Categories among Hungarian Speaking Roma Migrants from Slov

Summary/Abstract: The paper focuses on one specific example of recent temporary labour migration from Slovakia to Switzerland. It presents a case study of several Hungarian-speaking Roma from the south-east Slovakian borderlands. In Geneva, these predominantly male migrants manage to get a living by performing music-cum-begging on the streets of the city. Although hardly any of these Roma would call themselves ‘professional musicians,’ by performing street music they manage to get by and send remittances back to their relatives in Slovakia. An important underlying assumption of their tactics is the popular representation of the ‘Gypsies as authentic bohemian musicians.’ I will look at ideas and ideologies concerning ‘authenticity’ in relation to the kinds of tropes and performances employed by the Roma themselves.

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