The native tribes of Rajasthan are the seed stock of all Romany gypsy lines that now roam throughout the world. For centuries this rich cultural diaspora has enlivened the planet with exhilarating music, dance and emotion drenched performance. Although these nomadic artists rarely assimilated into their host nations, they have reciprocally touched and been touched by many cultures along their way; and their ever evolving flamenco, guitar, violin and percussion traditions deeply influence countless composers and choreographers to this day.

The gypsy/Romany performers' deep Rajasthani roots and truly global history offer us both a model and metaphor for a wide range of cross-cultural interminglings downstream.

Thanks to years of pioneering effort by Arnaud Azzouz, Sayari Satera and Philippe Tapp, Udaipur is now awash in gypsy talent and this circus revival project will feature the richest voices and performances from Rajasthan's oldest heritage communities. Using this trove as a base and starting point, USW will also reach out and cultivate mutually enriching collaborations with virtuosos from Middle Eastern/European gypsy genres and many other artistic traditions as well.

For a more graphic taste of this extraordinary culture, see USW ally and advisor Pepe Ozan's visually stunning "Jaisalmer Ayo! - Gateway of the Gypsies " as well as Tony Gatlif's classic, "Latcho Drom "...