The Hymn to Joy, the European music emblem, played by five Romany bands. It is the initiative presented in Strasbourg yesterday by the Council of Europe, as part of the awareness-raising campaign called "Dosta!", "aimed at evolving mentalities and bring Romanies closer to the population" of the continent, "showing they are just citizens like any other, endowed with different talents and artistic and cultural potential". The CD disseminated at the Palais de l’Europe contains Beethoven’s work played by the Albanians of the Shqiperiagroup, the Serbian bands Kal and R. Point, the Alsatian guitarist Yorgui Loeffler, and the singer of Gypsy origin Esma Redzepova. The CD was launched on the occasion of the session of the Congress of Local Powers of the CoE and the "Dosta!" awards for municipalities, "rewarding the best local initiatives for the social inclusion" of nomadic and travelling peoples. "Romanies it was explained to the CoE live in virtually all of the member states for a total population of 12 million; many of them however are now living in difficult conditions". Through this Campaign, "The CoE intends to prove that the Romanies are entitled to be recognised as citizens and to assert their fundamental rights".
