Gypsy Jazz Genealogy

klaatu

So what's Denis Chang's real name?

Mitch

Hi,

Ted please allow me to make a few additions or corrections :

- Joseph had also famous son, Kuik that looked exaclty like him.

- Levis Adel does not use the name Reinhardt but Adel Baumgartner, he's the grandson of Micette, one of Lousson's daughter. I met also two other sons of Lousson : Kouloun and Gagoug. gagoug lke the song, as Choti is another daughter of Lousson.

- Babik had 9 children : I know the names of David, Junior, Alison and the elder is "Che"

- Steven Reinhardt never claimed to be the son of Angelo (?) but his nephew. Just looking at him can tell is not his son whereas Raangy is the pure copy of his father !

- Dallas... well when Bella Mayer separated from Django she met another guy and took his name, Baumgartner. I believe Dallas ancesters come from that second marriage and not from Lousson. This is not 100% shure... Having met a few members from the Lousson family, you can tell it is not the same "education"...

- Yorgui's real first name, christian name, was chosen according to the stadium close by where his family lived... an ancient medieval name but like Ted I prefer to respect his private life

- Now about the aliases... the reason is simple and believe me, I got this from manouche people themselves... When gypsy woman gives birth she declares herself as a single mother in order to have more social welfare... so the kids for the administration receive a christian first name and their mother's last name. But later they have a nickname and use their father's last name.

Here are some first names of people you know :
Biréli : Pierre
Babik and Boulou : Jean-Jacques
Elios : Elie
Matelo : Pierre-Jean (Baro later took his first name because "you understand, I'm the elder")
Tchan-Tchou : Paul
Stochelo : Isaac
Romane : Patrick
Tchavolo : Jean-Paul (not so shure for this one)

Ted has given a good explanation and this helps to understand why they all claim to be "cousin" as the definition of cousin is wider than ours.

Passacaglia

TedGottsegen wrote:

klaatu wrote:

So what's Denis Chang's real name?

Menashe Rabinowitz. Who'd of thought?

So does that mean Cookie Monster is available? I plan to take the name, when I get rich and famous - just don't want to step on any toes.

klaatu

Passacaglia wrote:

TedGottsegen wrote:

klaatu wrote:

So what's Denis Chang's real name?

Menashe Rabinowitz. Who'd of thought?

So does that mean Cookie Monster is available? I plan to take the name, when I get rich and famous - just don't want to step on any toes.

Menashe Rabinowitz is Hebrew for Cookie Monster. Sorry.

Passacaglia

Oh, great. Well that's taken. That's it, I'm going to aramaic.

Mitch

Hi Ted,

Please let me know when you'll be in Paris !

About Kuik I think he's dead now but he has a least one son that looks like Joseph, he's not a player though.

Sorry I dont' tknow about Dallas' grandmother Kali.

About mLousson's descendants, appart from Levis, I just heard about Gagoug playing piano and guitar but only for himself... I'd like to hear him!

The social welfare trick I think must have taken place after the war when Social Security was created.
But the first name / nickame is not related to that of course. Until 1901 in France you had to be registered on the Catholic Church archives so you had to bear a christian name.

Charles Meadows

This thread is very interesting. I love the music but I find myself almost equally interested by the culture.

I'm really quite jealous of you guys who know the GJ stars personally - and can speak Frecnh!

So do most of the manouche speak typical French? I am contemplating a trip to paris in the next several years - hopefully - and might start brushing up on some basic French.